Maximum Yield USA November 2018 | Page 66

How to Apply Manure to Your Garden It is important to apply the correct amount of manure to your garden. If you don’t use enough, you’ll end up with nutrient deficiencies and poor yields. Too much can cause phosphorus run-off, excessive crop growth, and nitrate leaching. It is recommended you test your soil and the manure you use to make sure your nitrogen and phosphorus levels are optimal. If you add manure every year, you risk building up excessive phosphorus levels. By testing your soil, you can make the decision to use a different kind of fertilizer to allow the phosphorus levels to come back down. However, if you don’t want to put up the money for these tests, the following application rates are recommended by the Wisconsin Master Gardener Program: “BY TESTING YOUR SOIL,YOU CAN MAKE THE DECISION TO USE A DIFFERENT KIND OF FERTILIZER TO ALLOW THE PHOSPHORUS LEVELS TO COME BACK DOWN.” • For every 100 square feet, apply 75 pounds of cow manure without bedding, 95 pounds of cow manure with bedding, or 200 pounds of composted cow manure. A five-gallon bucket holds roughly 25 pounds of manure or compost, so you can use it to measure instead of weighing your materials. For example, use a little less than one bucket full of poultry manure without bedding on a 10x10-foot garden, or a little less than three buckets full of composted poultry manure over the same space. • For every 100 square feet, apply 40 pounds of sheep manure without bedding or 50 pounds of sheep manure with bedding. • For every 100 square feet, apply 20 pounds of poultry manure without bedding, 30 pounds of poultry manure with bedding, or 70 pounds of composted poultry manure. • For every 100 square feet, apply 65 pounds of horse manure with bedding. Award Winning Growers Use! See us Nov.14-16, 2018 at the MJBizCon Las Vegas, NV Booth# 4221 MADE IN THE USA MicrobeLifeHydro.com Providing Environmental Solutions Since 1976 66 Maximum Yield /MicrobeLifeHydro /MicrobeLifeHydro /MicrobeLifeHydro