I Don't Mean to Embarrass You....

I understand there are some subjects that

Bloggers really should not broach.

I thought long and hard about even mentioning this.

I mean, it is something you would not discuss with

many of your closest family and friends.

But, I love you guys too much not to bring up this subject.

Cow Poop!

I know, I know.

Gross.

:)

But, I simply cannot blog and promote gardening 

without talking about this.

As I have stated a hundred times before,

I am not a Master Gardener.

I graduated from the

School of My Mama and My Mammy's Gardening.

Growing up on a farm, it is understandable that I inherited a love f gardening, since there was always a very large garden every Summer.  My family generally had at least an 

acre or more filled with everything from tomatoes to okra to 

sunflowers and everything in between. 

 The sweet corn would take up another 1/2 acre or so. 

 And I can't even begin to remember how many rows 

of collard and cabbage plants there were.

Summers were filled with canning veggies and

"puttin' up corn."  

(that's Southern talk for canning corn, btw)

I am determined that when I say "canned corn"

my grandchildren will think of this first...

... before this -

So that brings me to this post, which evolves around 

prepping the garden to get as good of a crop as 

you can get.

One of the "ingredients" I rely heavily upon is

cow manure.

True Country gardeners would turn their noses up

at this composted "retail" version of something many

farmers have in abundance, for free, in their Back 40.

But, we "Urban Gardeners" need to rely on the more

user-friendly purchased variety.

See pic below for the perfect example of an Urban Gardener.

My mentor and hero.

(well, not the insider stock trading part, but the gardening part)

:)

Even if I had access to the "fresh stuff," I would still

take a pass.  The dangers of e-coli are too high when the

 manure is not composted correctly.

Plus, there's the smell.  Ick

Composted Cow Manure is a wonderful source of nitrogen

and fertilizer.  I do not use commercial brands of

fertilizer.  I am as organic as I can be.

I prep my garden beds with a combination of -

1) Peat Moss 

a) aerates soil

b) saves water by retaining moisture

2) Horticultural Vermiculite:

a) conditions the soil

b) also helps retain moisture

 and 

3)  Organic Potting Soil

Because my gardens are raised bed gardens,  I do not 

have to guess at what the type soil I have to deal with.

I have one of these to help me work everything into the soil:

But you can also use one of these...

A little more time consuming, but it does the job.

There are lots of great gardening books out there.

Every book will give a different formula and/or

Ingredient List.  All I can say is this is what works

best for my own garden.

This is also the "recipe" I use for my flower containers and 

flower beds around the house.

I mix a big batch in a large wheelbarrow.

Do you start with fresh, clean and sterilized 

pots every year?

If not, you really need to heed this advice.  I know its very economical and time-saving to use the same soil in 

your containers,  but any damaging or harmful spores

leftover from last years plantings can remain in the

soil.  I just use a 2-1 water/clorox solution to clean them

out well, and make sure they are rinsed really good.

So I hope I did not embarrass you by broaching a very

delicate subject - poop.  Rather, I hope you realize what a valuable gardening ingredient is contained within those small plastic bags with the cute pictures of cows on the front.

:)

Happy Gardening!

Blessings, Barb