Poultry manure is one of the best organic fertilizers that enhances favorable biological processes in the soil. Properly prepared chicken manure can be used as a top dressing and / or fertilizer for potatoes at different stages of development. We will look at 3 main methods of applying it safely to the soil.
The main effect of chicken droppings is to enhance the activity of plant photosynthesis, which contributes to their growth (increase in tops). However, droppings have little effect on the formation of tubers, therefore, depending on the soil, other fertilizers are required for potatoes. The excrement of other poultry, such as ducks and geese, is more watery and less effective.
Chicken manure contains a lot of nitrogen, which, in excess, harms plants and makes potatoes tasteless, so this fertilizer should not be overused.
Benefits of chicken manure in potato growing:
- contains 6 times more phosphorus and 4 times more nitrogen than ordinary manure;
- accelerates ripening by 5-7 days;
- increases yield by 10-20%;
- increases the resistance of potato bushes to late blight and other fungal diseases (scab, rot);
- helps plants to tolerate drought;
- prevents moldy soil;
- normalizes the acidity of the soil;
- nutrients are readily soluble in water and are available to potato bushes immediately or after the first rain;
- the litter has an effect for 3 years, actively promotes growth in the first season.
1. Top dressing. Fresh chicken manure promotes intensive growth of potato tops and can be used to feed young plants 1 time per season, while the bushes are below 15-20 cm. Feeding tall plants is impractical, since it practically does not affect the size of tubers.
Attention! Fresh concentrated droppings burn potatoes and must be diluted with water.
Technology: dilute the droppings with water in a ratio of 1:10 (ten parts of water for one part of the droppings), insist the resulting mixture for 2-3 days in a warm place. Use 1 liter of solution for watering one bush, pouring top dressing into the aisles in the morning or evening, when there is no heat. You can water the potatoes at the root, but then the solution should be weaker – 1:15 (in color like light tea).
The main thing is not to make the fertilizer too concentrated.
2. Fertilizing the soil. Chicken manure compost is one of the best fertilizers for potatoes, which is applied for plowing in the fall or spring. When laying in a compost pit, every 5 cm of a layer of bird droppings, 20 cm of plant residues (or peat) and 10 cm of soil are poured. If the mass is dry, add water.
The fertilizer will be ready in a few months. Cover the compost heap with foil to prevent it from smelling. As a result, the temperature inside the heap will rise, which will speed up the maturation of the compost.
To fertilize one hundred square meters for growing potatoes, it is enough to evenly apply 50-70 kg of chicken compost before plowing (preferably in the fall, so that fungi and bacteria die in winter from frost). Litter acts for 3 years, evenly saturating the soil with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
3. Fertilizer when planting. For this purpose, dry chicken manure is used – a highly concentrated fertilizer in granular or powder form, from which moisture is removed. Main advantages: disinfection, odorless, ease of use and long-term storage.
Litter in granules is the most practical
Dry bird droppings should only be used according to the instructions on the label, if the dosage is incorrect, there is a risk of burning the plants.
In most cases, when planting under potatoes, 1-2 tablespoons of dry bird (chicken) manure, thoroughly mixed with the soil, are introduced into the hole.
