| One of the absolute best types of organic materials | | | | every spring. |
| that you can use to feed your garden soil is animal | | | | However be advised that if you decide to use horse |
| manure. The great thing about manure is that it can be | | | | manure on your organic garden, find manure that |
| added to any type of soil. The one thing to remember | | | | comes from stables that use primarily straw or peat |
| is to never put fresh manure around budding or young | | | | for bedding horses, as wood shavings can be a |
| shoots, as you may burn them. However, for some | | | | source of plant disease and will mix in with the manure. |
| people, getting your hands on manure may not be as | | | | There are two things to remember about using horse |
| easy as creating a compost heap. Nevertheless, you | | | | manure around your garden or plants. Do not use it |
| can always find bags of manure at your local garden | | | | directly around plant stalks as it will cause scorching to |
| center or home improvement store in the garden | | | | leaves and stems. Also, if the manure has not had a |
| section. | | | | chance to rot before application to your garden soil, |
| If you purchase manure from a gardening center, | | | | the majority of its nutritious value will be lost, and the |
| make sure that you keep it stacked and unused for at | | | | inclusion of straw in the manure will slow |
| least a year. This is not as difficult as it sounds, for if | | | | decomposition down. |
| you know that you're going to plant a garden every | | | | To address these two issues, place small amounts of |
| year, just buy early and stack the bags in a portion of | | | | manure on your compost pile. If you have large |
| the yard where they will be protected from the worst | | | | quantities of it, stack it, if possible, on concrete. During |
| of weather. | | | | winter months, cover the manure. In most cases, horse |
| Stacking store bought manure ensures that any | | | | manure will be ready to use within a couple of months, |
| chemicals, hormones, fatteners, as well as herbicides | | | | though if you are concerned that straw or other |
| and insecticides that have been used either on the | | | | materials have been exposed to herbicides, hormones |
| food animals consumed or on the land the manure | | | | or pesticides, let it sit for about a year, as with cow |
| was collected from, have been leeched out before | | | | manure. |
| application in your garden. | | | | There are several other different kinds of manure that |
| There are several different kinds of animal manures | | | | will work well in your garden, including pig and sheep |
| that can be used in the garden. One of the most | | | | manure. Pig manure is very high in nutrients, though it is |
| common is cow manure. If you're fortunate enough to | | | | more wet and cold than cow or horse manure. It |
| live in the countryside where farms or ranches are | | | | needs to be treated the same way as horse manure. |
| located, you may be able to get your hands on | | | | Sheep manure is extremely high in nutrients, and a |
| manure for minimal or no cost at all, other than your | | | | very small amount will provide enough liquid manure to |
| labor in collecting and hauling it away. Cow manure is | | | | last a moderately sized garden an entire year. Chicken |
| cheap and a great source of nutrients, making it one of | | | | manure contains extremely high nitrogen content and is |
| the best soil conditioners for organic gardens. | | | | one of the best things you can add to your compost |
| Cow manure does not contain an extremely high | | | | pile, if you can get your hands on it. |
| amount of plant nutrients, but you can use a larger | | | | Animal manure is one of the absolute best types of |
| volume of it than you would with an inorganic fertilizer, | | | | organic materials that you can use to feed your |
| so it balances out. Manure retains water well and | | | | garden soil. A great feature of manure is that it can be |
| provides your garden soil with a high level of fertility | | | | added to any type of soil. Always remember never to |
| throughout the growing season. | | | | put fresh manure around budding or young shoots, as |
| Horse Manure is also very common and is also an | | | | you may burn them. Getting one's hands on manure |
| excellent organic source of nutrients. Horse manure | | | | may not be as easy as creating a compost heap. |
| may be easier to find in more urban areas than cow | | | | However, your local garden center or home |
| manure, and if you call around to stables and | | | | improvement store will almost always carry bags of |
| equestrian centers, you may be able to work out a | | | | manure in the garden section. |
| deal with the stable manager to take some home | | | | |