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casso

By Casso

Kent, United Kingdom

I have bought a large drum of chicken poo at the garden centre as it was half price. I've put some in the tubs. Will it make the flowers grow better?




Answers

 

Pelleted chicken manure is used for growing vegetables and fruit - it is not normally used around flowering plants. Don't use around acid loving plants as it is alkaline.

18 May, 2012

 

chicken poo pellets also should not come into direct contact with plant material or roots unless they've been 'slacked off' first, which means they've been soaked in water for a few days. I wouldn't use them in tubs, but I have used them on newly dug ground being prepared for ornamental planting, not veggies, and also raked or turned them in to already planted areas, being careful to not get them too close to the base of plants (again, ornamentals, not veggies), applied usually once a year in spring. Used frequently on any area, they will alkalinise the soil conditions. Note that the nutrient content is not even as high as Growmore, but they are at least organic.
I will admit though, that my biggest use of these is in preparing ground before planting rather than as a regular fertilizer.

18 May, 2012

 

I would agree with Bamboo, we too bought a large tub which was on sale in Morrisons, himself dug it into the veggie bed - wouldn't want anywhere near alpines! The difficulty is knowing exactly what you've got though the RHS gives NPK values they also point out that it varies depending what the hens were littered on.

18 May, 2012

 

Oh dear. I mulched the whole garden in the stuff (mixed with a bit of top soil) in early spring with lots round the clematis. Looks like I'll be getting mostly foliage this year!

On the plus side the more I put on the less slugs I get, they must know the smell of there predators?

I also used it in the planting holes of a some clematis and a rose, nothing has died...... yet.

18 May, 2012

 

I shouldn`t worry too much I have used the pellets as a general spring fertiliser for the last 3 years and it hasn`t killed anyhting off in my garden. The only caution I had was hearing that the smell may attract foxes, but no evidence of that yet either.

19 May, 2012

 

I think I would be a bit worried about putting chicken poo where I would grow anything eatable in case it got drawn up into the food plants.

19 May, 2012

 

Casso, composted manure type products are regularly used where veggies are grown, with the exception of root crops - you get better veggies and fruit containing more nutrients for us that way. The manure breaks down in the soil via micro organisms, creating a humus rich environment which allows plants to draw up the nutrients they need to grow and produce good crops. Part of the cycle of life...perfectly natural and organic.

19 May, 2012

 

Thank you Bamboo.

19 May, 2012

How do I say thanks?

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