recommendations needed please regarding rabbit manure

[miss_thenorth]

My son and I just built four raised beds, and filled them with a mix of our lovely clay soil, and rabbit poo. We mixed it quite well, and about half and half. We filled the beds about 3/4 full, as I wasn't sure if I needed to add top soil or not. What do the seasoned rabbit growers/gardeners think? will the half and half be enough ( the rabbit poo was also overwintered, if that makes any difference) so could i top up the rest of the raised beds with this mixture or should I add some top soil in the mix? I plan on growing leaf lettuces and hebs in these beds.

TIA!

 

[patandchickens]

Do you mean real topsoil, like from the actual ground <g>, or do you mean something purchased out of the back of a dump truck? If the latter, I'd skip it; but if you mean real topsoil I think you are probably better off adding it, as it will contain a bunch of useful stuff that your clay-plus-composted-rabbit-pellets won't

Good luck, have fun,

Pat (btw thank you so much for the sheep/goat advice on the other forum, I really AM going to reply to you on that )

 

[miss_thenorth]

Do you mean real topsoil, like from the actual ground <g>, or do you mean something purchased out of the back of a dump truck? If the latter, I'd skip it; but if you mean real topsoil I think you are probably better off adding it, as it will contain a bunch of useful stuff that your clay-plus-composted-rabbit-pellets won't

Good luck, have fun,

Pat (btw thank you so much for the sheep/goat advice on the other forum, I really AM going to reply to you on that )

First, your welcome --any time!

and second, these raised beds are really not that big so I could probably get away with buying a coupla bags from the grocery store or gardening centre. Around here it is really very difficult to find "real" topsoil by the truckload.

 

[patandchickens]

Do you mean real topsoil, like from the actual ground <g>, or do you mean something purchased out of the back of a dump truck? If the latter, I'd skip it; but if you mean real topsoil I think you are probably better off adding it, as it will contain a bunch of useful stuff that your clay-plus-composted-rabbit-pellets won't

Good luck, have fun,

Pat (btw thank you so much for the sheep/goat advice on the other forum, I really AM going to reply to you on that )

First, your welcome --any time!

and second, these raised beds are really not that big so I could probably get away with buying a coupla bags from the grocery store or gardening centre. Around here it is really very difficult to find "real" topsoil by the truckload.

Honestly I wouldn't bother if it isn't going to come out of the ground. Spend your money on a nutrient test instead, and on amending if/as needed

GOod luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[jamespm_98]

I would just continue to work on the clay soil/rabbit manure mix with other organic materials such as more compost and manure. I got rabbits this year so I have started adding their poo in addition to chicken poo which I already have been adding to my soil. A soil test would be good to start with, however I have found that as you add more organic matter the soil test become less important since you really start feeding the soil and all it's microrganisms, earthworms etc.... so the soil starts to do a good job providing for your plants. Most inexpensive "topsoil" we have in my area are really just composted wood chips from the look of them, in fact I feel the purchased bag stuff sets you back since it still needs to decompose unless you go for the high dollar brands.

My part of the country has really heavy red clay soil and I have found through 3 seasons of adding compost, leaves, straw, grass clippings and manure it has really lightened up and now has a dark color and does not turn into hard clay in the summer.

 

[miss_thenorth]

thanks. I wil definitely be adding more organic to it in the future, but I was just wondering if this mixture would be safe to plant in- in a months time.

 

[jamespm_98]

Rabbit poo is considered one of the safest as far as the potential to burn a plant. It is a considered a cold manure, manure such as chicken poo is very hot and will burn plants easily. If you want to avoid that just mix with a high carbon material like leaves or straw. You should have no issues planting within a month, especially if you had overwintered it. The only thing you need to watch would be adding fresh manure to veggies that you are close to havesting, especially leafy veggies like lettuce or spinach where the part you eat would be in close contact with the manure. There are some guidelines out on this, but I find no issues with harvesting my leafy veggies about 3 months after an application of manure. Composted manure should be no issue at all. Most organic fertilizers are mostly dried chicken manure, bone meal etc.... and there are no wait recommendations on them.

Personally veggies like corn or pole beans I don't worry about when I put on manure, but some folks recommend a period before havesting.

 

[obsessed]

I added a ton a rabbit manure to my raised bed the first year. And although it didn't burn my plants I do think that some of the nitrogen was not readily avaliable to the plants until it has broken down. This year I dont have any rabbits. I think that as long as you think of the manure as an amendment rather than a ferilzer you should be fine.

 

[jamespm_98]

I added a ton a rabbit manure to my raised bed the first year. And although it didn't burn my plants I do think that some of the nitrogen was not readily avaliable to the plants until it has broken down. This year I dont have any rabbits. I think that as long as you think of the manure as an amendment rather than a ferilzer you should be fine.

Obssesed, well said , I rarely now add any manure as "fertilizer", I typically use it before planting to help ammend my soil and maintain the fertility I have worked to add. I find if you have good soil the need to "side dress" with fertilizer of any type is minimal.

 

[miss_thenorth]

right, so I guess what I'm asking, is- is this rabbit poo (RP) an amendment or a fertilizer. The reason I mixed it in with the clay, is, well, because it is clay, the RP mixed in makes it a much more workable substrate. So in this sense it is being used as an amendment. But will the fertilizing properties of the RP, even though it is considered a cold manure, (which is why I chose it compared, the chicken, quail or horse poo I have access to) be too much to use in this strong dosage?. Will it damage the plants? I have used the RP as a "fertilizer amendment" for my trees, shrubs and bushes, and even my indoor plants. I know my terms are lacking and very vague when considering the usage of the words amendment and fertilizer, but I hope you get what I mean.