Quote:
Originally Posted by clkingtx
A question: Wouldn't the two theoretically balance each other out? If the chicken manure is fresh, and hot-meaning high in nitrogen; and the sawdust will rob nitrogen from the soil....it seems like they would balance each other out and make a good top dressing or even to mix into the soil. That seems like a great arrangement, even if you have to let it age first, you will have lots of free fertilizer!
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Quite true. Of course,probably very dependent on exact ratio.
I have put mostly fresh chicken poo with not a lot of shavings directly on the corn and amaranth before with great results but I used it as a top dressing in about the same quality as actual fertilizer. I wouldn't ever mix it into to the soil,especially in large quantities until it's well aged.
I've also used straight fresh shavings for mulch without issue. I've read the nitrogen robbing is really just an issue when fresh shavings are tilled into the soil. When I was in AZ I would put about 10-12" around the peppers every spring and by fall it would be broken down with the worms turning it under. They were in a no-till part of my garden since my peppers and eggplants would survive the winter and almost never need replanting.