Is Feeding With Cow Dung Useful?

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Cow dung is perhaps the most common and most affordable organic fertilizer. And its regular use gives a very good effect when growing a wide variety of crops, because cow dung is an excellent natural supplement! But if used improperly, it will not only not benefit, but even can harm the plants! How to properly fertilize the soil with it, and how can it be useful for both her and the plants?

pros

Cow manure used as a fertilizer has an extremely beneficial effect on the formation of a fertile soil layer - unlike no less common mineral fertilizers, organic matter contributes to the accumulation of various useful compounds in the soil for a very long time!

Systematic feeding with mullein has a positive effect on the fertility of crops grown on the site, in addition, its regular introduction into the soil significantly enhances the process of soil aeration, which in turn has a beneficial effect on the root system of plants. If such fertilizers are applied correctly, then they are able to continue to enrich the soil for at least four years!

Each kilogram of cow dung contains about 2.9 g of calcium oxide, about 3.5 g of nitrogen, as well as about 1.4 g of potassium oxide and 3 g of phosphorus. Of course, there may be minor deviations from these indicators - they depend both on the age of the animals and on their diet.

How to apply?

Cow dung can be used in a wide variety of forms: both fresh and in the form of granules, solution or dry substrate.

Experienced summer residents do not recommend using pure fresh manure for fertilizing - such fertilizing can harm the roots of plants, since fresh manure contains quite a lot of ammonia. But before the onset of winter, such manure as a fertilizer for the soil is ideal! In addition, fresh raw materials will serve well in the construction of warm beds - each such bed, half a meter high, can easily warm up the entire space inside it to fifty degrees!

Dry humus is, perhaps, the most convenient form of cow dung to use, however, such manure can only be obtained after a couple of years of storage. Its main distinguishing features are a free-flowing structure, as well as the absence of moisture and a strong unpleasant odor. The use of dry humus is convenient because immediately after fertilizing the soil with it, you can start planting plants. And it is spent very economically!

The mullein solution is nothing more than a liquid concentrate of cow manure: most often the same amount of fresh manure and water is taken for its preparation - this approach can significantly reduce the level of eggs of various parasites and ammonia in the manure. The prepared concentrate is usually used for plant feeding by means of root watering, and it is diluted for feeding in a ratio of 1:10. As for the consumption, about half a liter of the composition is consumed for each plant. Sometimes the stems of weakened crops are also sprayed with a weak solution.

Granulated cow dung is very convenient to use - in the spring it can be safely added to the soil without dissolving! Perfectly absorbing moisture, the granules will gradually give it to the soil, which is very valuable during summer droughts. Quite often, dry granules are added to the soil during the autumn digging of the soil. By the way, the technology for the production of such manure implies both the removal of any parasites from it, and the subsequent biological treatment!

What plants should not be fed with manure?

Unfortunately, not all plants respond positively to fertilization with manure. Do not fertilize beets with carrots, radishes and parsley with celery with this organic material. If the soil has already been generously flavored with manure, then it is recommended to plant these crops in it no earlier than after a year or even two years!