Manure in the Garden (Tips & Concerns)

[@ScottHead]

I've got a good source of chicken manure, might have to make myself go over and clean my son's chicken coop.

[@hwalker6135]

"Hello, let's get it right out..." is the *best* way to start off a video about manure! Well done!

[@rlatham3128]

Following your recommendation on worm farming I now have 6,000-7,000 worms working away. I have harvested castings a couple of times and used them to plant six tomato plants. I checked today and found about forty tomatoes on the plants. Worms are good to have, so I give them some dry molasses once a week, when I hear them crying for more.

[@ctimms417]

Thanks for talking about alpaca manure!! I raise alpacas so have a large quantity of alpaca manure. It's great stuff. A few years ago, I filled my new raised beds with nothing but composted alpaca manure because I was too cheap to buy soil and peat moss to mix in with it and grew my veggies directly in it. The veggies took right off and took over my yard. My friends and family couldn't believe the growth and productivity! After the initial filling of the beds, I've been top dressing the beds with the composted alpaca manure every year. A shovelful of uncomposted alpaca manure right from their backsides to put under shrubs and trees that aren't food crops also works like a charm for them too.

[@SuperEvilC]

Right on time. Thank you!! I have loads of aged rabbit manure from a neighbor.

[@Melinda_WA_US]

Nice new boots! Thank you for this video. The husband has been wanting to compost our grass before collecting our dog's poop. Now I have a better reason than "people say not to."

[@lynnchantler96]

Thanks for the scoop on the poop, Gardener Scott. 😊Very informative!

[@wascopI]

I fill all my pots/new beds three quarters full of rabbit poo fill the rest with soil, I've had prehistoric growth with some plants for several yrs. Good Stuff!

[@michaelmarchione3408]

Our rabbit feed is alfalfa based. Every spring we have a lot of it to shovel. I make hills for our winter squash, about 20 foot long a couple of weeks before planting. That way the spring rain helps to wash out some of the acid from the urine Rabbit urine does have calcium crystals in it. Rabbit manure is a cold manure that won't burn plants. It doesn't ferment. Your video was a great lesson for gardeners wanting to use manure. Take care!

[@nikkitronic80]

We have 5 guinea pigs at our house and I put their used Timothy hay bedding with the poops as mulch in the garden. Works great! Thanks for the video Gardner Scott! Happy gardening to you and everyone else too! 😊 🌱❤️🌱❤️🌱❤️🌱❤️🌱❤️🌱❤️

[@project1003]

Another question to ask when sourcing manure: Are the animals on any medications? Livestock deworming medications can pass into manure and have negative effects on the worms in your garden.

[@ecologytoday]

Another great video ! I also use a variety of aged animal manures along with mushroom waste and worm castings to amend my garden beds.

[@heidiclark6612]

Thank you for all the information on ' good poop;'. I just bought some bags of a manure mix. I will read the bag for sure.

[@Gkrissy]

Great video and helpful questions to ask a local farmer. What a coincidence that I just used a bag of chicken manure on my tulips. I like chicken manure for the nitrogen and I’m experimenting with it to grow an area of grass on the side of my house.

[@royalicing8603]

Great video, as always, Scott! I'm fortunate that I have 3 rabbits, and they poop A LOT! 😊 I always have plenty of rabbit 'Cocoa Puffs', as my kids call them! I up-pot my seedlings with a good handful of them, and don't have to worry at all about burning those tender little guys! Actually, my plants just seem to thrive when I use it! I use other ammendments as well, but I certainly encourage anyone who can secure a supply of rabbit poo to feel safe in using it!

[@dwaynewladyka577]

I've used irradiated steer manure for my garden. It's safe, because there is no bad bacteria, or parasites. It works out well. Thanks for sharing this. Cheers, Scott!

[@brightantwerp]

Thank you! I use the manure of my quails, in my small city garden.

[@debrakessler5141]

I love my quail!

