Most people have heard of compost, but a lot of people are unaware of what a good compost pile consists of. When they hear the term “compost manure,” they may wonder what this means, but it’s a lot easier to understand than they may think.
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Compost manure consists of manure from livestock that has been allowed to decompose for several months. Compost manure is an invaluable type of compost for organic gardening because it is top-notch for fertilizing a garden.
Other types of compost:
How To Compost Manure
Most people know how valuable compost is in growing all types of plants and flowers, but if this is what they wish to use in their garden, they’ll have to do some pre-planning ahead of time. Not to worry, though, because it isn’t complicated, difficult, or even time-consuming to do this.
People choosing to use compost manure need to make sure the composting process is done like it’s supposed to be done so that the end result is a fresh, usable compost that is chock full of healthy nutrients for their plants.
To start with, manure composting requires covering the manure with a tarp or a waterproof sheet. Then, they should wait roughly three months for the manure to decompose and therefore bring out the most nutrients. After three months, the compost pile is ready to use.
People can use this compost material for numerous plants, flowers, vegetables, and so on. In fact, compost manure provides up to 90% of the nutrients needed for most plants to grow successfully. In many ways, these nutrients cannot be found in any other source.
Which Animal’s Manure For Compost
These days, farmers tend to prefer manure composting developed by livestock manure over most other types of compost material. But not just any livestock manure should be chosen – only livestock that eat a plant-based diet.
Make sure no carnivorous animal manure is in the compost material.
What this means in practical terms is this: when choosing compost manure for different gardens, people need to choose manure that comes from animals such as cows, horses, poultry, sheep, and rabbits.
This being said, manure that comes from steers is generally not recommended because it often contains stems and seeds. On the other hand, the two most nutritious types of manure come from either poultry or dairy cows, the latter due to the fact that they eat nothing but grass.
For farmers who don’t have a large farm and who may not have some of these animals, it is easy for them to purchase compost manure because numerous companies make it. It can almost always be found at stores that sell feed for livestock and other outdoor products.
People who purchase this type of manure should check the label to make sure it contains only manure from the animals mentioned above. They’ll want to make sure no carnivorous animal manure is in the compost material.
Is Fertilizer the Same Thing as Manure?
People who are new to farming may not understand the differences between manure and fertilizer, but it isn’t difficult to learn. Simply put, manure is a type of fertilizer, but not all fertilizer has manure in it. Some fertilizer is made out of other ingredients.
Sometimes, organic materials such as grass clippings, bone meal, pine needles, and even fish emulsion are added to fertilizer. When the word “manure” is used, it simply means animal droppings.
When people include items such as pine needles and grass on top of the manure or soil, it will fertilize the soil as it mulches it. Turning over the soil every few days also helps because it makes sure that every ingredient is used efficiently.
Also Read: Do Pine Trees Cause Acidic Soil?
Oddly enough, commercial fertilizer is often more nutrient-based than fertilizer people develop in their yards. This is because the manufacturers of this product can add other nutrients such as phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium, and they can eliminate any stems or debris that might be in the manure.
Commercial manufacturers also have access to the very best manure available, so customers don’t have to fight to find manure that is nutrient-dense or even wonder if the manure that is used has the sufficient minerals in it to do the job right.
This being said, manure composting is still a very valuable way to fertilize the gardens in the yard, regardless of what people wish to plant there. If people choose the right livestock, they’ll always get a compost pile that is filled with everything the plants or flowers need to grow and thrive.
Advantages of a Fertilizer That Contains Manure
Compost manure is very valuable to anyone planting just about anything in their yard, and in many ways, it beats compost piles that are made without manure in them. Some of the advantages provided by compost manure include:
- It can be used immediately after the manure has decomposed long enough, meaning two to three months.
- It releases nutrients much slower than composts without livestock manure, so it will last a very long time.
- When people compost manure, it becomes lighter and easier to handle.
- Animals are going to leave droppings anyway, so why not do something productive with it?
If people choose to make a compost pile or fertilizer without manure from the right farm animals, it simply isn’t as healthy as compost manure is. This isn’t to say it won’t work well as a fertilizer; it’s just that the fertilizers with livestock manure are much healthier in the long run.
When people are developing a compost pile, the things they put in it make a big difference in how the fertilizer works after they start using it. This is why the composts that have livestock manure in them are simply more nutrient-dense and healthy for the plants and flowers people are trying to grow.
Other Compost Manure Tips
While working with manure composting isn’t complicated, there are a few things people can do to make the process more successful. One of these things is the location of the compost pile. Oddly enough, indoor areas tend to work better than composting outside.
When people choose to work with the compost pile inside, it is protected from the elements, and there is no need to be concerned about certain nutrients escaping throughout the process. They also don’t have to worry about unhealthy debris falling into the pile.
Even better, people can easily buy bins and containers specifically made for this purpose. Some, in fact, even have handles that allow people to easily turn over and mix up the compost pile on a regular basis so that it is even healthier when the compost process is complete.
For people who choose to compost manure outdoors, they’ll have to make sure the surface has a firm ground to more easily turn over the soil on a regular basis. Drainage is also important, which means compost piles should never be placed near any type of water source.
Also, the heat in the pile should be between 145 degrees and 160 degrees, and people need to wait until the pile has been there for around three days before turning it over the first time. Afterward, they can simply turn over the ingredients in the pile about once a week until they are ready to use the compost.
