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Sydney, Australia

Just got 16 cubic yards of cow manure delivered. Looks great......fluffy, loose and dark. It has a reasonable amount of heat in it and steams ammonia. Is it aged enoughed? Will it burn plant roots? It is going to be tilled into the remainder of my soil and will sit for another 8 weeks before plant time. Patch is 1800 sqft, soil depth 10-11" raised bed, approx 30% of soil content will be cow manure. I'm hoping that it will be OK! Any comments or experience appreciated! Thanks....Ben

8/22/2003 8:52:57 AM

Oz

MIX, IN A CEMENT MIXER(AKA SHOVEL AND BUCKET LOL),,,COW PUCKY/PEAT/BLACK DIRT/POWDER LIME/ETC.ADD WATER TILL PLASTIC LIKE. POUR INTO A PILE/S. WAIT ONE SUNNY DAY.IF PILES DONT STEAM AND ARE NOT AS HOT AS ORIGINAL ,,YOUR OK,,,
I USE USED MUSHROOM SOIL (USED PUCKY).ITS TOO HOT AND HAS BEEN USED SO,,,I COOL IT DOWN IF I CAN. IVE BURNED SOME LEAVES WITH THE USED COW PUCKY,,,BUT THE ROOT GROWTH IS,,,BEST IVE SEEN SINCE SOME CORN I GREW RAN ITS ROOTS INTO THE BLACK SOAKER HOSE,,,LOTS OF WHITE PUNKIN FIBERS ALL IN IT AND
MOISTURE CONTENT WAS "BREADLIKE".I WONDER IF THE POWDERY MILDEY SPORES ARE IN THE MANURE,,OR THE STORE BOUGHT SOIL
IVE USED. BEST OF RESULTS TO YA!

8/22/2003 9:35:35 AM

Utah

if you are worried about it being to hot you can spread it out and let it sit exposed to the air before tilling. By doing this much of the ammonia (nitrogen) will escape into the air through evaporation and denitrification.

I think that since it is pretty fresh and since you'll be planting fairly soon, that you'll want to let it sit for several weeks (at least 2, 4 or 6 would be better) before tilling it in.

by the way- opposite it also true - if you wanted the nitrogen in the soil then you would want to till it in as soon as possible.

8/22/2003 9:50:23 AM

Montoursville, PA

Flash it and help it with a lacing of molasses or any sugar based product. If you could get a similar product to AGRO-K's Simbex 4X you could bolster the inground value of your manures. All of the above is already within your manures.They are not just quite fermented enough to be working for you.

....You have a couple of weeks more before your transplanted seedlings will drive roots down to your mother load. If warming up the soil is good for you the manure in this condition will add a few degrees while heating up and maturing to better humus.

.....I would think you are just a tad later than ideal would have been but not to far off to go ahead and build your nursery mother load.

8/22/2003 10:18:55 AM

Ga.

Ben,,I have used like that.>Shouldnt be a problem with 8 weeks to go...Just till it in..IF your worried,,break a cup down like you figure it will be in patch and plant a seed in it inside..Will tell all...

8/22/2003 10:42:05 AM

Key West, FL

Just till it in, that stuff looks like it's pretty composted. 8 weeks is a fairly long time. Another thing you could do is just not put the cow manure in your pit. Your plant will be in that pit for a month, so thats another 4 or 5 weeks added to the 8 weeks before.

8/22/2003 1:19:54 PM

Caceres, mid west of Spain

No problem, you can plant over the pile if you like, but I better plough it after equally spreaded over the whole area.

8/23/2003 9:48:06 AM

Sydney, Australia

Thanks guys for all your reply's! I think it will be fine..... Its great to be able to bounce back some opions on matters of doubt! Thanks.....Ben

8/24/2003 2:15:42 AM