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| I have a pile from this year and I want to put it on my garden beds that wont be used until the spring. Will this be sufficient time for it to cure so its safe in the spring? I will top with leaves and grass also for winter. |
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| In my mild winter climate in western WA state we spread up to a 3" layer all fall & winter around our dormant plants along our driveway garden of rhubarb, raspberries, strawberries, & fruit trees. Our winter rains wash the manure down through the wood shavings leaving the shavings as mulch. Each laying hen eats around 7# of layer crumbles a month & produces 1 cu. ft of manure + bedding. We start at one end of the garden & move on down with each monthly clean out. For the empty veg. beds it works to make the piles topped with leaves & grass clippings. We also like to add used coffee grounds from St*rbucks and top the beds with burlap bags or upside down carpet to keep the materials from blowing around in the wind as well as to keep excess rain off a bit. In your climate you might just need to prevent the winds from drying it all out. |
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| According to the USDA, Center for Disease Control, and the National Institute of Health animal manures can be used in gardens as long as they are applied 90 to 120 days before harvest. Applying the manure you have now means that ample time before harvest will occur. My uncle, a real farmer, told me way bck when that the worst time to add manure to soils was in the spring but that he did, as did most others, because that was when he had a lot of it, from the winter when the livestock was not out in the fields. One potential problem is if your soil does not have adequate amounts of organic matter to help hold the nutrients in the soil they could leach out during the winter. |
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- Posted by ohioveggies (My Page) on Sat, Oct 8, 11 at 17:16
| Well, ive been mixing in various things since I started the garden beds about 3 years ago, who knows if its enough, well its never enough! I will put it down, if the good stuff leaches out at least it was a place to get rid of the manure! |
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| There are simple soil tests you can do that will tell you if your soil has enough organic matter or not. 1) Soil test for organic matter. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains� too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. |
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