Amending individual planting holes is no longer a recommended practice, especially when dealing with woody plants (trees and shrubs). If you feel you DO need to amend - and adding organic matter to a very sandy soil is a pretty good reason - then it is recommended you do so over the largest possible area, like an entire planting bed. This reduces any soil interface issues, makes for more uniform drainage and encourages proper root developement and elongation.

For those of us with sandy, well draining soil it may be necessary to amend the that soil with organic matter so moisture retention will be improved. Manure is not something to use to amend the planting space, however, no fertilizer should be included.
What you do not want to do is create a plating hole that will retain too much moisture and drown the tree you just planted. But the soil you plant in needs to be able to supply that newly planted tree with moisture.

Here is a link that might be useful: About planting trees

HUH!!?? Why the heck not?

Thanks, Gardengal48, for the information. What ratio of cow manure to fill dirt should I use to amend the whole area?

Thanks!

Kimmsr, why do you suggest not using cow manure?

vamayer, you can trust advice from gardengal.

gardengal works hard in the hort industry and is kind enough to take the time to help others. Worthy of your respect. The advice to not amend just the planting hole is recognized by many universities with hort depts.

Remember to mulch your new plantings well and study how to water them correctly too.

Nitrogen. That could induce new growth in those trees that you may not want yet and that, if planted now, may not be mature enough to survive even your winter.
The reason we are told, today, not to amend the soil when planting trees is that in some soils, clay, that could create a bathtub where too much moisture is held in the planting hole and the roots rot and that tree dies. In many sandy soils that drain too well the soil, if not amended, may not hold enough moisture so the tree dies from lacl of adequate water. Many times universities will put out information based on the soils particular to their state that may not necessarily apply to other states and might be incomplete in one does not understand the total picture.

First, aged cow manure is not a high nitrogen source and worked into existing soil, is unlikely to be of any concern to fall planted trees and shrubs. Especially in our climate where rains become very plentiful very soon :-) And it is an excellent source of organic matter.

I can't tell you the precise ratio of manure to soil....that depends entirely on your specific soil. But sandy soil is well draining soil, which is extremely desirable in our area. As long as it has a reasonable percentage of OM, you should be good to go.

albert - felt compelled to share my story after your funny.
Customer asked a clerk in a garden center for x # of bags of manure, then added "is it Black Kow?". He responded "lady, I don't know what color the cow was."

True story.

Is steer manure any different than ordinary cow manure? Why the differentiation?

Here is very tardy THANK YOU for the advice. You have been a huge help. My aged cow and I have been very busy!

Happy New Year!

Hello. Very new. A question because I do not want to waste good labor for nothing. I have manure that is VERY old....like 40 years old. It has been in the barn, and recently cleaned out and moved to a big pile in the field. Would it be useful/ valuable to put in my garden area. I am trying to be a little more serious about the garden, so I know the soil is a little "dead" and want to put some manure in it. What say you, experienced ones?

That old manure will be good organic matter. Of course it will not supply much nitrogen.

Going back to tree planting, I would add a pint of Azomite mineral supplement to any tree hole soil.