[@Dee.C]

I have 2 rabbits and tons of worms , so I have lots of worm poop and bunny poop in my garden and potted plants. I added quite a bit to my garden tower , which I love and thank you for the discount.

[@matthewfarrell317]

Sheep, goat and rabbit, the 3 main ones you can use straight away in the garden. Little lower in nutients. But you don't have to wait for the aging process. Tho our local soil place is now aging other manures so we can buy in bulk already aged.

[@anapaulacrawford5837]

Just this past year I got horse from a local place I get my supplies and it's been cooking for about 5 months now and I attend to let do for another 6 months. I also use alfalfa pellets if I need it. I got worm bins but not ready yet. It's all a process. Thank you for the great information. God bless.

[@stephenluna7932]

Great timing yet again. I was planning on mulching my garden bed with my rabbit manure mixed with bedding. Didnt even think about e-coli and salmonella. Glad i still have wood chips and leaves maybe some grass clippings soon from mt neighbor

[@franciscosilver6644]

Excellent video aid for my food garden. Thanks Gardener Scott

[@CB-sr8ee]

For some reason, most of the ads I get on KZbin have to do with poop….they’re usually hilarious. So I had to click on this good poop video to keep the entertaining ads coming 🤣. Loving your content is an added benefit.

[@tbluemel]

Your videos are always so wonderfully detailed and informative! Thank you, Gardener Scott!!!

[@sonofaquack6987]

Great video and timing, was wondering what to do with it as a beginner, between chicken manure and worm castings. Although the chicken manure is a lot cheaper, I live in an apartment and my balcony doesn't have room for a huge pile of compost with chicken manure.

[@ejfishes7610]

Very informative & helpful. Thank you Gardener Scott!

[@racebiketuner]

Really great stuff Gardener Scott. Thanks!

[@farmingNagriculture]

After watching your great video, I find out how to use chicken manure to feed my worm for casting.

[@juliepizzolato1911]

Another great one - clear and concise and super useful information 👍Loving all you share from North Idaho zone 6a 💚🌻🌿

[@blaykeolson6116]

I love Rabbit manure because it's a cold manure so you don't technically need to compost it I also occasionally use Chinchilla manure and in the past I've also used Guinea Pig manure.

[@miananni1247]

Great video & valuable information, as always! Thank you so much.

[@yanksm1]

Scott how and when do I apply organic chicken manure purchased from my local big box store? LOVE your podcasts because you are full of great knowledge that I often use when amending my vegetable garden. Thanks for your advice!

[@GardenerScott]

If it's aged and powdered you can apply it any time, but I prefer in the fall so it has time to incorporate with the soil before spring planting. Using it for spring amending is an option and applying it weeks before planting is a good idea.

[@FloridaGirl-]

Great vid! Was so interesting, and timely. Got a poop connection. 🤣. Now I’ll be asking questions on the feed! I agree. I’ll let it set and break down. Nothing like good rich soil! Love your vids!

[@freakygardener8033]

When adding the worm castings in the greenstalk, what about adding a little at a time through the watering system? Then it would get diluted, and sent to all the layers automatically. Just a thought.

[@NashvilleMonkey1000]

Any time we went to the tractor supply, there was always a lot of interesting things to find, and apparently I never read the labels all that closely, as I had no idea that some of the big catfood style bags can have things like poo in them. Still the tractor supply has a lot of amazing things for gardening~

[@BackyardGardenFlo]

Thank you for your answer I have a lot of pigeon manure

[@tinaknutsen]

First time watching; I do miss what said even w/captions due to hearing impairment. A few years ago I just bought this and that cause it all looked good. Huge bags of soil conditioner, steer & chicken manure, peat moss spangnum moss….opened all the bags and dumped them all over the lawn (the area was the size of a standard bedroom) raked it all evenly and I thought it looked pretty. I then threw a big bag of grass seed and fertilizer over the top of that. Almost 4 years later and I have tiny patches of grass that looks like green cheetah spots. I have tried to correct it to no avail. I am pulling grass out of the flower beds all the time…did great were I didn’t want it. So I got 2 bags of steer manure about 6 weeks ago; I don’t have a vegetable garden but I have flower beds and cherry, apple and a couple nut trees that I’m not sure what type they are but the birds, raccoons and squirrels get the cherry and nuts before I do. Sorry I wrote a book but I don’t know where/how to put the steer manure and I also have a huge bag of peat moss…would you mix the two? I have rocky clay soil. Zone 8b PNW Any advice is appreciated as I already feel 🫤

