New BFF

Spring garden with manure tilled into the soil.

Picture from the New Hampshire Coop Extension site - yep, it's a pile of manure!

Your new best garden friend forever should be manure. Eeeeewwwwwuuuu, you say????

If you want to garden organic - manure is the answer.

A little ditty: The word manure came from Middle English manuren meaning "to cultivate land", itself from French main-oeuvre, "hand work", referring to the work of cultivation.

When we talk organic fertilizers, generally it is discussing three types:

1. Animal
2. Compost
3. Plant

1. Animal manure is mostly feces but also contains urine and often bedding material such as straw. It can also contain seeds that have not digested. This manure can be from horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, chickens, turkey, rabbit, humans, seabirds and bats. In this country, home gardeners do not garden with manure from humans, seabirds and bats.

The manure from different animals has different characteristics (concentration for example), contain different nutrients, and specific uses. The way it is stored, weather, and other factors affect the nutients.

Animal manure should be well rotted before applying. Well rotted will help reduce the smell (sometimes totally eliminating) and will not burn plants and roots. Another little ditty: Elephant manure is practically odorless.

Manure should be rotted or composted to degrade any residues of drugs and eliminate any pathogenic bacteria which result from care of animals in a non organic farm operation.

For the non-farmer: Slurry is liquid animal manure. Typically, this is a product of large farm operations (dairy cattle, beef feeders, and hogs) and involves other steps a gardener would not want to do or have access. In this area, a slurry pit is often used at large hog operations.

You can make your own slurry or called "tea" in garden vernacular but I've never thought that whole process was anything I wanted to try and therefore won't go into it now. You can find recipes on line.

2. Compost manure is most often decomposed plant matter but may contain animal dung and straw. This is often used by small gardeners because of the ease, space constraints and provides a place to dispose of plant refuse.

3. Plant (Green) manure is plants grown for the express purpose of plowing under/in. This was one step in the "Three Sisters" growing cycle prior to commercial fertilizers. Three Sisters is one year plant corn, next beans, and third a green manure such as clover. The green manure would return the nutrients to the soil. In some specialized areas, seaweed and such are used.

I won't go into large manure storage/dangers since farmers understand the aspects and those that only garden will never handle or store a large amount requiring "rules."

I use rotted cow manure simply because it is easier for me to obtain. It works for my garden, flower beds and trees.

Using animal manure is not for the faint hearted, those not used to farm environments, or without a strong back. According to where you live and who you know, animal manure direct from the owner may be free or they may charge. Here are some scenarios:

They may be only too happy to have someone haul away the excess manure.

They may use it on their fields and aren't really interested in "sharing."

They may deliver at a cost or you may have to provide your own container/transportation.

You may have to load (shovel) or they may scoop into your truck/trailer.

If it's not aged, you may have to let it lay a year before spreading. Needing a place to store in that case. In town, check to see if it's an issue with neighbors or the law. "Raw" means not aged.

The only way to get it spread evenly is by hand shoveling. Manure is heavy but the more aged it is, the lighter it becomes.

Very important: Check the nutrient content of the particular type/source of your manure to make sure you are not making a situation worse or adding the wrong kind for your purposes. Do not apply more than recommended, it's a waste and actually causes other problems. The county extension office should have information on the nutrient content and variables.

Do not add animal manure the year you are planning a big garden party, garden wedding, tour of gardens, or neighborhood bar-b-q. If the manure is aged, it's not so much an issue. If it's tilled into the soil (as in a garden) it's not so much an issue. BUT, if it lays on top (such as under trees or in perennial beds), it's not aged enough or if it rains on it prior to the event - not so good for party ambiance.

Seriously, manure is perfect for organic gardening and returns to nature what came from nature. It's as ancient as gardening itself. And for those that might visualize my doing any of the hard labor of "manuring" - nooooo - husband volunteers quite nicely if perhaps a bit reluctantly.