Sheep manure has been used as a natural fertilizer for centuries. It is a valuable source of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other nutrients that plants need to grow healthy and strong. Sheep manure is also high in organic matter, which helps improve soil structure and moisture retention.
Benefits of Sheep Manure as Fertilizer
It is 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. Sheep manure can also be used as organic mulch.
All manures need to be well-aged before use in the garden. The longer you age them, the better, but the minimum is 3-6 months. Fresh manure collected from the side of the road or farms, such as sheep, cow, and horse, can be prone to containing weed seeds.
Fresh or raw manures are more concentrated in nutrients and will burn your plants. Sheep and especially poultry manure are considered “hot” and may burn seedlings and transplants, inhibit seed germination, or make your perennials grow so fast and thin that they fall over.
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.
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.
To Minimize the Health Risks Associated with Using Manures in Home Gardens. Wait at least 120 days after applying raw or aged manure to harvest crops that grow in or near the soil (root crops, leafy greens, strawberries). Wait at least 90 days for other crops.
Composting sheep manure waste typically takes several days. When compost is piled in long open piles, it typically takes two weeks for it to become finished.
Don't over fertiliser or manure. 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.
Composted Sheep Manure
Flower beds and vegetable garden: when planting, mix 1 part manure with 3 parts soil, and for maintenance, spread 2 cm over the surface and incorporate into the soil.
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.
Roses need the soil replenished with organic matter each season in spring, so adding sheep pellets, chicken & sheep pellets, compost or mulch will benefit your roses hugely.
Although horse manure breaks down faster than cow manure, it still should be well composted before using it on a garden during the growing season. Sheep and goats produce better manure than cows and horses.
Manure is typically between pH 8-12, but don't expect manure to affect pH levels in soil. The pH scales ranges from 0 to 14, where 7 is neutral, below 7 is acidic, and above 7 is alkaline or basic.
Goat and sheep manure are both becoming popular options to use. Similar to chickens they contain a good amount of nitrogen to help support new green leaf growth but have less of an odour than cow and horse manure.
Manure has been used in gardens for centuries as an organic fertiliser and as a very effective organic mulch. The addition of this manure to your soil will assist in retaining moisture, will promote the efficient use of any fertiliser present and will condition the soil.
Decomposition will be complete anywhere from two weeks to two years depending on the materials used, the size of the pile, and how often it is turned. Compost is ready when it has cooled, turned a rich brown color, and has decomposed into small soil-like particles.
Composted manure is animal manure left to decompose. It can then be used as a nutrient-rich soil amendment for gardens. It no longer smells or contains dangerous pathogens.
Proper use of manure in the garden can supply your plants with nutrients and help improve soil structure. Adding too much manure can lead to nitrate leaching, nutrient runoff, excessive vegetative growth and, for some manures, salt damage.
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.
Dehydrated Cow Manure Uses:
Mix 1 part dehydrated cow manure with 3 parts of top soil. With poor quality top soil, use a 50/50 ratio.
Disadvantages of Manure
The manures are reported to provide fewer nutrients to plants, and they are unable to provide high-yielding crops. Manures are slowly absorbed by the plants, and they add a lot of humus to the soil. They are made in fields, so transportation is difficult for manures.
Manure contamination can increase nitrate levels in ground water and cause bacterial contamination and fish kills in surface waters. Excess phosphorus can be contained in erosion or runoff from fields and accumulate in surface water impoundments such as ponds and lakes.
Horse manure can also be used in throughout the year and needs no special treatment. Just scatter it over your garden area and work it into the soil. It's as simple as that! Horse manure can be a great way to give your garden a boost.