[@GardenerScott]

Yes, you can mix the peat moss and manure. Using both as amendments mixed into the soil can improve the soil quality.

[@PattyLou72]

I'm a small time newbie veggie gardener and love your videos; thank you! I just got 6 27-gallon bins of horse manure from horses which have salt licks (no feed with herbicides). Am I correct that I need to compost it for about a year and then simply Not use the bottom couple inches or so where the salt would accumulate? Last thing I want to do is kill the little garden I've created.

[@GardenerScott]

That is a good plan. The salt should leach out when exposed to rain, weather, and time.

[@ttb1513]

Great info, GS. Any comments on concerns about manure leaching and running off into nearby waterways? That’s my hesitation that I haven’t resolved satisfactorily. Really this applies to fertilizers in general, I suppose.

[@GardenerScott]

I only plan to use as much manure as I need. Big piles that sit and leach can pose problems. For small piles that are mixed into compost or garden beds quickly become part of the soil, are used by soil microbes, and pose very little chance of runoff.

[@borgswife]

Yay!! I found my alpaca manure video! Thanks for sharing!! Do you need any more for this year?

[@GardenerScott]

I will probably plan for more this year. 🙂

[@enzos6743]

Love your videos thank you

[@therevelation19]

Most people don´t have a flock of rabbits but of canin. That´s a huge difference! I´ve canin and love their poop for the compost. And yes, don´t think of feeding Your plants, think of feeding Your soil!

[@Drkakfood]

Great gardening! chicken Manure is good. You can use also eggshells powder, banana peels water, and sunflower cake. anybody can make it at home. I have full video instruction

[@tinaknutsen]

Do you have a link to your video? I would be concerned about the sunflower cakes as I stored bags of sunflower seeds and other bird food in my garage 1 year and it attracted rats, had just moved in and had a lot of unpacked boxes the rats chewed through everything….hard lesson to learn.

[@Drkakfood]

@@tinaknutsen Yes, i have the video on my channel. Go to my playlist "Homemade Natural Organic Fertilizer for Vegetables and Fruits " I can't post any video links in the comment section

[@growagarden54]

Great information. How long should you wait to use chicken manure mixed with bedding, it in the garden?

[@GardenerScott]

Six months is a good target.

[@growagarden54]

@@GardenerScott Thank you.

[@HondenBegrip]

Breaking down some horse manure in a compost pile as we speak! It has reached 62 Celsius already

[@athreya56]

Scott I didn’t know anything about manure, got my garden filled with a local landscaping plant mix(supposed to contain 35%compost) and planted all my saplings. Incidentally they are surviving but not growing very well, Just bought Kow cow manure and worm castings. Can I mix them and work it around the drip line of the plants? Is it too late to do this now and wait out the season to completely amend the garden bed? If I can DM you pictures of my plants, its of great help to get inputs. Please let me know

[@GardenerScott]

It's not too late to mix it in, but you may want to add a nitrogen fertilizer for shallow-rooted plants that are growing in it.

[@love2weld822]

Hi Scott.. should I attach underlayment to bottom of raised beds??? Just started building them... thank you Scott

[@GardenerScott]

I don't. I like to have open bottoms so soil organisms can move freely.

[@love2weld822]

@@GardenerScott thank you for replying.. then I’ll do the same my friend..

[@donnawilkinson5536]

I have access to a lot horse poop, and they have salt licks. Will it be okay to use if I let it sit for winter and spring?

