Let's talk poop.

[BackyardFarm]

First some background info:
So I share a small plot with my neighbor. Due to certain circumstances they will not be taking any of the plot this year, I was already going to expand it to roughly double the size so I could have more space. That is still the plan. But...now. Ooooooo. So much more to plan now!

So they were pretty much standard till twice (or sometimes even three times! *wince*) a year on their portion. I'm all about the raised beds and compost. Don't till because earthworms and mycorrhiza. I also do containers with peat moss and compost.

Due to the same circumstances as above the garden plot has lain in a state of mess and has not been weeded since about July last year. I started ripping up old stalks/plants and stakes from tomatoes tonight. It's a mess. It doesn't help that we are pretty much all sand in the yard. Honestly their soil is like dust. It's completely devoid of any organic matter. No worms in sight either.

So basically I'm starting from scratch on 80% of this garden. I have a plan and I can do about twelve 4' by 8' (maybe 4' by 6-7') raised beds in the whole thing (including the expansion).

I need advice. I have newspaper for smothering weeds, I have old coffee grounds and eggshells I've been saving all winter for the worms, I have old hay and straw for mulching. Those I know what to do with.

And NOW...thanks to some awesome friends who heard me asking about fertilizer of the manure variety...I have rabbit poop, horse poop, and cow poop in various states of decay...where should I use this in my garden? Add to compost pile to let it break down more? Layer under the newspaper to rot until I plant in April/May? What do I do with this wonderful stuff!?!?!?

Would love some suggestions for cover crops for this fall too.

[TightenUp]

if the manures are separate get the rabbit poop in the garden asap. The others are fine if aged, otherwise compost them a bit and use as side dressing. The rabbit can go in the garden fresh and it's an amazing additive.

[twillis2252]

Last year I started a new garden Approximate 1K Sq. Ft. Soil was basically red clay with a porous texture. Soil needing severe amending... Fortunately, in my area there is an Alpaca Farm. The owners were offering "Paca Poo" for whoever would p/u. I got a load on a flat bed truck and tilled it in the garden. Planted cucumbers, watermelons, spinach, okra, two variety of beans, several jalepeno and tomatoes. Had fantastic results. The paca poo was a mixture of recent and aged ingredients as I used a front end loader to load the compound on the truck. The mixture was tilled into the soil. I have included a link with additional information and directions for accessing the University of Idaho's website where the analysis originated.....

https://paradisefoundfiber.com/resou...of-llama-poop/

[ChiliPeppa]

Horse manure can go in fresh as well, as long as it is not still wet.

[BackyardFarm]

Originally Posted by TightenUp

if the manures are separate get the rabbit poop in the garden asap. The others are fine if aged, otherwise compost them a bit and use as side dressing. The rabbit can go in the garden fresh and it's an amazing additive.

It IS separate! Soon as I finish getting the beds marked out I will top them with some bunny poop, thank you!

[BackyardFarm]

Originally Posted by ChiliPeppa

Horse manure can go in fresh as well, as long as it is not still wet.

I'm hoping it will do good things for my pumpkins and melons I'm growing this year.

[BackyardFarm]

Originally Posted by twillis2252

Last year I started a new garden Approximate 1K Sq. Ft. Soil was basically red clay with a porous texture. Soil needing severe amending... Fortunately, in my area there is an Alpaca Farm. The owners were offering "Paca Poo" for whoever would p/u. I got a load on a flat bed truck and tilled it in the garden. Planted cucumbers, watermelons, spinach, okra, two variety of beans, several jalepeno and tomatoes. Had fantastic results. The paca poo was a mixture of recent and aged ingredients as I used a front end loader to load the compound on the truck. The mixture was tilled into the soil. I have included a link with additional information and directions for accessing the University of Idaho's website where the analysis originated.....

https://paradisefoundfiber.com/resou...of-llama-poop/

The closest alpaca farm is 40 minutes away. Something to ask them about though! Maybe if I make a trip out that way for other things I could pick some up on the way back home...

[Cole_Robbie]

Cow manure will depend on what their cattle operation is like. Feed lot manure can be high in salts from all the urine. The stuff I get is mostly composted hay, from the large bales sitting on the ground.

As soon as a cow pie dries in the sun, the dangerous bacteria are largely gone. Settlers used to cook their food over dried dung.

