I have obtained a supply of chicken manure mixed with sawdust and straw. Someone at work has told me that it's OK to use it neat as a mulch but I thought you had to compost chicken manure for ages as it was too rich to use neat?
we've added ours to the compost heap, although we have dug trenches for beans and pits for squash, half filled with chicken house muck mixed with straw, paper and sawdust, then filled in with the soil, reckon come may/june it'll have broken down enough...we wouldn't use it fresh ???
we have chickens and put the poop straight on the garden (if right time of year - like now) and in the compost heap. I am not sure that answer helps - if you are putting on your ground now ready to sow in the spring it should be fine as its a good few months to break down and the worms to do their work!
hope that helps.
Chicken manure is exceptionally rich in nutrients. It contains about four times as much nitrogen and phosphates as farmyard manure, but it's very little use for forming humus. I use it as a top dressing for asparagus and leafy crops and find this works very well. It needs to be well rotted, like any manure - for six months or so.
I have obtained a sack of well rotted chicken manure (it's essentially powder form now). Are there any plants in my allotment that I should definitely NOT use it on and what plants would really benefit from it. Having never used chicken manure before I'm not really sure how best to use it.
Thanks for any ideas
definitely not on tomatoes, all that nitrogen will have them growing like topsy but not fruiting, I'd say things where roots are important but probalby not directly around parsnips adn carrots, as a general fertiliser for non-fruiting crops it's hard to beat...
Brassicas seem to like chicken manure a lot. Once I started using it I have had brilliant cabbages and broccoli etc etc.
Dried poultry manure ;
Is high in nitrogen and phosphate.
On average these amounts could be;
When moist; 1½% N - 1½% P - ½ to ¾% K
and 4% N - 3% P - 1½% when dried.
Apply at 225-550 gms (8-12oz) per sq m.
We use chicken manure and sawdust as a mulch and allow the rain to wash the goodness into the soil. However, we aways make sure that it is not in direct contact with plant or veg.
Digmore. :wave: