If you have sheep on your property, you have probably considered using sheep manure for your garden. After all, sheep manure does have many advantages for a garden.

Advantages of putting sheep manure in your garden

First and foremost, using sheep manure in your garden is very cost effective. You save a lot of money by using the waste from your sheep instead of going out and buying fertilizer. Additionally, sheep manure is more natural to the land, and doesn’t have as many side effects as synthetic fertilizer.  

Can you put sheep manure straight on the garden?

If you already have plants growing, you cannot put sheep manure straight in your garden. This is because raw manure has many qualities that will actually damage your crop. For example, fresh manure will likely burn already existing plants as well as seed that is already in the ground. Additionally, fresh manure will have an awful smell that will attract all sorts of parasites such as flies and gnats. These insects will infest your crops and break them down. Additionally, fresh sheep manure may contain dangerous pathogens that can make you or other animals on your property very sick. These pathogens will also contaminate the crops in your garden. 

How to put sheep manure straight on the garden

You can put sheep manure straight on the garden if there are no plants or seeds growing yet. Sheep manure does have a lot of nutrients that can make the soil more healthy, but it is essential that you only put it in soil without plants. We recommend putting sheep manure in the garden at least 3-4 months before you plan on putting plants in. This will allow time for the manure to break down dangerous pathogens and other harmful nutrients to plants. We do not recommend putting sheep manure into a garden that is near any sort of river or lake. This is because the harmful chemicals and pathogens from the manure can seep into the water, which can then contaminate the water bed. 

It is important to remember that all sheep manure isn’t created equal. The quality of a sheep manure as a natural fertilizer depends on the age of the sheep, what food it has eaten, how dry it is, how old it is, and whether it contains other plants already. 

Remember to always be very cautious and safe when handling fresh sheep manure. It is mandatory that you wear gloves whenever your hands are coming into contact with manure. Additionally, you should thoroughly wash your hands with warm water and soap after handling any kind of manure.