[@briansorensen7195]

I have horse manure that was in a pile for over 3-4 years, can I put in the garden and plant potatoes after adding? Thanks Brian

[@GardenerScott]

Sure. Well-aged manure can be a good amendment.

[@jean-pierreposman7282]

My home made compost is not taedy yet specialy the woodships are still there

[@sherimetschan961]

Gardener Scott, I just bought a bag of composted chicken manure with the intent to add it to my raised beds now (end of January) and cover it with compost then let it sit til mid March when I plant my peas. My extension office said that was too early and the nutrients would leach out. I'm not sure how that is different than applying manure in the fall and letting it sit til spring. My thought was to improve the soil which in turn will benefit the plants.. My beds have rarely been amended so the soil needs some help. Is my thinking correct or should I wait until I'm ready to sow the peas?

[@GardenerScott]

I think improving the soil earlier is better. Left as a pile of compost, some nutrients will leach out when exposed to rain, but when mixed into the soil it becomes food for microbes and those microbes transfer the nutrients into the soil. I agree with you. That process takes time so amending when you are ready to sow does little to provide the nutrients the plants need.

[@sherimetschan961]

@@GardenerScott Thanks for confirming. I was in a rush and just finished putting my compost on so now I'll pull it back and put on the chicken manure. One other question - my compost is only 1/2 finished and fairly mucky due to more greens than browns and a lack of attention on my part but it's full of worms and smells great. Should I cover my bed with plastic to keep the worms warm and help the compost finish? Now that I have more time and access to the internet I'm trying to catch up on the finer points of gardening.

[@tinaknutsen]

@sherimetschan961 I think Scott missed your question. I would have covered with a tarp to keep the birds from eating all the worms out of the compost pile. The worms help break down your compost.

[@sherimetschan961]

@@tinaknutsen Thanks for your thoughts. That's a good point that I failed to think of. I want to hang on to every worm I can. I will do that in the future.

[@lynnnguyen6690]

Hi Scott, i finally received my compost cow manure from a local garden club. How do i use it, should i spread it on top of my vegetable bed even when some of the seeds have not germinate yet? thank you

[@GardenerScott]

If it is composted it should be ready to use as a soil amendment or mulch. If you're planning on spreading it I would add a light layer before the plants emerge and then mulch with straw, grass, or leaves as a mulch.

[@ellydoki6296]

Thanks so much for breaking this down! I’m learning and about to buy some manure. So I have some rabbit manure in my yard, can I literally just take it and put it in my vegetable garden? Will be okay to eat veggies without worrying about E. coli, etc, after washing of course? Thanks so much!

[@GardenerScott]

Yes, rabbit manure can be put directly in the garden but the pellets can take awhile to break down. There is some concern about E. coli so washing well is necessary.

[@ellydoki6296]

@@GardenerScott Thank you so much!

[@amyk6028]

We have Cows on our land and I want to start using the manure in my garden. Not sure how long I need to let it break down before I can put it in my garden beds since I don’t have a thermometer I can use to test the temp of the pile. It’s currently sitting on a tarp where we gathered it a few days ago. Suggestions?

[@GardenerScott]

I suggest aging manure at least six months and 12 is better.

[@amyk6028]

@@GardenerScott Thank you 👍🏼

[@dtanner7]

Not gonna call it click bate, but here I am because of the title alone.

[@brittmyzone8agarden]

My neighbors have goats and I think I will ask them if I can collect from them

[@Kathleen253]

Unfortunately cats and racoons occasionaly make deposits in my garden beds or pots. Unless I completely cover the beds all day and night its hard to avoid. I am in the process of acquiring fencing

[@RockyDave]

I also find it very difficult to keep cats away. At least we don't have too many racoons in the north of England!

[@l.dschick-inn-palacecrafts6174]

So when you top dress around the fruit tree with wood chips and manure is the chicken manure fresh?

[@GardenerScott]

It is dry and slightly aged.

