Composting question...

[MichelleT]

I have been composting for ages using kitchen scraps, dried leaves, etc. This last fall we acquired five hens and I have been adding their poop to the compost pile as well. Recently (about three weeks ago) I dug in some of this compost into my garden beds. Now, after reading up about aging chicken manure, I'm wondering did I do this too soon? Am I in danger of either a) burning anything I plant now or b) transmitting any bacteria or disease to my new plants? I would say the compost I added was probably 80% to 90% regular (kitchen scraps/leaves) and 10% to 20% chicken manure.

i'd like to plant some beet seeds and lettuce seedlings. Thoughts?

 

[LI chickie]

I've always put lime on my horse manure I would think the same for chicken poop to reduce acidity

 

[Den in Penn]

Straight poop might be a problem. Since it was mixed in compost not so much. The recommended wait from spreading to harvest is six months. To lessen the chances of bacteria contamination. Again with it being mixed in the compost the nitrogen is lowered to a more reasonable level. Liming it might not be a bad idea. But if you could, check to see what the acid level is in your soil. I use a two pile compost system one for this year use and another for the fresh material for next year's.

 

[aart]

...or you could 'HOT' compost it with the proper amount of browns and get it up to 150-160F to kill bacteria.

 

[MichelleT]

Thanks. My question is not so much about what to do with the manure that I still have as much as what to do about the areas that I have already planted with vegetables. I don't think that I am going to risk feeding the root vegetables to my family. But at least I can use the leaves to give back to the chickens. At least it's not a complete loss. Everything I have planted in that space is doing well (no "burning " ) so I will just plant tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers there in a month or so.

Thanks for your expertise and the resources!

 

[Mrs. K]

If things are not burning, but growing just fine, I am thinking that there was a great deal of soil to a little bit of compost. Which is how I do it.

As for not eating the vegetables, just wash them well. They will be fine. There is numerous bacteria in any healthy soil. However, it is easily washed off the food, it does not grow inside the food.

Mrs K

 

[Naser]

I would just use the vegetables as usual. there is nothing especially harmful about chickens manure. otherwise most of us would be dead by now. just wash the vegetables before you eat them and that will be enough
In the fields vegetables are exposed to all kind of dogs' , cats' and wild birds droppings and urine and we eat them. in the supermarkets vegetables are picked and handled by people who carry more nasty bacteria
That is why we wash vegetables before we eat them.

 

[RonP]

Your biggest concern with chicken manure is that it is considered "hot".

High nitrogen content.

If your plants survive, you should be just fine.

Too high a nitrogen content will "burn" the plant, thus "hot"...

 

[MichelleT]

Thanks Everyone! Makes complete sense...