Hey, er'body! I'm trying to help a couple of my friends grow their own. I'm gifting plants, but not my homemade soil. There just isn't enough. I've found a compost source from a local garden/nursery supply that utilizes sheep manure as the "main" ingredient, and would like to utilize this material as the humic component for building my friend's soils. Unfortunately, I have ZERO experience using sheep manure for building compost or utilizing it in soil mixes. Here's what's available... "Premium" - 60% sheep manure, 40% shredded Aspen fines "Good" - 30% sheep manure, 70% shredded Aspen fines "Soil amender" - 30% of the "premium" mix, 70% local "topsoil" (Colorado "clay" soil) One friend needs soil to build raised beds, the other needs soil for outdoor potted plants (thinking 20 gallons, this is not California growing!). I was planning on using SPM for both soil mixes, and adjusting with any additional aeration component as needed. The normal "amendments" (neem, kelp, crustacean meal, rock dust, and other left over stuff that I have) will be included per normal application rates based upon soil volume. Thoughts on how to proceed per individual friend's needs?
What's the price difference and size of the bag for the first 2? I love sheep manure and it was part of my mix from the beginning, till it got banned in Fl., long years ago. Haven't seen it in SC either, or would certainly be using it. Wet
My bad! This is all bulk. They make/mix on site from local sources. $70 a cubic yard for the "premium". The other two mixes are slightly cheaper ($5 & $10 respectively, or somewhere thereabouts). They sell by volume, regardless. You (I) shovel into appropriately measured containers... Any idea why sheep manure was banned in Florida?
A lady (a friend of my mother's actually), got tetnus(?) from working with it in her flower bed. Almost died before they figured it out. No wounds, it was under a fingernail. Anyway, not long after that it was gone from the stores and I never saw it again. No idea why I've never seen it here. Can't find chicken manure either, but that's a different story. The Premium seems to have a nice ratio to work with as a base and what you have planned AFA the SPM, areation and stuff. Will a CY be enough for both friends needs? Seems like a raised bed could suck up a CY all by itself even with the additions. How big and deep is planned? Who's going to be doing the shovel work?? LOL Wet
Outdoor beds Id go 50/50 "premium" & peat, mix a bunch of your amendments up and mix some in to give it a boost. Maybe buy a cheap sack of calcite lime and dust some in and call it a day. thats what I'd do and I bet it would work just fine. Mulch heavy and let the sun shine in. Good luck Wak. I wouldn't overthink it - myself. A sack of chicken manure pellets is cheap and effective too... j
I'm with Jerry 420% on the raised bed. Way more simple and basic than a container mix. As much as I use perlite, for the raised bed, pumice or lava rock, or/and bark chunks for aeration is called for, rather than perlite. You going to mix it on site, or, mix and then move to the site? A chore either way. For the containers, go with what you know. Wet