[@jean-pierreposman7282]

Hello Scott. I wish you a graet gardening day. I have acces to my neighbours horsemanure. Nut i was planning to lay it anove upon the ground in small amounds . I should not work it into the ground si og i water of when it rain it should take the manure in verry small amounds into tje ground. I have also acces to chickenmanure . PS thoose manures are not aged . Wjat do you think ? Use it or not ? The place where i plannend my tomatos , i saw agter i chopped the grasses en weegs away is verry poor and my homemade compost i not r

[@GardenerScott]

Bonjour, Jean-Pierre. I would use them in some areas. You can use them on top of mulch without aging. Avoid putting the fresh manure next to the plants because it can harm plants.

[@jean-pierreposman7282]

Ok k do that . Tja k hou Scott

[@franksinatra1070]

There is a big horse farm down the road but I'm always concerned that the horses may be on meds of some sort. Also not sure if the hay and straw has been treated with herbicides. Do you think these are big concerns?

[@GardenerScott]

I'm not as concern by meds because it will not be transferred from the plant to me. Coincidentally, today's video will be about herbicides in hay and straw.

[@FrenchFifi65]

I cut a large amount of grass out of the backyard and covered it with cardboard to smoother grass growth and a layer of BOSS Bio Manure Compost that is certified. I let it sit all winter. Can I plant directly into the compost or will it burn my new plants? Do I need to mix a green compost with it before planting?

[@GardenerScott]

After that time the compost shouldn't burn plants. You probably don't need more green compost.

[@kmiller6002]

What is the name of the video in your introduction where you are beside the three towers... Red, blue and yellow? I'm starting to raise chickens and I'll be using their manure how long should I let it age? Another GREAT video Gardener Scott ☺️😁. Everyone stay safe and God Bless you and your family from middle GA 🙏 Kendra

[@GardenerScott]

Chicken manure is best when aged at least six months. That video is "How to Make Strawberry Towers". Here's a link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/monRkH6DfZp4oqM

[@kmiller6002]

@@GardenerScott Thank You Gardener Scott ☺️

[@SpiceyKy]

I'm a steer manure fan. I get it from my local nursery. Much better than that stuff at The Depot.

[@andreaburgard6736]

I am nervous now. Last fall I grabbed some chicken manure with straw bedding from a friend. It sat in a large bucket and collected rain for about a month before I put it in the garden beds. I added it to the beds last fall and topped it with crushed leaves. Is it safe to plant in my beds this year? I am in the NE, zone 6.

[@GardenerScott]

It should be. A full winter should be enough to age it and kill harmful bacteria.

[@master11pizza63]

Have you tried Sea or Mushroom compost ? Do you like them as soil amendments ?

[@GardenerScott]

I have used mushroom compost with good results.

[@benthere8051]

I bought some horse manure that was contaminated with Grazon herbicide and it poisoned my whole garden. Test any manure you intend on using in your garden. It will be years before I can use my garden again.

[@nancywebb6549]

How do you test for it? I have used mushroom compost for years. This year I haven’t used it because of the risk of weed killers in hay. I love the results I get with mushroom compost but this is a real concern for me.

[@benthere8051]

@@nancywebb6549 - Get two small pots and fill one with potting soil. Fill a second pot with a mix of potting soil and the manure under test. Plant 3 to 4 beans in each. After 3 weeks the plants should look very similar if there is no contamination. If the manured plants look weirdly twisted, stunted, and curled it’s probably Grazon.

[@benthere8051]

@Felecia Brock - see the post immediately above your question.

[@nancywebb6549]

@@benthere8051 Thank you!!!

[@bonfar4814]

I just sprinkled chicken manure in my garden. With existing growing edibles. What Do I need to do?

[@GardenerScott]

Let it dry in the sun as much as you can and wash your edibles thoroughly when you harvest.

[@bonfar4814]

It is old and dry mixed with a little straw

[@michellenite5393]

Makes me think. If it passed to manure. How about the meat we eat? Because everything comes from their food etc..

