The Art & Science of Composting (Cow Manure)

Cow manure compost is one of the most valuable products that can be added to soil to promote health, build fruit yields and allow better absorption of critical nutrients by your plants.

The use of cattle manure, or cow dung, in the garden is a popular practice in many rural areas. This type of manure is not as rich in nitrogen as many other types; however, the high ammonia levels can burn plants when the fresh manure is directly applied. Composted cow manure, on the other hand, can provide numerous benefits to the garden.

Cattle manure is basically made up of digested grass and grain and is high in organic materials and rich in nutrients. It contains about 3 percent nitrogen, 2 percent phosphorus, and 1 percent potassium (3-2-1 NPK). In addition, cow manure contains high levels of ammonia and potentially dangerous pathogens. For this reason, it’s usually recommended that it be aged or composted prior to its use as cow manure fertiliser and this is one of the major factors behind our decision to build a product that has such an extensive preparation time before it is bagged and sold (we use a hot composting process over a period of nine months before the finished product is bagged).

Composting cow manure has several benefits. In addition to eliminating harmful ammonia gas and pathogens (like E. coli), as well as weed seeds, composted cow manure will add generous amounts of organic matter to your soil. By mixing this compost into the soil, you can improve its moisture-holding capacity. This allows you to water less frequently, as the roots of plants can use the additional water and nutrients when needed. Additionally, it will improve aeration, helping to break up compacted soils.

Composted cow manure also contains beneficial bacteria, which convert nutrients into easily accessible forms so they can be slowly released without burning tender plant roots and this is what we mean when we refer to positive soil bacteria or microbiology. Much like a human digestive system, plants cannot directly translate their food (fertiliser) into growing or production energy, they require their growing medium (soil) to have nutrients present in a digestible form - which is where microbes come into play as they turn fertiliser into a substance that a root system can interact with.

Composting cow manure also produces about a third less greenhouse gases, making it environmentally friendly.

Composted cow manure fertiliser makes an excellent growing medium for garden plants. When turned into compost and fed to plants and vegetables, cow manure becomes a nutrient-rich fertiliser. It can be mixed into the soil or used as top dressing.

To make your own composted cow manure at home you will need the base product as well as a composting bin or pile located within easy reach of the garden.

Heavy manures, like that of cows, should be mixed with lighter materials, such as straw or hay, in addition to the usual organic substances from vegetable matter, garden debris, etc. Small amounts of lime or ash may also be added. An important consideration when composting cow manure is the size of your bin or pile. If it’s too small, it won’t provide enough heat, which is essential for the composting process. Too big, however, and the pile may not get enough air. Therefore, frequently turning the pile is necessary.

Composted cattle manure adds significant amounts of organic material to the soil. With the addition of cow manure fertiliser, you can improve the overall health of your soil and produce healthy, vigorous plants that generate substantial fruit yields.

​If you would rather pick-up a ready to go product - come and have a chat with our team about our 20kg bags of composted cow manure, manure based fertilisers or liquid soil microbes.