All excited about manure
Posted on May 5th, 2008 – 9:10 AMBy Robyn Dochterman
How’s your back today? Mine is a little stiff, thanks to the beautifully (surprise!) sunny weekend and the chance to finally get some things crossed off my ever-growing to-do list. Our bees arrived and they are getting used to their new homes. But the highlight of my weekend was making my back a little sore by shoveling a pick-up load of what comes out of the back end of horse.
It takes a special person to get all excited about manure. Even if it’s special manure. I could wax poetic about how well-composted it is, what a deep, rich color it is, and how there appear to be virtually no weeds. Heck, I could dance a little happy manure dance on top of the pile of it in my pickup truck.
Alas, before you go checking YouTube for video of that jig, I’ve already unloaded it on my garden, and I’m headed back today for more, more, more. I hope to get my garden tilled this week (I want all that good manure tilled in), and planted with peas, onions, potatoes and lettuce. I can’t even tell you how happy that makes me, but I bet you can imagine it.
So, two questions for you today:
1) Did you get a chance to get out and exercise your back this wonderful weekend? What did you do?
2) Are you growing veggies this year, and if so, where does your garden stand at the moment? Have you already got things growing? Or are you waiting till it warms up? Do you dig your garden yourself or get help tilling it?
Oh yeah, and if you’re looking for composted manure, let me know. I’ve been scanning Craigslist and talking to farmers. I might be able to hook you up with some good stuff.
12 Responses to "All excited about manure"
Really? You would? Would I have to come get it or would you deliver? I totally get your love of manure. I grew up on a farm and have gardened organically for about 20 years (yikes–that’s a long time!) The last time I had manure was from my mom and step-dad’s sheep about 10 years ago, then they stopped with the sheep. Hey, wait! I’m visiting my mom later this month and she lets a neighbor graze sheep in her small pasture! I bet I can get my hands on some manure. Thanks for the idea!
I dug up ferns encroaching into the yard. Delivered some to a friend yesterday, more to a co-worker today.
I used a little composted cow manure, but I had to buy it. (I was too lazy to look for a craigslist source, like Robyn.) I’m just going to empty my composters on the garden beds. The compost was ready to go on last fall — I just wasn’t ready to do it. Now I am! I missed last weekend, so I’m crazy to get out in the garden!!!
Nothing wrong with manure in bags, especially when it fits inside your car! I’ve done that a number of times. In fact, this is the first time I’ve gotten it together to get it by the pickup load.
I went to Mother Earth Gardens and got corn gluten and hand sprinkled it on the yard. I was hoping it would rain today so I wouldn’t have to water, but no such luck. I also raked, and planted some divided hostas I picked up at the Bryn Mawr yard sales.
Sandra, tell me about corn gluten. I’ve heard of it. Is it a weed-blocker?
I’m starting 3 new garden boxes this year - i’ve yet to fill them with dirt, compost, etc…
Is there a certain mix I should use? Anyone know of good place near Golden Valley to pickup a good garden mix?
Thanks!
Robin, Corn gluten is great! It’s like a pre-emergent herbicide and fertilizer rolled into one, without the chemicals or guilty feelings. We used it on our former landscape and it not only kept weeds down as well as the regular stuff, it made the yard very attractive to small wildlife, such as frogs. As great as it is, you have to apply it at just the right time and you have to apply it fairly heavily. Unfortunately, it has gotten very expensive, like so many corn products.
Derek,
How big/deep are your boxes? Planter size or garden size? I live in the SLP. We have great soil, but I greatly underestimated the amount of dirt I needed for my three raised beds. Instead of buying bags of dirt from Home Depot (never again), I should have gotten a shipment of organic dirt/compost from Mother Earth Gardens. Bachmans off of HWY 55 is a convenient choice, too.
The best organic mixes for planters, however, are sold at Midwest Hydroponic and Homebrew (near the SLP city pool of HWY 100).
I hope that helps!
Robyn,
I’ve decided to go with a 1:1:1 mixture of manure, vermiculite and peat moss.
I found that the big-box stores have bags of manure, but i’m interested in finding a local (and hopefully organic) source for my manure - can you help?
Thanks!
i’m definitely interested in where i can get COMPOSTED manure! last year i made the mistake of buying “compost with manure” from the big-box stores and got a garden filled with cowgrass because i made sure to spread it out over every inch of my garden. the manure hadnt been composted, just added to compost. i will not do that again!
i’ve turned over part of my garden and planted sugar snap peas and a few kinds of lettuce. my garden is small enough that i just use a pitch fork type thing to loosen up the dirt and mix it up. though occasionally i have to bring out the shovel and hack away some roots from my big maple tree. my yard came with an in ground sprinkler system and i could see myself accidentally taking out underground pipes with a tiller.
Weeds in manure is a consistent challenge, as an animal cannot completely break down many weed seeds. Weed seed in, weed seed out. Doesn’t matter if it’s organic or not. I think horse manure might be the worst, but I once used some goat manure which turned my garden into a weedfest.
As for finding organic composted manure, there’s a few listings on Craigslist (just search for “organic manure” and you should find them). You could also post a “wanted” ad there for free, which is how I found manure providers near my neck of the woods. I’ve also seen listings on eBay. Also, check or post on some of the local free lists, such as Freecycle.
Greengirls Connie Nelson, Robyn Dochterman and Jaime Chismar are dishin' the dirt from the backyard garden and beyond. Whether you're a greenthumb or greenhorn, they're eager to learn from your misshaps, mistakes -- and most importantly, your sweet successes -- all growing season long.
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