Manure Composting.
Your Soil Deserves Better!
For those growing in soil, organic fertilizers and soil conditioners haveliterally been around since the beginning of time. After all, an organic fertilizer is nothing more than a plant nutrient derived from a natural resource, regardless of whether it's source is animal, mineral, or vegetable. For centuries before the advent of chemical fertilization, farmers and gardeners successfully relied on natural plant nutrients to ensure their success by following natures' examples. For obvious reasons, animal manure and "green" manure, or cover cropping, were the primary sources of nutrients used to enrich the soil of early farms and gardens.
Proper use of manure will ensure that your plants will be supplied with adequate nutrients and that your soil tilth will improve. Too low a rate of applied manure can lead to nutrient deficiency and poor plant growth. On the other hand, too high a rate can lead to nitrate leaching, nutrient runoff, excessive vegetative growth and, for some manures, salt damage. It is important to understand that manure characteristics can vary greatly with animal, bedding, storage, and how well composted. Because of this variation, the recommended rates provided on this page should be considered as very general.
Suggested rates of manure or compost to apply on a fresh weight basis to supply about 0.2 lb of available nitrogen per 100 square feet.
| Manure type |
Rate to apply per 100 square ft. - lbs |
| Dairy, no bedding |
75 |
| Dairy, with bedding |
90 |
| Sheep, no bedding |
40 |
| Sheep, with bedding |
50 |
| Poultry, no litter |
20 |
| Poultry, with bedding |
30 |
| Horse, with bedding |
65 |
| Poultry compost |
70 |
| Dairy compost |
200 |
Note: one 5 gallon bucket holds about 25 lbs of fresh manure or compost.
