Corn Cob bedding for roses and plants?

14 years ago

I have 3 birds and use that corn cob bedding. I don't know if anyone else does, but I was cleaning out their cages today and thought to myself...

I wonder if I could use some of that for helping with drainage or just for adding some OM to the soil? I have to throw so much away after they use it. I don't necessarily mean "the used stuff" but even the new from the bag.

Anyone ever use it? Just curious. :)

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Comments (8)

michaelg
14 years ago
Undecayed organic material is not suitable for mixing into the garden soil but is good for mulching.
hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
14 years ago
The used stuff would be even better. Don't throw it away!Just compost it first. If you have a trash can that has been better days, cut the bottom off, put it somewhere on bare ground, pile the stuff in there and let it compost. Your roses will be deeply grateful.
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Hi Kirstenz For good polination you need to have a lot of plants...the more the merrier. It is also why planting in blocks rather than rows is recommended. The tassles are the male flowers and they drop their pollen onto the silks of the cobs...each silk is connected to one kernal and so at least one pollen grain needs to land on each silk for germination to occur and thus the kernal to fill...rain and wind can affect good pollination...wind can blow the pollen away very easily and rain can stick the silks together so that some of them do not get pollinated If you have few plants, then because the tassels form pollen a couple of weeks earlier than the silks appear, and the tassels only bear pollen for two weeks or so, you will find that late cobs may not get sufficient pollen to fill the cobs...this is even when the weather is great...so it pays to have a lot of plants. You need to plant them fairly closely but not too close...plants 30cm apart will look great and will grow tall but will be spindly and prone to falling over because they become top heavy when the cobs form....they will then find it difficult to become pollinated ...these are only some of the problems that can occur and affect cob filling Hope this helps... cheers Peter
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karl_bapst_rosenut
14 years ago
Use it from the birds after they do their thing in it. The original clean product will absorb nitrogen from the soil as it decomposes. Any bird droppings in it will help the nitrogen content soless will be taken from the soil. Guano, bird/bat crap, is collected from caves and bird rookeries and sold as fertilizer. It's higher in nitrogen content than animal manures. Mixed with the corn cob bedding it'll make a good organic soil amendment, helping drainage and water retention. You could even use it as a mulch but it'll probably tend to blow away in high winds, although once it settles it should stay where it is.
anntn6b
14 years ago
As long as it's ground up cobs.

When we bought this farm and were cleaning out a barn that hadn't had mules or anything else four legged and equine in it for at least 40 years, we found corn cobs that were ancient and they hadn't broken down, even in contact with relatively dry soil.
michaelg
14 years ago
If they resist decay, ground cobs might be good to use in potting soil to add bulk, drainage, and water retention.
susz52
14 years ago
Nothing wrong with the used stuff Just don't use it fresh as others mentioned. Bird doo-doo is very hot. Ground cob is okay for mulch and will decompose in that form.
petaloid
14 years ago
I used to use the ground corn cobs in our bird cage and for our late bunny's litter box. I like the idea of using it in the garden.

If it is leftovers from the birdcage it may contain some birdseed that could sprout -- composting it before putting it on the beds is a good idea.
karl_bapst_rosenut
14 years ago
The NPK of chicken manure 1.1 0.8 0.5, not really that high in nitrogen, but unlike other manures it's fast acting and breaks down quickest of all manures.
Because of this use it carefully as it may burn.
It also, stinks like hell so composting it first is definitely recommended.
That said, If you don't have that much of it, you can scratch it in sparingly outside the drip line. By the time it breaks down and reaches the root zone, it should have aged enough so as not to be a problem.
Or, you could place it in a barrel of water and use it as a tea. That should soak the corn cob residue which would help it break down faster. Only problem, it would really smell. You'd probably have to wear a gas mask when you applied it.
We have a chicken ranch/egg operation in our area. When they clean out the chicken houses, it can be smelled for miles around.

Corn Cob bedding for roses and plants?

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michaelg

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