My Mom went organic last week...

[Archae]

Again.

In her garden, she used a natural fertilizer, the way she always has.
Cow manure.

I helped her plant the garden, and mix the manure and plant her tomatoes and peppers.

Later this week she'll plant beans and squash.

Most years (if she can keep the deer out,) she has bumper crops, mostly tomatoes.

[Buzz Clik]

1. With any luck, there won't be any E coli in the manure.

Wash the vegetables really, really well. And keep your fingers crossed.

[Archae]

2. Forgot to mention the cukes!

Cucumbers, that is.

Mom loves growing those.

But yeah, she does wash the veggies carefully after picking, she always has.

[Buzz Clik]

5. Good plan. E coli contamination is not uncommon in organic gardening.

[Luminous Animal]

23. E. coli contamination in organic gardening IS uncommon.

[Buzz Clik]

24. I think you need to read this:

For all three manure-fertilized soils in this study, persistence of indigenous E. coli past the end of the study was common. Persistence of fecal bacteria in soil has been reported elsewhere. For example, Jones (30) described E. coli that survived for at least 60 days in soil at 25°C and for at least 100 days at 4°C. Bolton et al. (5) detected E. coli O157:H7 in soil 99 days after a fecal suspension containing this organism was applied to grassland.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC525133/

[we can do it]

4. Really?

[Buzz Clik]

6. Whoa!

[Major Nikon]

7. Crossing fingers works better than washing

Even washing really, really well doesn't help if the produce actually is infected with e coli pathogens. The only thing that works is either irradiation or cooking.

[Buzz Clik]

8. I feel a bit better about never washing my produce.

[tridim]

12. Or a strong immune system and gut flora. nt

[jeff47]

9. If it's fresh, that's a concern. If it's been composted for around a year first

then there won't be much E. coli left in it.

You have to remember E. coli are everywhere. Including all over your skin, and lots of them already in your intestines. They're only a problem in very large quantities, or if you get an infection with the one or two rare strains that are particularly aggressive.

[Buzz Clik]

10. Not that I'm arguing against organic farming (and I am not), but...

... there is no E coli in inorganic fertilizers.

Regardless, your points are well taken. It is excellent advice to use well-composted manure to help avoid E coli contamination.

[jeff47]

11. Yep. Personally I favor inorganic fertilizers because we know exactly what's in it.

Ammonium nitrate isn't going to be harboring any problematic bacteria or viruses. (E. coli not being terribly problematic)

The problem there is you have to add it to the soil in such a way that you don't get lots of fertilizer runoff - it doesn't do you much good if the fertilizer is washed down the storm drain.

Which means for some applications, organic is going to be much better. For example, if you can't till the fertilizer into the soil.

[hunter]

14. That's exactly why nitrate poisoning of groundwater is such a problem.

Have you ever seen a blue baby?

Inorganic fertilizers are bad enough in commercial farms, but homeowners tend to use about ten times more than they need, and the fertilizer sales people are not going to discourage them.

We compost all our household food wastes. Between that and the dog pee, we have more than enough fertilizer for our garden.

[jeff47]

16. Yep, gotta put it where it will actually do what you want

instead of putting the fertilizer where it'll pollute the local rivers.

If you use the right amount and till the soil so it stays put, inorganic works well. If you're spreading it on a lawn or other place where you can't till it in, you need to use organic since it will stay there.

[jwirr]

19. You are correct about washing hands but cow manure was the prime fertilizer long before WWII.

[Buzz Clik]

20. Lots of factors contributed to shortened lifespans....

[riderinthestorm]

3. Did she use fresh or composted manure?

if it had composted for a couple of months the risk of E. coli is minimized.

We use compost that's over a year old and has been well turned multiple times. 25 years of organic growing for ourselves, barn clients, my sisters catering business and the local green market without any problems!

Spring is here!

[Archae]

13. Two 40 pound bags from the local hardware store.

Two bags of the commercial brand cow manure fertilizer.

[riderinthestorm]

17. Then I'm going to guess it was either partially or completely composted

Other wise no sane person would put fresh manure in their car or truck!!



What did she plant this year?

Our spinach, lettuce and radishes have been up for a couple weeks already! I still have some potatoes and onions to plant that are down in cold storage from last year...they are WELL sprouted lol. It usually takes me about a month to get everything planted. I'm slow

[Archae]

18. Since the manure was black when we mixed it into her garden, I think you're right.

So far, Mom has planted tomatoes, green bell peppers, and beans.

She is planning to grow cucumbers and other stuff I don't know yet what.

You see, the soil up where she lives is really lousy, mostly clay and sand.

But my oldest sister and my brother-in-law built her 3 years ago, 2 of these boxes that are raised.
Mom makes a nice garden in them, the only problem is the deer.
But last year Mom found some deer repellent that works, it's made out of wolf pee.
Spritzes that on the leaves and stuff, and the deer leave them alone.
Otherwise they'd eat the whole garden bare!

[riderinthestorm]

21. the deer are fierce for us as well. Its always a race to pick the corn in the fall especially

[hunter]

15. Cow manure tends to be too salty in places without a lot of rain...

... and irrigation water that is already salty.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

22. An organic way to keep deer and other critters at bay...

This may sound a little gross. Collect your morning pee, morning is the best time cause the pee is the strongest. Keep in a empty milk jug. Let sit for a few days to "marinate". Place the full strength pee in a pump sprayer. Spray a path about 15 yards wide around the perimeter of your property. Repeat as often as needed.
I had a 90 acre farm with a garden about 50' x 100'. Never had a problem even though it backed up to the woods. Scent is a great barrier.
I learned this from a natural garden shop years ago. Went to buy some fox urine. It was way too expensive for the large area I had. The support staff told me this secret. I collect throughout the winter and had my "formula" ready when needed.

Good luck and great gardening!