[Scooty]

Originally Posted by BackyardFarm

Would love some suggestions for cover crops for this fall too.

I liked the biodrill tillage radishes. Good weed suppression and loose soil if you don't harvest.

[PureHarvest]

Love poo too!
Just remember you can over apply it!

[Uncle Doss]

Originally Posted by PureHarvest

Love poo too!
Just remember you can over apply it!

except rabbit, you can't overuse rabbit poop. I know several people who have raised beds and their only soil is bunny berries

[PureHarvest]

Food for thought:

General Considerations
Fresh vegetables, not fresh manure. Manure should never be used fresh (raw) if you intend to plant directly into it; composting results in a more readily usable form of manure. Composting will also destroy many weed seeds that could otherwise be introduced into new fields or gardens. For more information on the composting process, see UK Extension Publication HO-75, Home Composting: A Guide to Managing Home Organic Waste. This guide along with other home and commercial vegetable publications are available from the Horticulture Departments website at http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Horti...meveggies.html ***FIX LINK***. Links to additional information on commercial vegetable production, including organic practices, can be found at http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Horti...e/veglinks.htm ***FIX LINK***.
If fresh manure is used on soil, it should be worked in as soon as possible or covered with other organic materials such as straw, hay, or grass clippings to prevent the loss of nitrogen through leaching. No fresh manure may be used during the year of harvest for certified organic production so you may want to plant a green manure or cover crop on this ground for the first year (see website above for information on Kentucky cover crops). See also http://www.kyagr.com/mkt_promo/hort/...anic/index.htm for detailed information on organic certification in Kentucky. If you are not concerned with organic certification you must still allow at least one or two months to pass before planting after fresh manure applications. This allows soil microbes to start the decomposition process that regulates nutrient availability and prevents burning of young plant roots.
Remember that some types of animal manures have higher nitrogen contents than others (see Tables 1 and 2). These include horse, sheep, chicken, and rabbit manures. These are sometimes referred to as "hot" and are best used after composting. Cow and hog manures are considered "cold" because of their lower nitrogen levels.
Application. Composted manures can be broadcast and worked into fields or worked into rows and beds for various vegetable crops. A general recommendation for vegetable gardens is to broadcast poultry, sheep, cow, or horse manure at 25 to 100 lbs per 100 square feet (approximately 5-20 tons per acre). This amount may need to be supplemented with 1-2 pounds of a complete inorganic fertilizer such as 10-10-10. Organic growers can supplement with ground rock phosphate or raw bone meal to obtain phosphorus required (see below). For crops such as melons, squash, and cucumbers, composted manure can be worked directly into planting hills and mixed thoroughly with the soil. Manures can also be side-dressed with up to 5 pounds per 100 square feet of row.
Nutrient contents. It is important to remember that nutrient contents in manures vary widely according to age of the animals, feed used, moisture content, degree of decomposition, and the amount of litter or bedding material mixed in with the manure. The only really accurate way of determining the nutrient content of the manure you are using is through laboratory analysis. You may need to adjust your application rates up or down according to what you know about the age, quality, and moisture content of the manure.

Average nutrient composition
Source (percent dry weight)
N P2O5 K2O
Dairy cows 1.3 0.9 3.0
Feedlot cattle 1.7 1.2 3.0
Horse 2.3 0.9 1.7
Poultry 3.2 5.2 1.8
Sheep 3.5 1.4 3.5
Hogs 3.5 0.5 0.7
Goat 1.5 1.5 3.0
Rabbit 2.4 1.4 0.6
Tobacco stems* 1.5 0.5 7.0
Bat guano 10.0 2.0-4.0 0-2.0
Blood meal 13.0-14.0 2.0 1.0
Bone meal, raw 3.0 22.0 --
Bone meal, steamed 1.0-2.0 11.0-15.0 --
Cottonseed meal 6.0 0.4-3.0 1.5
Fish meal 10.0 6.0 --
Fish emulsion 5.0 2.0 2.0
Feather meal 12.0 0 0
Soybean meal 7.0 1.2 1.5
Tankage* 7.0 10.0 1.5
Sewage sludge* 1.5 1.3 0.4
Sewage sludge activated* 6.0 3.0 0.2
"soft" rock phosphate 0 14.0-16.0 0
Greensand 0 0 3.0
Phytamin 800 7.0 0 0