Happiness is a manure pile ?

[sassafraspete]

If you are a gardener that is. I am almost giddy, as my neighbor brought me 2 dumptruck loads of 3 yr old cow manure today. I was racing against the clock, since rain was forecast to come in around noon. I started a new garden spot last year and this old hill clay soil is not very fertile. Last year I poured the lime to it. Today, it got some of mother nature's finest. I guess that makes me organic?

We typically get a week or 2 of good drying weather in late March where sometimes we can work the soil and get some early garden crops in, or get the ground prepared for the late April / May planting. In the last few days, our soil was perfect for working up...and I was able to till up 3 garden spots. I got the cow manure today at about noon....and was very fortunate that the heavy rain held off until about 3 PM. I was able to spread the manure with my loader, then hooked up the tiller and tilled it all in before the rain came. It's a wonderful thing having a tractor and some implements.

I have another couple of loads coming...but looks like they will be put off awhile....since we seem to be in for a rainy spell, and can't get the truck back to my 2nd garden spot. The rains may keep us out until early May. My neighbor contracted with some folks for 200 truckloads of this stuff. These people run over 500 head of cattle...and I guess they do put off a lot of manure ! Anyway, my neighbor is planning to do some organic gardening, farming and will be hauling this stuff for some time.

Now, since it is raining and I can't work with the Branson... I need to get some of those seeds started indoors. I think I just have dirt in the blood.

sassafraspete

 

[DaveNay]

Why can't I find people like you around me?!?! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I can't find anyone at all who wants any amount of the several tons of composted horse manure I have sitting in the corner of my property. I'm not even asking for any money! Just come get it, or work with my schedule to deliver it.

Dave

 

[HRS]

sassafras

I know how you feel. I've mixed quite a few loads of manure into my garden over the past few years. However, I have had to use horse. It works well, but you have to make sure it is aged. Over the past two years I got my hands on/in some that was a little too fresh. Stuff burned up everything I planted. That is except for the tomatoes. They didn't seem to mind it at all.

My neighbors, six houses down, love to comment about the "pleasant" smell I bring to the neighborhood each Spring. However, I don't think they mind too much. Often they will come by after everything is growing and marvel at how beautiful it all looks. Sadly, vegetable gardening isn't something many people around here do any more. There are around 80 homes in my community and only one other person has a garden.

It really doesn't take much space and the work is not that great when you consider the benefits. But with that said, I do have to admit that it can become addictive. I started out with a little 8x8 ft bed six years ago, and now I work nearly 3000 sq ft. This is a nice size garden for a hoe and 5hp tiller. Now if I had a nice Branson tractor like you, I'd probably have my entire back yard torn up. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[TMcD_in_MI]

Sounds good to me. We're about a month behind you up in northern Michigan, but I'm hoping to line up a nice pile of that garden gold in late April. I just hope I don't have to shovel it on and off my truck.

Do you have any good ideas for dealing with the weeds that always seem to come with the manure?

Tom

 

[johan3400]

Dave,
I wish you were closer to my farm in western Illinois. I need as much as I can find and horse manure is great to use. I just scored about 2 or 3 tons of composted sheep manure. That did not even scratch the surface of what i need. I am starting a vegetable farm and wanted to use nothing but composted manure and leaves.

 

[riptides]

Ditto for me.

One day, prepare for the book "Pile management", by Mike Z.

I never knew it could add up so quickly. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

-Mike Z.

 

[Egon]

Pete:

Think you have been missleading some of the newer folk. Your interpetation of " Garden " would be a vetable farm for most. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I have to get down to the beach to pick up seaweed for my flower pot sized garden.

Egon

 

[sassafraspete]

Egon, it doesn't matter if the garden is flower pot sized, or a truck patch..... it is all about the miracle of a tiny seed turning into something wonderful. I can imagine my first ripe tomato of the summer already....just hanging on that vine ready to be plucked. There is almost nothing more anticipated in an Indiana garden than the first ripe tomato.... er ....well, now getting my hands on the first sweet corn of the season....then there's ......

pete

 

[sassafraspete]

Dave and Mike.... have you considered selling it on EBAY? You know, the power of the internet to connect sellers and buyers? Bag it in 5 lb bags, and lable it as organic gold, and ship via UPS. Let's see , how many 5 lb bags in a ton? One man's junk is another man's treasure.

 

[sassafraspete]

Tom, I have always been concerned about the weed seeds that seems to come with cow manure. You would think that after 3 years of "heating" up , there would be no seeds left to germinate. My neighbor and I had this very discussion. His final comment was that at least with all the organic matter in this hard clay soil, would at least make weeds easier to pull.
In all my years, there is no substitution for hand pulling weeds. You can mulch, cultivate, and till....but in the end...there is always some hand work to be done it seems.