Tiller Tiller vs. Harrow

[bp fick]

If I only had access to horse manure, I'd be forced to use it, but don't prefer it. Horses only digest approximately 1/4 to 1/3 of their feed. Expel the rest. The amount of weeds one gets from horse manure makes it less than ideal. Have to really cook it in a very hot compost pile and hope it kills the seeds. Just never quite seems to, though.

The 4 stomach critter's manure is better. Nothing much beats chicken manure though, as you get the urea mixed right in. Mammal's liquid urea isn't nearly as easy to collect.

Winter time slows and even stops decomposition by microbial action. Fresh manure does need time. Here in the upper midwest, manure applied in February or March (while ground is frozen to allow tractor to motor and not sink) still gives 60-90 days before seeding. Yup, we put manure on raw.

Maybe a new thread is needed for this topic, as we far afield from the OP's original question. Apologies.

 

[Duffster]

Never. I tried that route last fall, I won't do it again.
I figured it would be well rotted by spring, but it wasn't. I wondered why, then found things like this:
Are All Animal Manures Safe for an Organic Garden ? -
An excerpt: Most raw animal manures contain the wrong form of nitrogen and the wrong form of bacteria for gardening use, from the original animal's digestive tract.

Not sure I am buying that crap in the link.

The best farm crops grown around here are grown on ground with a fall application of manure. Many do the same with the garden. One of the reasons that manure is such a good source of nitrogen is that is a slow release and is available to the plant the whole season and into the following years. Sometime the real benefits are not noticed until the following years.

What kind of problems did you experience?

 

[Marveltone]

Not sure I am buying that crap in the link.

Manure... crap... I see what you did there!

Seriously, the best thing I ever did for my garden was a load of manure that's been sitting around for 6-8 years. Shovel it on with a load of peat from the bog, till it under, and plant. But I know lots of people around here who use it fresh also. I just can't imagine cow manure being a bad thing.

Oh yeah, blood meal too. Had a few other issues to deal with. Love those soil testing kits. :thumbsup:

Joe

 

[bp fick]

Fresh manure does contain the possibility of both e-coli and salmonella. Especially sensitive to contamination are root plants and plants that grow close to the ground, like lettuce. The threat is small, but real.

This is meaningless for most Ag crops like corn, wheat, soybeans, etc.

Gardeners do need to be responsible in using manure. Recommendations include a 60-90 day window before planting. Once planting is done, no manure should be introduced as the small risk associated with manure is increased to significant enough risk for contamination.

Manure applications put on in fall or during the winter constitute virtually no risk. If planting date for gardeners is May 30, computation would close the window of fresh manure applications to March 1.

The Ag department publications of any major State Agricultural University will substantiate these practices guidelines. Guidelines for certified organic gardeners require a 90 day no manure application before planting.

 

[Redgoatea]

Off my original topic or not that's some interesting shi*. 7

 

[gavinol]

A tiller makes the nicest gardenand it is also easiest way

 

[Don87]

Not sure I am buying that crap in the link.

The best farm crops grown around here are grown on ground with a fall application of manure. Many do the same with the garden. One of the reasons that manure is such a good source of nitrogen is that is a slow release and is available to the plant the whole season and into the following years. Sometime the real benefits are not noticed until the following years.

What kind of problems did you experience?

I experienced slow growth at first, and the plants had a lighter than normal green color to them. It wasn't until midsummer before they came around and started looking like plants.
Onions didn't grow at all.......1st time in 5 years of planting this plot.
But, everything was just a lot slower this time.
As Marveltone said:"the best thing I ever did for my garden was a load of manure that's been sitting around for 6-8 years."
I can't say 100 % for sure it was the fresh manure I added last fall, but for as long as I've been growing garden.......I've never seen this.

 

[gwdixon]

I experienced slow growth at first, and the plants had a lighter than normal green color to them. It wasn't until midsummer before they came around and started looking like plants.
Onions didn't grow at all.......1st time in 5 years of planting this plot.
But, everything was just a lot slower this time.
As Marveltone said:"the best thing I ever did for my garden was a load of manure that's been sitting around for 6-8 years."
I can't say 100 % for sure it was the fresh manure I added last fall, but for as long as I've been growing garden.......I've never seen this.

A lot of time the fresh manure has urea in it. That is why it is so "hot" compared to decomposed or composted. Urea is a major source of nitrogen (45-0-0). It turns out that the nitrogen in the manure (solids) breaks down slowly and feeds over a long period.

Perhaps the plants in your garden were being burned by the urea and later in the season it had broken down. I'm no expert - just a guess.

 

[Don87]

A lot of time the fresh manure has urea in it. That is why it is so "hot" compared to decomposed or composted. Urea is a major source of nitrogen (45-0-0). It turns out that the nitrogen in the manure (solids) breaks down slowly and feeds over a long period.

Perhaps the plants in your garden were being burned by the urea and later in the season it had broken down. I'm no expert - just a guess.

After reading the link I supplied, and seeing several other places giving the same type of information, I too concluded what you did.
I'm no expert either, but, after 20 years of gardening I knew something wasn't quite right.