I doubt you'd burn your lawn. If I could, I'd be mixing up cow manure and burning lots of Bermuda grass! But I suppose it could be used as a fertilizer, sort of a manure tea. Have no idea about adding epson salts or a steel wool pad.

Is this bagged cow manure already composted, or is it fresh? If it's already composted I'd tend toward mixing and applying within a few days. But that's just my instinct.

George
Tahlequah, OK

Jessaka,

The general way to make compost or manure tea is to put the manure or compost in a bag (burlap potato sack, old pillowcase, etc. for a big batch or even in a pair or pantyhose for a small batch), tie the bag closed, suspend the bag in the container of water for a few days, and then dilute it as needed and use it as a fertilizer. No one can tell you how much to delete it since each bag brews up to its own strength depending on the amount of manure or compost in relation to the amount of water, but at the point at which you are applying it to the ground, you want it to be the color of weak tea. Is the Epsom salts for magnesium and, if so, is there a reason you think you soil needs magnesium? I have no idea why you are using a steel wool pad--you'll have to enlighten us on that one.

I can't imagine that the bags of cow manure you bought could possibly be strong enough to burn your lawn because the percentage of nitrogen is very low in comparison to the artifcially high percentage of nitrogen found in chemical fertilizers. Many kinds of bagged cow manure are only about 10% manure. I only buy the ones that are labeled "100% cow manure". So, if you are using one that is not labeled 100% cow manure, likely you have a whole lot of filler and very little manure.

Dawn

The grass grows greenest around the "cow pies" in a pasture. Cow manure will not burn your grass. I have just been over on the soil forum reading a post on manure. This is a nicer place to visit. I don't think I have ever read a hateful post here and okiedawn politely answers every question.

We don't need you here Helen. Take your cow manure back to the other forum.

Just kidding! This is a nice forum. I enjoy reading here and on the tractor forum I frequent because the posts are very respectful, and the people seem very nice. Dawn is amazing!

I need a cow so my grass will be greener. we planted kentucky 31 and some is tall and green and some is little and yellowish. But I will begin adding cow manure to water and release it on the lawn. I would sprinkle it but it is mushy. haven't been out to see if bag is 100 percent or not.

about steel wool, i read that it has iron in it, so if you let it rust in water it will give your plants iron.

I just read to use epson salt in the spring. I have no idea what I am doing. maybe i need my soil tested somewhere.

Scott, you scared me for a minute there!

Helen, I know what you mean. There are a couple of other forums that I have tried and the people are so confrontational there that it takes all the fun out of it. Sometimes I notice someone will single another person out and "follow them around", confronting things they say in every post they make. I don't like having someone "in my face" so I don't post on those forums and after awhile I get frustrated with lurking and don't even go there to read.

My new next door neighbors have hired a Chem-lawn service to spray their grass. I caught the Chem-lawn guy to ask what he was applying because I was concerned about whether I would suffer any drift effects in my garden. He said he was fertilizing the Bermuda. O-M-G!! Last weekend my neighbor told me he thought he'd plant some tomatoes in his back yard. Hasn't even begun preparing a bed or anything. He'll be buying plants. I wished him luck. He's going to need it.

Jessaka,
I've used manure all my life. Mainly cow, horse and chicken. I will list what a few of my observations. Chicken in the hottest and you can apply too much fresh for many veggies. Works great for sweet corn. I've only burned anything with cow manure once. It was from my feeding lot and fresh. Manure will vary in strength some due to what the animal is eating. Feedlot manure from my experience is the hottest. But you can even use it fresh if applied at the right rates. My problem was I over applied. Too much alfalfa hay worked in can cause plants to grow and not set fruit. The other thing that can cause problems when using manure if applying heavy is a salt build up. The rule of thumb many use is one inch per year. Many of the corn farmers here add 3 inches every 3 years. Still same ratio. That rule can vary somewhat by the strength (hotness) of the manure. I would say if this is bagged you won't hurt anything if you spread it. I've added very little of the tea so can comment.

Helen and ilene. I agree there are some posters on some forums looking for a confrontation. And others have their agenda they wish to promote and they don't care what level they stoop to or who they run over. I have started avoiding some of them. The tomato forum is that way. I've been singled out by one poster and even followed to another forum where I used to post. Too bad a few can ruin a good thing. Have been very impressed over here. A nice friendly forum. Great gardening to all in 09.
They are saying we may have snow and wind Frriday so guess I'd better get ready. Jay

Helen,

I lurk at several other forums, but only post on the OK Forum and very rarely on any of the others because I feel like there are some really strongly-opinionated folks on some forums who are always looking for a fight, and I don't want to argue or fight. The soil and compost forum is one at which I'll lurk but not post because there's too much of that fighting and backbiting.

Scott, You scared me too. I thought I was going to have to drive over there and knock some sense into you. LOL Then I read your next line and calmed down. tee-hee

Jessaka, A soil test is a good idea. Then you'd know specifically what to do so you wouldn't be wasting your time trying first one thing and then another.

Ilene, Oh man, you have my sympathy on the lawn service people. Keep an eye on them.....they are likely to use a broad-leaf weedkiller, and if they do, I hope it is in granular form and not sprayed.....for the sake of your plants. You're right. Your neighbor may find his lawn service and their sprayings are detrimental to his own tomato plants and, if he is going to have bermuda grass that is hyped up on chemical fertilizers, his tomato patch won't be a tomato patch long.....it will be puny tomato plants lost in a bermuda jungle!

Jay, Great comments on the manure. One thing Jessaka has had to deal with in the past is slowly draining soil that stayed very, very, very wet in a very rainy year, so I am thinking that may be part of her grass problems....but I don't know anything about Kentucky Bluegrass and what it needs to thrive. Your comments on the tomato forum mirror how I feel about it. It especially bothers me the way certain persons go after Carolyn. So, I lurk and read there but just don't post. I don't even enjoy lurking there as much as I used to--both because of the agendas some folks are actively promoting and the confrontations.

I am sure there are a lot of forums out there with very nice people who don't "pick on " one another, but I think ours is one of the friendliest.

Snow? No, no, no! I don't want snow. Since I don't get to choose the weather, though, I guess some of you will have it anyway....and there is a chance it will make it down here to the Red River of the south. (Thank heavens we are NOT the Red River of the north--my heart goes out to all those folks desperately sand-bagging and trying to save their towns and homes from damage and destruction.)

Dawn