Preparation of Cow Manure for Garden Use

Cow manure often contains weed seeds, an unwelcome addition to the garden. Rapidly composting the manure helps kill the weed seeds. Don't add fresh manure directly to your garden, unless you intend to let the soil sit for about six months before planting. For composting or rotting the manure, use compost bins. Using multiple bins allows you to have manure in varying stages of composting.

2 compost bins
Pitchfork
Wheelbarrow
2 tarps
Garden hose

Instructions

- 1
  Select a dry, flat location for the compost bins. Choose a high location, as you don't want the bins sitting in water or runoff. Locate the bins near your cows, to avoid carting the manure a long distance.
- 2
  Place at least two compost bins on the site you've selected. Each bin should be about 8 feet square by 3 feet tall. Compost bins typically have three walls, with one side open. Two bins should handle the manure of one to three cows.
- 3
  Lift the cow manure or cow "pies" using a pitchfork. Fill a wheelbarrow with the manure, and haul it to your bin site.
- 4
  Fill the first bin with manure. Cover the bin with a tarp to keep it from getting wet during the rainy season or overly dry during the summer.
- 5
  Sprinkle the manure with water to keep it as damp as a wrung-out sponge. Using a pitchfork, turn the pile about once a week. Turning the pile helps accelerate the compost process by circulating the air.
- 6
  Use the manure in the garden when it has a crumbly consistency. It will take one to three months.

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