When to sow manure into the garden
When we start sowing in the garden, we always have doubts when to sow manure in the garden. Manure is used to nourish the soil and provide plants with all the necessary nutrients to grow in good conditions. However, not everyone knows when to exploit it.
For this reason, we will devote this article to when to sow manure into the garden and how to do it.
Why should we put manure in the garden?
In the store we sell multi-component fertilizers, the main elements are NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), sometimes luxurious in minor nutrients (magnesium, calcium, sulfur) and even luxurious in trace elements (iron, manganese, zinc, boron, chlorine…). So we might think that if people cultivate the land using manure, ashes, and the byproducts of everyday life, then we conclude that all those elements that plants need are found in manure.
First, we need to have a historical dimension of time and space to begin to find the right answers. At the beginning of history, when man was engaged in agriculture and was no longer a nomad, he found virgin lands that They provided him with all the minerals and organic elements needed for agriculture. So the human being began to cultivate, cultivate, and so on for thousands of years. There is no doubt about it that the soil has been exhausted. If we provide plants with nutrients from the soil, we must replenish them through fertilization.
When testing various of the most popular fertilizers, some amount of the well-known NPK triplet is found in all fertilizers, but it is insufficient to achieve today’s industrial production yields. In fact, apart from that almost all fertilizers lack sufficient phosphorus content in the form of P2O5. Manure does provide most of the fresh organic matter and nitrogen, but mostly in organic form. Therefore, the organic part of N needs a period of decomposition to become a mineral. Usually in vegetable gardens a good solution is to replace with compost made from plant waste etc. Although many of us need to add some nutrients in the form of chemical fertilizers to get more tomatoes, more fruit and more.
How much is added to manure?
There are a few things to consider before using manure as fertilizer.
- The most significant thing is this cannot be added directly to cropsshould be applied for a period of time before planting, long enough for the organic matter in the manure to decompose. Depending on the crop, it may take a month or 15 days before sowing.
- Another significant thing to keep in mind is the dosage. The statutory maximum is 170 kg of nitrogen per hectare. This is specified in the regulations on water pollution with agricultural nitrates. Therefore, reaching a maximum of 50 mg L of nitrate in surface or groundwater should be avoided, as higher values may cause grave public health problems.
To know what dose we can exploit, it is best to know the agronomic doses. This is the balance between the nitrogen taken up by the plant during its cycle and the nitrogen present in the soil or humus in inorganic form and used in irrigation water. To balance the balance we will add nitrogen to the fertilizer, in our case fertilizer.
When should manure be sown in the garden?
One of the main problems is knowing when to put manure in your garden. To pull out one great answer. They will defend what we have planted at all times, the climate we are in, and when we need to water the crop. Sometimes it will be once a year, at the beginning of the season, or more often.
Of course, you need to be careful with the risks because the greatest food loss occurs when water escapes and ends up in sewers, which can also contaminate the aquifer. Apply a fast-acting fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium every three to four weeks. This is because the plants are in full swing and as soon as there is food, they eat it.
In autumn, when we remove depleted plants, we add a little garden fertilizer, this time with a snail-paced release. It must be a snail-paced release, because the plants gradually accept it, they have already grown, produced fruit, and now the process is slower.
Of course, it also depends on what we plant and when… if the tomatoes are still bearing fruit in October, there is no point in fertilizing. Already at the end of winter, to maintain soil quality, it’s a good idea to add compost or organic matter. Just as we read the nutritional information of the products we eat, we can also read the labels of the fertilizers we will add to our garden. Thanks to this, we will know not only what minerals we bring, but also in their proportions.
How it applies
If we want to make the most of fertilizer in our orchard or garden, the way we decide to exploit it is significant. One of the best ways to exploit manure as plant fertilizer is to mix it with compost. Using it as compost, you eliminate the possibility of burning plants.
Another option is to apply it to the ground with a rake before planting in spring, fall or winter. Generally, autumn is the best time to exploit pure fertilizers in our flower beds and terraces. This gives the manure enough time to decompose, eliminating the risk of burning crops and landscape plants.
Long-maturing fertilizers are also an excellent fertilizer for our plants. Almost any type of fertilizer can be used, depending on the availability of fertilizers. However, Cat or dog droppings are not recommended. These types of composts are not suitable for gardens or compost piles because they may contain parasites, bacteria and diseases that are harmful to humans.
Generally speaking, the most commonly used fertilizers are horse manure, cow manure, and poultry manure, also called chicken manure. You can also exploit sheep and rabbit droppings. Even recently Bat guano has become very popular.
Most different types of fertilizers can be purchased from nurseries and garden centers, but if you walk around your neighborhood you’ll find that farmers and horse owners are cheerful to hand them out.
I hope this information helps you learn more about when to add manure to your garden.