Composted cow manure

tsurrie

tsurrie

I got some composted cow manure and tested it with my cheap pH meter. The readings show pH around 7,5 or even 8, which seems really high to me. Anyone has any experience with cow manure?
 
If the reading is right, I could pH-it the hell down with some lithuanian peat moss, I guess... ?
Please help, thanks.
 
How are you using it? I always just dump a bag in my raised bed around this time of year without worrying about the pH. Maybe I should though? Interested to hear what others say.
 
philosophiser said:
How are you using it? I always just dump a bag in my raised bed around this time of year without worrying about the pH. Maybe I should though? Interested to hear what others say.
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It is completely composted and feels really nice when mixing through it. It looks as good as best bagged soil's I used to buy. The guy who is making it says I need to use it in the amount of 1:3 (compost : other media). That's why I'm thinking of using peat for mixing. But peat is supposed to be really low on pH. I'll ask the guy what his pH measurements was in the process.
 
Horse manure=weedy.  Definitely, not cow manure.  I prefer fresh cow manure applied in the Fall, in preparation for the following Spring.  The  end result will be a ton of red wigglers in your garden.  The pH of animal manures is not something I've ever given 2 seconds of thought to. 
 
Wrong sir. I live about 100 yards from the farm I grew up on. I made the mistake of throwing cow manure on my garden. It was easily the weediest year I ever had. I can't speak for horse manure, but cow manure is absolutely riddled with weeds

*side thought... Perhaps the cows diet could have something to do with it. Cows fed a diet of silage/grain might not have a weed problem... Our cows diet mostly on pasture grass/weeds with a diet of hay in the winter.. I suppose it stands to reason the cows diet would have alot to do with the weediness of its manure
 
Well yeah, but it looks really nice and the maker said he's using heat treatment so it shouldnt have much weed in theory ...
I hope...
 
I though it had more to do with the digestive system of a horse compared with a cow. Weed seeds pass through a horse's guy unscathed. Not true for cows. I will do some further research and get back. I don't like loose ends. Perhaps you could also check around?
 
It is odd that a cow, with multiple stomaches, that often regurgitates food to re-chew, would have a weed problem.

I read the article you linked. Very informative. After that cow manure problem I had, my garden gets only my composted chicken manure and the left over dirt from my pepper pots.
 
Roguejim said:
At this point, it appears I'm wrong.  I never get more than a small handful of weeds (if that) in my garden no matter what manures/soil amendments I use.  This is due, mainly, to the fact that my garden always has 3-5" of mulch covering it.  Any weed seeds rarely see the sun, so, no germination.
 
http://www.animalagteam.msu.edu/animalagteam/manure_and_weed_seeds
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Interesting read ... Thanks for finding that...
I found nothing in particular regarding the pH of composted manure, just bits and pieces here and there when I google it and it shouldnt be a problem :)
 
Good luck.  I hope the pH issue doesn't drive you nuts.  I pay no attention to it, although I do know my water pH is 6.0.  I stick to animal/poultry manures...fish emulsions, and various meals like alfalfa, and feather.  This season, I will experiment with rabbit manure.
 
Manure has a high pH due to the ammonia content. You can't just neutralize that with some peat. It has already decomposed and got acidic because of it. Best would be to mix it with organic matter like grass cuttings or leaves before compost in it. Now your best bet would indeed be to use peat and using a small amount of the prime quality manure.

You don't need to worry about weeds if it's properly composted; the heat should've killed of any seeds. Given that you have turned the compost a couple of times.
 
Roguejim said:
Good luck.  I hope the pH issue doesn't drive you nuts.  I pay no attention to it, although I do know my water pH is 6.0.  I stick to animal/poultry manures...fish emulsions, and various meals like alfalfa, and feather.  This season, I will experiment with rabbit manure.
Click to expand...
 
Pfeffer said:
Manure has a high pH due to the ammonia content. You can't just neutralize that with some peat. It has already decomposed and got acidic because of it. Best would be to mix it with organic matter like grass cuttings or leaves before compost in it. Now your best bet would indeed be to use peat and using a small amount of the prime quality manure.

You don't need to worry about weeds if it's properly composted; the heat should've killed of any seeds. Given that you have turned the compost a couple of times.
Click to expand...
 
Thank you all guys, you helped a lot.
Rougejim thank you for the research and Pfeffer, thanks for the answer I needed to hear :)
 
I still have a partial bag of Cow manure and going to do an experiment and mix in some of my Mushroom Mycylium, that will metabolize the manure and see how it goes.
 
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