Composted cow manure or composted leaves and grass clippings

[ducks4you]

See if this Fall you can hire a teenager to mowmulch and bag up your leaves and pile them for the next Spring. It was Darwin who discovered that earthworms (and others) created soil from leaves, but they need a little help to break down. You could even till in leaves that are whole into your garden. I did that at DD's house and made the soil better, but their soil is already pretty good from years of neglect and too many huge trees dropping leaves in the fall. Funny, they live on 1/4 acre and have 1/2 a foot of leaves every Fall, I live on 5, but there is nothing to stop the west winds from plowing all of my leaves across the street to my neighbors. I don't ever have to rake or mow them in.

 

[seedcorn]

Nutrient comp would be so much more balanced. You will get more carbon, calcium, nitrogen, sulfur from manure that grasses won’t have. Grasses give you better soil texture.