Knowledgebase
Fresh chicken manure #867902
Asked May 10, 2024, 2:29 PM EDT
Washington County Minnesota
Expert Response
I'm sorry to hear about your experience with fresh chicken manure. Fresh manure is often high in nitrogen and can damage plants if not composted or aged properly. Poultry manure is particularly high in ammonia and readily burns if over-applied. Fresh manure can also contain pathogens that can harm people and animals, so it should never be used on fruits and vegetables within three or four months of harvest.
To counteract the damage, you can try the following steps:
1. If the manure was spread thickly, try removing some of it to allow air and water to reach the roots of your plants and replace the affected soil with fresh, well-draining soil.
2. Water your garden thoroughly to help leach out any excess nitrogen from the soil.
3. Consider a soil test to learn how best to remediate your soil. The soil test should include the basic series (pH, organic matter, phosphorus, and potassium) as well as soluble salts, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and ammonium. A soil test is available thru UMN.
Here are a few links that provide additional information:
https://extension.umn.edu/nutrient-management-specialty-crops/correct-too-much-compost-and-manure
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/using-manure-in-the-home-garden/
Good luck!