I just purchased a couple yards of a soil mix containing roughly 20% composted cow manure for my raised beds. There was quite a bit of the manure still balled up and most of those balls were still pretty yellow, fibrous and didn’t smell very earthy. The vendor insisted it was composted to OMRI standards and purchased from a very large processing facility. He explained the balling as something happens while it’s being pushed by loaders and being damp and the coloring as part of the cows’ diet and where they’re located. My concerns were either explained away or brushed aside. I’m thinking he’s full of it.
Is this safe to plant my tomatoes in both for the plants and to be consumed from. As in, is it still too “hot” for the plants or is there still pathogen risk being raw manure?
by MIKRO_PIPS
2 Comments
Personally, I’d go for it. I don’t think there’s a pathogen risk for it at all whether or not it would be too hot that’s minimal considering it’s only about 20% but you can use the back of your shovel or just use your shovel and chop it up so that you can mix it a little better. I actually kinda like it when it’s still smells like cow manure cause then you know you got what you asked for.
That’s horse manure. Your vendor was talking it and your compost contains it. I wouldn’t use it right away, water it and take temperature readings. It’s probably going to get hot again, so it’s not ready to use.