[@Brisbanesdaddy]

I have dairy goats. Lots of "goat berries" mixed with lots of wasted hay. I have been told that its a "cold manure" Is this true??

[@GardenerScott]

Yes, goats fall into the same category as alpaca and rabbits.

[@lilycardoso4679]

So if you add manure to your soil do you still need to apply fertilizers?

[@GardenerScott]

It depends on the nutrients in the soil. Healthy soil with manure won't need fertilizer.

[@Brisbanesdaddy]

Would using 9 month old chicken manure be ok to top dress my fruit trees? I have a lot and can put on a heavy dressing

[@GardenerScott]

I think so.

[@Brisbanesdaddy]

@@GardenerScott Thank you very much!

[@mommajscountrygardening]

Hi I am trying horse manure this year. What are your thoughts?

[@GardenerScott]

As I discuss in the video, it can be a good amendment.

[@rubensebastian2604]

Is black kow safe

[@GardenerScott]

I haven't used it but I know many gardeners who like it.

[@stephenmoberg8807]

Black Kow ok to use ?

[@GardenerScott]

Probably.

[@doublemdespo2785]

Is deer manure good?

[@GardenerScott]

It adds organic matter to soil naturally.

[@doublemdespo2785]

@@GardenerScott thanks appreciate your response.

[@jeffdinter600]

Where in the world do you get steer manure?

[@GardenerScott]

From a family near me raising 4-6 steer each year to butcher.

[@monicam.8006]

I'm not big on animals in my garden. I've got enough of a rabbit problem as it is, and I don't think my new neighbors would like the smells. Chickens are out of the question now too.

[@villagesteader3552]

Properly managed chickens don’t stink. We live in town, nobody even realized we had 6 laying hens until we have them eggs!

[@suffolkshepherd]

Almost all cattle, sheep, horse and hog farmers will let you come shovel up all you want from the feeding areas after winter. It really piles up around feeders and cause the farmer grief. The farmer may look at you funny when you first ask but after that will watch for you or even call you. I know this because before i was a gardener i gave away my barn cleanings every spring. Now It all goes to the garden right on top of the wood chips. A few rains and a summer of sun and it goes right down to the soil. Each time I clean the barn i put down two inches of wood shavings and a foot of straw. Then the sheep do the rest. Repeat.

[@donniecarter4981]

What about goat and sheep manure?

[@GardenerScott]

Absolutely. That can be good in the garden too.

[@BackyardGardenFlo]

Is pigeon poop ok for your garden

[@GardenerScott]

It is very similar to chicken poop and can be.

[@bill200262]

What about bat guano

[@GardenerScott]

That can be good, but it tends to cost much more than other animal manures.

[@practicalgardening4631]

This content is some good s**t

[@gail-sw9xg]

I almost never do hot composting. Instead, I mulch with the manures and let the worms do the composting for me.

[@GardenerScott]

That's my basic approach. I have a video on cold composting coming soon.

[@linseyvanochten2926]

Please don't forget that chickens are meateaters as wel 🤭 if they are free range that is. Which they should be.

[@mpejiblessing8043]

Can I used cow dung as a manure

[@GardenerScott]

Sure. If the cows use salt licks the manure could introduce excess salt to the garden, but the manure can be a good amendment.

[@RockyDave]

Careful not to inhale the dust while distributing that alpaca manure.

[@flatsville1]

A new standard of 170 degrees sustained is needed to kill Toxoplasmosis. There is no real guidance on timing & turnigs since composting cat poop is never advised.

[@blaykeolson6116]

Aren't Chickens omnivores?

[@GardenerScott]

They are, but many people with chickens use a grain-based meal as their primary food.

[@Scott3387]

I would never even consider actually this but know you...if someone was vegan...could you?

[@GardenerScott]

It depends on their vegan philosophy. They are not consuming animals so the plants are good for a vegan diet. But if their philosophy is to eat food that does not rely on animal products, maybe not.

[@mariagillinson8527]

Horses almost always have worms so don’t put it on anything human consumption.