From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Washington CH, Ohio

I’ve got cattle and have been breaking my back scooping cow patties for the last week to use in the patch for this year. Right now I have two pretty large piles worth and I’ve taken a mower to the piles to get everything into finer pieces. Anyway, will this manure be good to incorporate for this year? I’m going to turn it often and am planning to put blood meal on it this week to speed up the composting process. If there are any manure dojo’s on this board I’d appreciate your advice. Thanks.

2/5/2023 7:29:32 PM

East Sussex, UK

I've used cow manure with good success but only applied it on the surface and not too close to the actual plant.

2/6/2023 4:39:28 AM

Syracuse, NY

I was so far off when I started growing giant pumpkins of any kind 24 years ago that I thought that planting them right into the manure (pile!) would result in everything 'giant' right off the bat - No, of course; Three or four dead plants in about 2 days.
Well, gotta start SOMEwhere! Hey - Quiet there, you in the back!

Up to the present:
Last year, I had gotten 2 X 250-bushel honeywagon loads of 6-8 months-composted horse manure that I had intended to till in with Mycorrhizae (a beneficial fungus) and grow a cover crop of Dutch White Clover (not sure if that's the BEST option,
but it's what I believed in, so there I went) on it until just before the pumpkins were planted. Already-long story shorter, even though I never DID till it in, I had six field pumpkin (FP) plants and one Atlantic Giant (AG) plant growing into the dirt that was covered in that manure but not incorporated and once the roots from the VINES started getting into the previously-manured and -Mycorrhizaed, lol, soil below the manure, they took off rapidly and this was very late for each plant type,
but my point is that you can amend on top of soil and not have to till in somewhat-aged manure (horse for me, mind you) and still see benefits from it pretty noticeably.

2/6/2023 5:09:16 AM

Syracuse, NY

I had read up on it, but you'll get more advice in a day or two here!
I'm lucky to have a spreader, but it has an issue with jumping the sprockets at the rear and it WILL be fixed upon an intensive process of elimination; Else, I'd be known as 'Manure Man'!
Here's a video with interesting details about manure, one of thousands I'm sure and you'll wanna speed up the video to
+25% (* tool symbol, playbeck speed and click 1.25, I think) to move it along - it is a female robotic voice but you'll still
want it to be faster:

https://youtu.be/UAJNu5-R9O8

Dream scenario*:
>>>Massive manure in the FALL as soon as last pumpkin is gone; No pig, human nor cat nor dog.
>>>Nordic Track. Be in shape, lol!
>>>Till in and per other growers' recommendations, get an elaborate soil test for any additonal
amendments needed THEN.
>>>Get great seeds over the winter.
>>>Test soil in spring per other growers' suggestions and recmmmendations.
>>>Amend per soil test's results.
>>>Grow Personal Best and State record Pumpkins.
Friggin' alarm clock*...
Good Luck! eric g

2/6/2023 5:09:33 AM

Grittyville, WA

Sounds good to me. I've been running my lawnmower over top of my compost. Worms can eat a few yards per patch in a couple months. I assume its plant ready by the time they are done with it. But when you're tilling it yourself then yes it might be possible to add too much.

2/6/2023 7:12:35 AM

Grittyville, WA

The guy who grew the north americsn record would be the guy to ask... waterstone/ Gienger has done a heavy anendment/dig/till? regimen with good results, I believe.

2/6/2023 7:16:07 AM

Bowdon, GA

You have to be very careful with pasture manures because of herbicides. I’m not sure about other parts of the country but around here almost everyone uses grazon. I use my own manure because I never spray, we use goats and sheep to control weeds. I also cut my own hay. I have seen some people use manure where the pasture wasn’t sprayed but the hay they bought had been.

2/6/2023 2:35:16 PM

On a cliff in the desert

I buy bulk composted cow manure from a landscaper and garden center. At a garden center you have to make sure you are getting pure cow manure not filled with rocks, twigs, and other fillers.

2/6/2023 3:20:35 PM

East Sussex, UK

I said “good results” (my PB was grown with a load of fairly fresh cow manure but I’m not necessarily recommending this) but I’ve also experienced the disastrous effects of Grazon and other persistent herbicides. Regarding tilling, Jim Bryson grew the (former) Canadian record without tilling. Last year my two biggest AG’s and my 186 lb. field pumpkin (3rd biggest in the world in 2022) were grown with no digging or tilling, just spreading some compost and manure on the surface. For what it’s worth. @Holloway: I’d be interested in hearing more about your methods!

3/6/2023 3:15:31 AM