Things I know about manure through trial and error – lots and lots of error.

The Scoop on Poop

Manure that is old, 5 or more years old is well composted. It is cool and groovy. Garden stores sell it. It is marvelous stuff. Unfortunately, most manure is not old.

Hot or Fresh Manure

A Natural Weed Killer

1. Hot/Fresh manure has a high nitrogen count. I use fresh horse manure to kill weeds. Applied regularly it kills Canadian Thistle. A five gallon pail of freshish horse manure on cut thistle every other month will kill it.
2. Hot manure is a wonderful addition to garden paths. A 4-6 inch layer of manure covered with straw sheets will stop the weeds.
3. Animals eat grain. North American grain is treated with glyphosate, commonly known as Roundup. Glyphosate builds up and leaves behind aminomethylphosphonic acid, which destroys microbes in soil.
4. In short, Hot/Fresh manure should be used to kill weeds and kept far away from the things you eat.

The Manure Test

Concerned about that aged manure you bought from your local organic sheep farmer? Test it.

• Mix the manure with your garden soil. Fill a small pot with the mixture. Plant a bean in it. Write manure and garden soil on the pot.
• Mix the manure with potting soil. Plant a bean in it. Write manure and potting soil on the pot.
• Fill a pot with your garden soil. Plant bean in it. Write garden soil on the pot.
• Fill a pot with potting soil. Plant a bean in it. Write potting soil on the pot.
• Grow.
• If the beans leaves are wrinkled or curl in it is being affected by an herbicide. If it grows, but is spindly and looks unhealthy, then the soil might be nutrient depleted or unbalanced. If it looks awesome – good job! Yes, anyone can grow a bean. We did it in school. Beans are sensitive little dudes. They are the litmus test veg.

If your bean doesn’t look robust, and it was in your garden soil don’t freak out.

If the soil crumbles easily, add some of that aged manure or compost to it. Aged compost or manure can be bought in the spring at schools, city compost centre, and zoos.

If the soil is sticky and has a high clay content, add sand, straw, and compost to it, to give it more air pockets. Roots need air.

If the soil won’t form a ball, it might have a very high sand content. Add more black dirt and compost.

Compost is the solution to 90% of most garden woes. Cover your garden every fall under a thick layer of leaves. In the spring mix those leaves into the garden soil. That’s composting the cheap and easy way.

Next up – Planting for your soil type!

Did you know that no matter what your soil is like, salty, alkaline, sticky gumbo clay, or covered in moss there’s a plant out there who will love it, and heal it? Stay tuned for more.