We’ve all been there. We’re driving somewhere, windows down, enjoying that fresh air when suddenly it hits you – that pungent manure odor. It can be bothersome, no doubt, but there’s a reason we humans have been using as fertilizer basically as long as we’ve been agriculturalists.
Although manure is commonly thought to make soil more productive, it is not technically fertilizer, say the scientists at Penn State Extension. Research conducted by Amy Bogaard, an archaeobotanist at the University of Oxford, found that the benefits of manure to plant growth were observed almost 8,000 years ago.
According to the EPA, manure contains nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients that plants need to grow. Farmers can often save money by properly using manure as a fertilizer. Farmers can also sell manure or manure products to gardeners, landscapers, golf courses and others who use nutrients to grow plants. It’s poop as a product!
There’s a very cool fact sheet about the beneficial uses of manure from the EPA available too.
Different kinds of manure have different properties, though, so if you plan on using it, make sure you’re using the right type. For example, check out this article I wrote about using manure to keep a potato virus at bay.
For a little more information on this hot topic, check out “Wise Use of Manure in Home Vegetable Gardens” by Penn State Extension.
And you should definitely check out one of Country Culture’s partners, Ag Inputs Plus, if you need some quality organic stuff.
