did you say poop?

in our continuous search for all things garden-related, we have come across so many important inputs on craigslist….it’s our favorite place to shop! latest find is free manure for the garden. that’s right, dear reader, your food (if it’s grown locally… generally speaking) is not grown in chemicals or by chemicals, but by that all important and often neglected ingredient – dried, decomposed shit! and in our case, we use worm poop, which comes from our vermicomposting operation in the basement. don’t tell the inlaws when they come a-visiting or they won’t stay too long, but when we sneak down in the basement with a full container of compost, the worms are one happy set of slimy creatures!

on the manure side, the important thing to remember is to make sure it is good and dry, otherwise, it may burn your plants. dried manure is rich in nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and also generally contains straw (finely masticated straw), which helps retain water in the soil. based on my research, you should only use the manure from herbivorous animals (cows, horses, chickens are all great options).

so, in the coming weeks, hopefully, we will be calling the generous person on craigslist who has advertised free manure and loading up for placing in our garden this fall. also, this should be fine for over winter and good and ready for spring planting, no tilling in required. will keep you posted on how it all works out!