Sheep manure may just be the best poo in the world. It is a great soil improver and conditioner and contains lots of potassium that will strengthen the cell walls of your plants. Other cold manures include llama, alpaca, and goat, which are also low in nutrients but perfect for building up and improving your soil.
Sheep manure is higher in essential minerals such as Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium, while cow manure has a lower concentration. Cow manure can be used freely without much risk of over-fertilizing while sheep manure is still relatively risk-free yet holds a higher yield of essential minerals.
Ideally, the best manure for gardens is probably chicken, since it has a very high content of nitrogen, a need all plants have, but it must be composted well and aged to prevent burning plants. Chicken manure is a rich source of nutrients and is best applied in fall or spring after it has had a chance to compost.
Pig, dog, cat, and human waste should never be used in a vegetable garden. Cow, horse, chicken/poultry, sheep, goat, and llama manure are acceptable types of manure appropriate for use in vegetable gardens.
Blended Cow and Sheep Manure. The Blended Manure is pulverised for easy application. It's an all-purposes organic fertiliser, suitable for fertilising trees, shrubs, lawn, vegetables and flower gardens – with the exception of Azalea's, Camellia's, Ferns and Australian Native Plants.
Applying Sheep Manure
It is perfectly safe for both vegetables and flower gardens alike and will have your plants blooming like never before. Apply composted sheep manure to gardens using a thick layering technique or work it into the soil. Sheep manure tea can be diluted and applied to plants during watering.
Blending manure into the top layer of topsoil will help encourage root growth and health because the manure is packed full of nutrients. The main nutrient released is nitrogen which is needed for plants and vegetables to grow in a sustainable manner.
Ideally, it should be composted before being used on gardens and crops. There is high nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium concentration in sheep manure, which is essential for plant growth. As well as calcium and magnesium, it also contains other nutrients that can benefit plants.
Cow manure is a great all-purpose fertilizer. It's low in nitrogen so it won't burn your tender plants, and has a good balance of nutrients. What's more, since a cow's four stomachs digest its food so thoroughly, very few weed seeds make it through, so you don't have to worry about them.
Manure has some potential disadvantages when used as fertilizer. It can contain weed and pest seeds, rodents and other pests, and pathogens such as E. coli. It can also cause pollution if not managed properly, as the manure may flow into the surface or groundwater.
Vegetable root crops such as beets, carrots, radishes, and potatoes are particularly sensitive to adding horse manure. Salad greens are another vegetable type that can be damaged or burned by applying horse muck to the soil.
Cow manure is a great soil conditioner, adding organic matter and structure to garden soil. As a cow's diet is mostly grass, their poo tends to be low in nutrients, so they are ideal for native gardens or vegetables that don't need much food such as onions, carrots, parsnips, and beetroot.
Nutrient-rich sheep manure is a natural slow-release fertilizer, high in both phosphorus and potassium, essential elements for optimal plant growth. These nutrients help plants to establish strong roots, defend against pests and grow into vibrant and productive plants.
Cow or sheep manure is a fairly mild fertiliser, apply 2-4 litres per square metre (2-4L/m²) of garden bed, or 0.5-1.0 gallon per square yard (gal/yd²) in imperial measurements.
Manure is typically between pH 8-12, but don't expect manure to affect pH levels in soil.
Don't Use Fresh Manure
If the manure is from a plant-eating animal, it is probably also full of weed seeds, which will not be inhibited from sprouting. If you still want to make use of fresh manure, don't apply it after your garden has been planted.
Sheep manure is particularly good for growing tomatoes because it provides phosphorous and potassium, as well as nitrogen. Fresh manure can be used, but it needs to be tilled into the soil 3-4 weeks before you plan to plant, or it can burn your vegetables.
Apply nutrients in the spring just before growth starts. Avoid using manures and fertilisers in late summer or autumn where they may be lost over winter and pollute water bodies.
If you are growing crops where the edible portion is in contact with the soil (such as carrots, beets, or potatoes) fresh manure applications should be made at least four months prior to harvest. On other edible crops, fresh manure applications should be made at least three months prior to harvest.
Simply ageing a manure pile for three months can kill about 60% of the weed seeds present, and bacterial counts start to drop within days after the manure leaves the animal. Then, when the aged manure is mixed into the soil, soil microorganisms clear out residual bacteria in about a month.
Chicken poo is good for a hit of nitrogen to get those leafy vegies up and producing. Sheep poo is a good all round soil conditioner and is also easy to work with and spread. Cow manure has a relatively low nutrient content which can be great for native plants, which are sensitive to phosphorous.
Weed seeds pass unharmed through the digestive tracts of animals such as cattle and sheep. Using manure as fertilizer can lead to the spread of noxious and troublesome weeds.
Sheep manure can contain different amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur and micro-nutrients necessary for plant growth. Manure is considered a viable source of organic matter pertinent to improve soil stability, decrease soil density, and increase water retention.