IMHO.. trees and shrubs do NOT need fertilizer .... of any kind..

unless a soil test shows something is missing from the soil ... and that is usually not fertilizer ...

how about as raisins in oatmeal cookies???

ken

I have 2 albino bunnies. I compost their poo with the bedding and fall leaves, but I have heard that it isn't a hot manure and can be used as is. The bedding is another story. Their pee is very strong and I would not use it by plants til it's composted. On plain garden plots with no plants, I would imagine if you puit it down in fall, with rainfall and snow it should mellow by spring. I have soaked poo in hot water and poured over plants with no bad effects. That's how I do it anyways, it (poo soup ) may make you gag, it did to me and I don't gag easy, I probably left it soak too long!

I have used rabbit litter box shavings and pills directly added around trees as both mulch and fertilizer spread in thin layer on top of ground with no ill results. Have not used it in a solution.

Would adding manure to the area around a tree base and thus adding to the organic matter content of the soil lead to drawing in more earth worms who might then better aerate the soil?

Just curious.

Richard.

I see I will try it then and see what happens. Thank you all for the feedback.

Drrich, I would imagine so. This is a little gross, my dogs eat the poo if I don't stop them in time while my back is turned, so if the poo isn't kinda pressed in or buried by a strong jet of water and foot pressure, wild animals may eat it before it gets incorporated. I add to my veg plots and around trees, not so much for trees but I use shade perennials and it's for them mostly. Instead of tilling where perennials are I use a giant nail and open the soil a bit and the rain and worms do the rest.

I would compost it first. Just pile it in an area and dump some leaf litter on it and mix in it really good. A couple of months later you will have black gold. Compost contains benficial bacteria and fungi. Although most tree do not need fertilizer, they do need the bacteria and fungi for absorbtion of water and other nutrients.