seedcorn
Garden Master
This year, farmers that knifed in manure are having much more insect problems (mainly white grubs) than commercial fertilizer. Most ground insects will gravitate towards manure based fertilizers as they want the fibers that you are laying down. Insects aren't after the fertilizer but the mulch/fibers in the ground. I love manure for a fertilizer but insects are more of a problem, not less.
Manure is water soluble so if not knifed in or worked in, will run with any water and the fiber will bunch up and form little islands all over fields that kill all vegetation--including what you planted. Then if you don't break the little pockets up, here come the insects. They don't care whether it's organic or not, they just want fiber. Plus the fibers will tie up the nitrogen in the manure or soil causing nitrogen deprivation to the plant.
Commercial fertilizer applied to heavily will burn/kill plants. We're seeing the same problem in fields when manure is applied to replace commercial fertilizer. IF we had the time to compost the manure (we don't) we wouldn't burn the plants but would have to apply more nitrogen than needed to help digest the fibers we've added.
After typing this, it has nothing to do w/organic vs. non-organic. There are no magic cures to my knowledge out there. It's feed them, let them drink, give them sun to make energy, you will be successful.
Manure is water soluble so if not knifed in or worked in, will run with any water and the fiber will bunch up and form little islands all over fields that kill all vegetation--including what you planted. Then if you don't break the little pockets up, here come the insects. They don't care whether it's organic or not, they just want fiber. Plus the fibers will tie up the nitrogen in the manure or soil causing nitrogen deprivation to the plant.
Commercial fertilizer applied to heavily will burn/kill plants. We're seeing the same problem in fields when manure is applied to replace commercial fertilizer. IF we had the time to compost the manure (we don't) we wouldn't burn the plants but would have to apply more nitrogen than needed to help digest the fibers we've added.
After typing this, it has nothing to do w/organic vs. non-organic. There are no magic cures to my knowledge out there. It's feed them, let them drink, give them sun to make energy, you will be successful.