By Applying manure to soil is a common practice used to fertilize fields and gardens. Like compost and other fertilizers, manure works by improving soil quality and water capacity to help prepare the soil to produce healthier plants.
Manure usually comes from different kinds of animals available on a farm, with each having its own nutritional content that also produces different results in farming or gardening.
Some farmers claim that the best manure for gardens is a blend of cow dung and properly composted manure. This is often referred to as “black gold.” Others also recommend using rabbit droppings which contain low doses of plant nutrients that fertilize but not overwhelm plant roots.
Other common manure includes chicken droppings, which need to be composted at fairly high temperatures before use to eliminate harmful bacteria in the animal waste and make it safe for human hands to handle.
Presently, there’s no ‘best’ manure to use in a vegetable garden as there are many serviceable ones, and there are a lot of factors to consider such as crops, property size, location, availability, and preference before determining which one will do the job efficiently.
How to add manure
When using animal-based manure, allow it to compost fully for at least six months or longer before using it in the soil. This could be added raw and tilled into the soil, but this should be done at least a full season ahead of planting to prevent any harmful bacteria from affecting the plants’ roots.
To be on the safe side, organic compost is recommended to use in home gardens since this does not include manure. This works just as well and can be made from kitchen scraps, giving the gardener the security of knowing what their fertilizer is made of.
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