Cow Dung

I have taken a delivery of what I am told is good cow dung about a month ago --- just before the frost came (and remained) It is well covered and awaits the spring.
Question: As I have never used such stuff before does anybody have some good experienced advice ??

 

i have been told its better than horse as it has less digested seed in it and i used cow manure last year. (this year i will be using chicken manure.) do you know how well rotted it is?

Loopy

 

What colour is it? If the straw is mainly yellowish then it is probably fresh. I always ask my farmer friend for well rotted - that is a very dark colour. Also you get more manure for your money. Fresh manure rots down and reduces in bulk. Well rotted has already done that and is much denser.
You cannot beat good well rotted. I use lots of it where the peas, beans and onions go, I line the potato trenches with it and put the seed potatoes actually in the manure - helps prevent scab, and I plant marrows and pumpkins on mounds located over a thick layer of buried manure.
But dont put it where you are going to grow carrots, beetroot or parsnips, it makes their roots fang. Root crops will get their nutrients from deep down when they follow potatoes.
Have just realised that you could be using it for general garden use. When it is well rotted i have used it on roses, paeonies and quite a few herbaceous plants that i know like feeding. I tend to be careful with plants that I know like good drainage as the manure does hold moisture and produces lush soft growth - so not round Dianthus. I grow Meconopsis, the blue Himalayan poppies and to grow those I dig out a hole, fill with manure, put soil on top and plant the Meconopsis on top. Blue poppies are very heavy feeders and with that treatment will grow to 5 feet.

 

Hi Loopy,
I havn't a clue re chicken stuff. I have gardened for ages - off and on - but never used manure of any type.
Cheers,
Nick

 

Hi Geoff,
Dark brown - so assume it is well rotted - got it from a friend who ordered same and we split it 50% each. I seem to remember he said they were fed with straw.
Thanks for the advice

 

Cow manure is great.....if its dark as you say and it doesnt smell too much its rotted enough.....I prefer to use it as a thick mulch rather than dig it in that way it really holds in moisture in the soil and surpresess the weeds all season...it still does its job as a soil conditioner as the worms and other creatures in the soil work through over time.....I cant express strongly enough the time saved in watering weeding from a good layer of manure in spring


And Geoff I do exactly the same with Blue poppies they love it. I think the resevoir of manure must give the right level of ph too

 

I would tend to use it as a mulch later on , if you have any left, cause it is brilliant at keeping moisture in. Some people spread it on the surface and then dig in later. I dont, cause when I come to dig it, it is wet underneath and it slows me down. Ideally i double dig and then spread manure on top of second spit down and cover with top soil. As I now have more land for growing veg i have been spreading manure on top and then going over with my big rotovator to stir it in. You can never get too much of it. What i also do with the veg plot is grow green manures if any part is empty for a while, particularly over winter. My view is that I have gone to the time and expense of getting manure. If land is empty for any length of time then some nutrients will be washed out by rain. Green manure plants trap those nutrients and then those nutrients can be utilised by our crops when the green manure is dug in.

 

Hi Geoff,
Thanks for the info. Very interesting
Do you have a specific green manure that you would recommend??
Cheers

 

I have used winter tares and that grows quite well overwinter. Another one is winter rye and this year i tried forage pea, but the cold winter seems to have damaged it - the winter tares is OK though and it is a nitrogen fixing plant so I am growing it where the brassicas will go.