Cow manure is rich in nutrients and is suitable for plant growth. It has 3% nitrogen, 2% phosphorus, and 1% potassium—3-2-1 NPK, making it the right type of fertilizer for almost all types of plants and crops. That's because it brings back nutrient balance to fields organically.
Cow manure is a great soil conditioner, adding organic matter and structure to garden soil. As a cow's diet is mostly grass, their poo tends to be low in nutrients, so they are ideal for native gardens or vegetables that don't need much food such as onions, carrots, parsnips, and beetroot.
Cow manure is extremely affordable and a great garden all-rounder. Once matured, cow manure can be used on all matter of plants, including native plants. Because cows eat grass, their manure is perfect for adding structure and increasing aeration in the soil.
Cow, horse, chicken/poultry, sheep, goat, and llama manure are acceptable types of manure appropriate for use in vegetable gardens. There are differences in using raw, aged, and composted manure in a garden. Manure may be composted in a variety of means, for the home gardener, this is usually hot or cold composting.
Vegetable root crops such as beets, carrots, radishes, and potatoes are particularly sensitive to adding horse manure. Salad greens are another vegetable type that can be damaged or burned by applying horse muck to the soil.
Don't Use Fresh Manure
If the manure is from a plant-eating animal, it is probably also full of weed seeds, which will not be inhibited from sprouting. If you still want to make use of fresh manure, don't apply it after your garden has been planted.
Many vegetable gardeners swear by the benefits of manure as a fertilizer. Adding manure to soil improves the soil's texture and water-holding capacity while providing nutrients needed by growing plants.
Blending manure into the top layer of topsoil will help encourage root growth and health because the manure is packed full of nutrients. The main nutrient released is nitrogen which is needed for plants and vegetables to grow in a sustainable manner.
To Minimize the Health Risks Associated with Using Manures in Home Gardens. Wait at least 120 days after applying raw or aged manure to harvest crops that grow in or near the soil (root crops, leafy greens, strawberries). Wait at least 90 days for other crops.
Adding too much manure can lead to nitrate leaching, nutrient runoff, excessive vegetative growth and, for some manures, salt damage. And using fresh manure where food crops are grown poses risks for contamination with disease-causing pathogens.
A good base of lots of cow manure when you plant your rose bush is extremely important. Composted cow manure delivers a large variety of nutrients to your rose bushes over several years. It is well worth it to spend a little more at the beginning to give your plants the nutrients they need for years to come.
Specialists at the University of Georgia recommend a rate of 150 pounds of cattle manure or up to 200 pounds of horse manure or 50 pounds of poultry manure per 1000 square feet of garden soil.
Apply nutrients in the spring just before growth starts. Avoid using manures and fertilisers in late summer or autumn where they may be lost over winter and pollute water bodies.
Simply ageing a manure pile for three months can kill about 60% of the weed seeds present, and bacterial counts start to drop within days after the manure leaves the animal. Then, when the aged manure is mixed into the soil, soil microorganisms clear out residual bacteria in about a month.
Manure that is piled and left alone will decompose slowly. This can take three to four months if conditions are ideal. It can take a year or more if the starting material contains a wide carbon:nitrogen ratio (as is the case when manure contains wood chips).
Cow manure is a great all-purpose fertilizer. It's low in nitrogen so it won't burn your tender plants, and has a good balance of nutrients. What's more, since a cow's four stomachs digest its food so thoroughly, very few weed seeds make it through, so you don't have to worry about them.
Spread composted manure in your garden in small amounts, about one-fourth to one-half inches deep. Thicker applications up to 1 inch deep might be justified in poor soil with low organic matter. To prevent pollution, store compost away from water sources and cover the pile with plastic when you expect heavy rain.
Manure has some potential disadvantages when used as fertilizer. It can contain weed and pest seeds, rodents and other pests, and pathogens such as E. coli. It can also cause pollution if not managed properly, as the manure may flow into the surface or groundwater.
Fertilizers don't often contain manure, but manure can be used as a fertilizer. Manure contains nitrogen, which is one of the most beneficial nutrient resources in soil.
Not all manure provides nutrients to plants. As it breaks down, manure containing lots of bedding takes nitrogen from the soil. This reduces the amount of nitrogen available to plants.