can I grow daffodils in steer manure compost?

I have just raised my flower beds 18" with a layer of steer manure compost. can I plant my daffodil bulbs directly into the compost? Is this soil ok for daffodils? Will they grow? Will they bloom in the spring?

Comments for can I grow daffodils in steer manure compost?

Click here to add your own comments
Oct 25, 2010
 Daffodils in steer manure compost
by: George Harding

Years ago I worked on a dairy farm on weekends and did not hose off the holding yard until the manure had dried. I covered my whole garden in 15cm of this and had the best garden for years but found for daffodils I had to add plenty of sand (25% sand, 75% soil)as the manure laden soil was very dense and the "Daffies' preferred looser soil for root development. Hope this helps.
George
Apr 06, 2011
 compost
by: blonde

When you use or natural products for composting you must compost those components beforeyou us it in the garden. Your manure will be fairly fresh I take it and the manure mixed or put on topo of the soil will burn the plants tha are going to go in the ground.

Composting needs manure whether that be deer, cow, sheep or pig or even goat. They need time to break down and remove the acidity. The ph of the manure will be quite low and this needs to come up to around a ph of 7 and the finished product will be friable and very usable, where as in the fresh state it can be warm to hot to touch and smelly. To compost you also need straw for hay as well as your manure, you also need moisture and you need to be able to turn it at least once per week for 6 weeks to accomplish a good friable product.

Standing it on the ground or on a pallet and covering it with shade cloth allows air to enter the heap and prevent the bugs within from cooking due to exccessive heat. the heat should be around 70 degrees and no more.

Give moisture to the heap when you turn it but dont drown it in water as this will cool the heap too much and the composting process will be lost. Heat turns organic materials by way of being broken down in to something that a general gardener can use. A little time on your part will also accomplish this.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Garden materials, soil, compost and mulch.

Back to HOME page: No Dig Vegetable Garden

Garden Gift Hub is one of the most thoughtful and interesting places on the web to find original and useful gardening and nature inspired products.

Contact | Home