What to know about sheep manure
His characteristics
Sheep manure is a manure composed of approximately 25% dry matter from plant litter, the rest being wet materials, faeces and urine. Since plant litter is generally straw, sheep manure is rich in potassium, but it also makes it possible to bring calciumfrom magnesiumof nitrogen and phosphorus on the ground. It is, basically, a hot and compact manure. Indeed, as long as it is in the sheepfold, it is compacted by the trampling of the sheep. The downside is that the more compacted it is, the less runoff juice it will produce. This therefore implies regularly evacuating him from the sheepfold.
Its advantages
More than a fertilizer, sheep manure is a soil amendment. It allows toimprove soil structure and texture that it will tend to make it more porous, because, over the months, the soil’s macro organisms will feed on it and work the soil at the same time. In this sense, it will allow you to produce vigorous vegetables and flowers. Even if it cannot be considered as a fertilizer, the potash it contains promotes flowering, but also the constitution of reserves in the tubers.
Sheep manure for which soil?
Here are some examples of soil types where sheep manure can be very useful:
- If the soil of your land is compact and clayeyyou can use sheep manure as an alternative to horse manure.
- If the soil on your land is poor or depleted by a previous intensive cultivation of squash, aubergine zucchini, etc., the nutrients that compose it will allow it to be enriched and restored.
- If, on a plot, you plan to grow gourmet vegetables, such as squash, artichokes, potatoes, etc., first enrich the soil with sheep manure.
- If your grass isn’t nearly as thick you want, spreading sheep manure can be a solution.
Use of sheep manure
To get the benefits of sheep manure, you can use it in different ways.
Precautions to take when using fresh sheep manure
If you don’t want fresh manure to have the opposite effect than expected, consider the following:
- At the time of its decomposition, fresh manure rises in temperature. This means that you should not plant any plant until it is completely decomposed, at the risk of burning the still young roots. It is recommended to wait 3 months between spreading and planting.
- When fresh manure comes from a farmer, sheep can be disease vectors, without you knowing it. For greater safety, it is also advisable to respect a period of 3 months between spreading and planting to avoid any risk of transmission of diseases, worms, etc.
Use in the vegetable garden
As we mentioned, sheep manure is a very good solution for restore the soil after the cultivation of greedy plants and to enrich it. It can therefore be used for mulch the crop beds to fertilize the soil before sowing.
But beware, such a contribution should only be made only once a year. As a general rule, to avoid unbalancing the structure and composition of the soil, it is preferable to diversify the contributions to it. To do this, you can add dried plants, dead leaves, mowing or pruning residues, etc. Sheep manure can also be used at the base of fruit trees provided it is perfectly decomposed.
Use in the garden
If your lawn looks bad, you can use sheep manure which will do wonders thanks to the presence of phosphorus and potassium.
Use in hot bed
The different sheep/goat manures have the particularity of being able to be used as a base to create a warm layer. here’s how prepare a culture bed:
- On your future bed of culture, constitute a layer of approximately 30 cm of manure and vegetable waste.
- Tamp the mound to obtain a compact mixture.
- Carry out copious watering.
- Then cover with soil, potting soil and compost over 15 cm.
- After a fortnight, you can plant your seedlings.
Add to compost
It is also possible toadd sheep manure to your compost. However, as it is more difficult to compost, it is important to crumble it correctly to distribute it in your compost. To do this, you can break it with a fang. Also, since this manure is dry, it must be moistened to allow the composting process to continue normally. The composting time is quite short and the resulting compost is of high quality.
Bulk or pelleted sheep manure
Of course, not everyone has sheep in their garden or a nearby sheepfold where they can get their supplies. No problem ! You should know that, in the trade, you can buy sheep manure bags. You can even find sheep manure sold in the form of pellets, sometimes under the name “migon”. Maybe you are wondering if it is better to use loose or pelleted sheep manure? Be aware that both forms offer identical qualities. However, you may have difficulty finding it, as its use is still not widespread.