Bob, I'm not sure if my previous post was helpful. Try this new link below. Carol Here is a link that might be useful: Google - Farm Supply Sarasota

While you may be able to reduce the nitrogen content with watering that won't do anything for the pathogenic issues with fresh manures and they are the most serious issue. Only time and the heat of active composting can resolve that. So first, I'd contact the source and find out just how old it really is/was. Then once you have that info there are things you can do so that you don't lose the garden for the entire year even if it is hot and fresh. Turn the soil and bury the manure under turned soil. You can till in a large amount of chopped straw, chopped leaves, or similar browns to speed up the decomposition, avoid direct seeding things this year and use transplants instead, and avoid planting low growing crops like lettuce and spinach - things that will come into direct contact with the soil. Also be sure to practice good garden hygiene when harvesting, washing, and cooking the foods. "I asked my husband to get some manure for our garden because last year we didn't put any down and we hardly grew anything. (Compared to the year before, when we did use manure, and it was great.)" And for future reference keep in mind that manure, no matter the type or how well it is composted, is still primarily a soil amendment and not a fertilizer. It's nutrient levels are quite low compared to other organic sources and not readily available to the plants. So investigate the many organic alternatives for nutrients. Not only do they provide higher levels, provide them readily, but they have none of negative side-effects. Dave

Hi, Ricardo. Looking at your pictures I'm guessing you're in the UK. The plants in your picture are all tough perennials which do not need any kind of nitrogenous fertiliser. However, your plants are not dying. Given the amount of rain we're getting at the moment the nitrogen will wash out pretty soon. If you want to do something for them start a compost heap and mulch them with that when it's ready. In fact, to be honest with you I'd dig up all the plants, get rid of the Oxalis and maple seedlings and dig a load of compost into the bed before replanting. Pelleted chicken manure is mostly used by vegetable growers. Just follow the dosage recommended on the bucket.

Dear Trish! Ouch!!!! I can just see the whole event happening in front of my eyes! Yes, kids can get into the the most interesting situations at times. This little lady also broke her ankle on a swing at school about seven months ago, just a few days before her fourth birthday. So it was the whole process of rushing to hospital and dropping her three-month old baby sister and my eldest off at someone's house along the way while at the same time trying to comfort her and keep all calm. At that time my husband was gone for work so it was quite a challenge. After the whole stint in hospital, we had to carry her around for the whole time while she was recovering as she could not mobilize with crutches (too young ). In the end, she got so frustrated and she started to bum-shuffle, which was hilarious. :-) I found her one day trying to water my pots outside while still shuffling on her hands and buttocks, dragging the hose behind her :-) :-) :-) At least it is a bit easier this time around (that is, after surgery and the visits to the wound care nurse to clean the finger), and I know she is getting better the moment she starts watering the garden, which she has :-). She has a great affinity for soil and dirt and I must just try to keep her away in order to keep the finger clean until it has healed appropriately. Easier said than done :-) Moses and Lisa, I had a good laugh about your initial confusion about the word "kraal" My apologies! One tends to forget that local vernacular is not always known internationally. But well done on your investigations! Lisa, If I remember correctly you also have some Dutch heritage? I initially thought "kraal" might have had its origins in Dutch (where Afrikaans originated) but after reading your posts it struck me that the word might have come from the Koisan or other indigenous African languages - it indeed refers to an enclosure for cattle although, in centuries past, I think it was also used to refer to an area where groups of dwellings of particular tribes were constructed in a circular pattern which were then closed off with thorny branches etc. in order to keep wild animals out. We have so many languages over here and we all eventually "borrow" words from each other so "kraal" is an accepted English word here as it is in Afrikaans (our home language) and several other languages as well :-). One tends to forget that it is not necessarily known internationally. Moses, I think our mushroom compost might be similar to yours although I believe (I stand to be corrected) that we use coir peat instead of peat moss, which is not such a sustainable resource over here. We also have mushroom growers, possibly in greenhouses? They are readily available in our supermarkets although prices can be slightly more expensive at times. I used peat moss for my roses the previous time I amended some garden beds but was not satisfied with the soil quality a year later, that's why I considered the "kraal manure" Thanks to all of you I think I might get the recipe better this time. I really can't wait to get all my roses in the ground. The previous time was a bit easier as I had to start from scratch so I could design everything as I wanted. This time we have moved into a much bigger but older house with a large established garden (although not a single rose apart from 5 iceberg tree roses (we call them standard roses) at the gate. There are many trees providing lots of shade and it is a bit more daunting to think what must be moved / removed/ altered as there is already a basic plan and I don't want to simply redo the whole place right now. :-)