How to Add Manure to Your Home Vegetable Garden

Livestock manure is a valuable resource for gardeners, rich in organic material as well as macro- and micronutrients. Pound for pound, a bag of 5-10-10 fertilizer has eight times more nitrogen than horse manure, according to the University of Washington Cooperative Extension, but manure has much more to offer than the nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous found in a bag of fertilizer. Besides the basic macronutrients, manure contains the macronutrients calcium, magnesium and sulfur as well as the micronutrients zinc, copper, iron and boron. Add to that plenty of organic material to improve the quality and texture of the soil and you have a soil additive that bagged fertilizer can't match. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Spread a 1-inch layer of composted or well-rotted manure over the garden with a shovel.

2

Incorporate the manure 6 to 8 inches into the soil by turning it with a shovel or using a tiller.

3

Smooth the soil with a garden rake.

4

Wait a few weeks before planting, if possible, to allow the manure to combine with the soil.