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Marion,IN

I've done a site search on rabbit manure. There was a lot of info but not really an answer that everyone agreed with. Some said use it fresh, others said to give it some time to break down, I'm confused. If I get rabbit manure fresh from this week, how soon can I use it on the pumpkins?

Mark G.

4/26/2007 3:26:15 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Depends how much you can get at one time. A friend of ours daughter has 1 rabbit and does not put out a whole ton of dung so she collects it in a bucket till the bucket is full then I throw it into my patch...works for me.

I guess if you were talking about adding a yard of it to a 1000 sq. ft. patch, it should be composted first.

4/26/2007 10:08:13 PM

Marion,IN

The lady said can supply me with 2- 5 gallon buckets a week. Is it ok to put it on as long as I spread it around? My patch is 1974 sq. ft.

Mark

4/27/2007 8:10:25 AM

Ontario, Canada.

Mark, Rabbit is good stuff but should never be used fresh! The nitrogen in it will cause wild top growth and result in poor fruit set and the ones that do set will blow up, I've been there and done that.

4/27/2007 8:23:44 AM

Marion,IN

Thanks to all who answered, I'll get the maure, just won't use it this year.

Mark

4/27/2007 10:45:55 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Now I disagree with what russ says...Rabbit Poop
Has a Nutrient Content of 1.3% N, .9% P, 1.0% K This makes it a pretty well balanced fertilizer. Rabbit manure is also a Cold manure meaning if applied sparingly it will not burn the plants. Rabbit manure also happens to have very little weed seeds. My Rabbits produce 5 gallons a week and we use this in the Vegetable Garden. Throwing in between the rows. Then shallow incorporation. It is also excellent composted..But I do not feel it is needed. Unless you like moving things twice.

4/27/2007 12:11:59 PM

Marion,IN

OK, now I'm confused again.

4/27/2007 1:05:29 PM

southwest MO

Give the lady a bale of peatmoss to put under the cages... This will help absorb the urine and hold the ammonia. The rabbit urine is very high in salt(hot) and high in N. Add some lime if your worried about ph. But go easy that will drive off the ammonia. I would pile and compost this material.
All animal manures vary greatly in there nutr. analysis due to many variables i.e. bedding, diet, age of manure, sampling procedure, etc...Not to mention test methods. Just know that rabbit manure is a great organic amendment. Composting will reduce fecal coliform levels. Get it over 130 f for a while. Goooood stuff...

4/27/2007 4:03:17 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Mark, Its not really the amount of Nitrogen I would be concerned with. Shannon's analogy is somewhat correct but I differ on a critical point. Fresh R contains N in the ammonium form and this is culprit you don't need in large quantities. The ammonium ions will grow great salad and also compete with calcium and boron ions. This will cause the plants to grow wildly while at the same time having a restricted uptake of the two very vital fruit forming components.

4/27/2007 9:57:32 PM

Ontario, Canada.

The ammonium cation is a positively charged cation of the chemical formula NH4+.

Ca2+ ions are an essential component of plant cell walls and cell membranes.

These two positives will add up to a negative fruit if you have too much NH4+. This is one of the primary causes of split fruit! The science is out there....

4/27/2007 10:17:48 PM

Ontario, Canada.

A brief trip down the Calcium highway oftens helps us undertsand the complex problem which often occurs in our patches.

"Rapid, vegetative growth due to excessive soil applied ammonium or nitrate nitrogen fertilization can cause fruit splits. These forms of nitrogen do enhance growth, photosynthesis and fruit quality. However the ammonium ions compete with calcium and significantly restrict its uptake. AGP plants have evolved for years in environments that normally contained less than 5% OM. Plenty of nitrogen is usually available for plant uptake in most of today’s patches containing levels in excess of 10% or more. High patch concentrations of OM and the sudden influx of ammonium nitrates by release of decaying beneficial micro organisms accelerate the release of competing cations of ammonium. This condition begins to hasten green growth and reduce Ca uptake as the soil warms. Avoid fertilization of ammonia-cal forms during and prior to fruiting stages. Calcium nitrate or calcium chealated supplements with a soluble nitrogen sources high in nitrate nitrogen should be used in only small quantities to the root zone by drip irrigation at low strengths or eliminated entirely. If desired ammonium nitrogen should be used foliar at low rates only."

Russ Landry, GVGO winter article 2007.

4/27/2007 10:31:32 PM

southwest MO

Greeeaaaaatttt Post Thanks Russ

Lots of things to experiment with indeed...

4/29/2007 1:56:12 PM

Pataskala,OH

mooo

5/15/2007 3:16:56 PM