I am going to help a friend get an outdoor garden going in an area that used to be a goat pen. No more goats, so we can forego that obvious threat to plants. It seems like a perfect place. The ph test I did, shows 7.5. Makes perfect sense based on the information I have read.
If I dig holes, or just mix in my living soil to add some micronutrients and aeration, do I just need to use some sulfer in the surrounding area for ph balance? Please give me some ideas overgrow.
I would just till it up and go with it unless plants start showing some kind of deficiencies I wouldn’t worry to much
I’ve used guano teas and topdressing I’ve also not used anything with fine results
As far as aeration goes I would do this prior but would really just till it up
Growing cannabis in an old goat pen is a great idea!
How long was it a goat pen and how long since goats have been there? How much crap are we talking about here?
Goat manure is not considered “hot” the same way chicken or cow manure is and may be used right away, without composting. It also has ample amounts of macro/micro nutrients to sustain cannabis plants throughout their life cycle. There’s enough sulfur in their droppings that it shouldn’t need to be amended… especially if there were goats in that pen for a few years. Soil has natural buffers in it, so pH issues should not be a problem.
When I was growing up, we had a small family farm and raised many different types of animals for food… goats were one of them. We drank goats milk too… it’s much better than cows milk.
Anyway, when I was around 17/18 years old, we weren’t raising goats any longer, so I planted some brickweed bagseeds in a secluded corner of the goat pen and waited for them to germinate.
Once the seedlings emerged, all I had to do was water them, I never had to fertilize them or amend them with anything… just water and they grew into huge Christmas tree looking plants in no time. They averaged about 12’-13’ tall and just as wide.
The harvest was large and kept me in weed for close to a year. It looked, tasted and worked much better than the seeded brick I got the seeds from.
This will be an easy grow for you!
I’m not much of an advocate for soil disturbance myself why destroy fungal Colonies and earth worm tunnels soil Biology and all the other good stuff in the soil … over time continuous tilling creates a compaction layer that can create anaerobic conditions at 12 inches deep or so . Dig a hole big enough for your root ball and go ! I’ll bet you have some tip top shape soil already very little amendments are probably not needed at all.
It was a pen for at least 5 years, so it should have a good layer. Well, that is great news then. I’m just gonna drop some in the ground and let them go. Thanks all. Personally, I have rabbits, so that is what I add to my living soil. All advice appreciated!!
I was just going to mention rabbit shit as well … another good source doesn’t need composted either .
Rabbit poo is awesome. I took my leftover living soil and made a strawberry bed out of it. This was also my winter rabbit pen spot. Though some of this strawberrys died being under the rabbits, once I cleared the excess poo, the remaining strawberrys look like Bruce banner got angry! They are monsters.
Rabbit manure can be used fresh, same as goat manure… both are cold manures and won’t burn plant roots.
@DesertGrown
Would it be safe to say Guinea pig poop is similar to Rabbit in that they can both be used fresh with out fear of plant damage ?
My daughter has just gotten one , wonder what they taste like lol
A quick Google says it is similar to rabbit. No composting needed. Keep in mind a good bacteria in your soil is a must for healthy organic gardening. Add a compost or worm castings tea to break down nutrients more quickly and make them available to your plants roots. It will also make your plants stronger and less prone to disease.
Edit: I wouldn’t taste the Guinea pig poop to find out what it tastes like, personally. 
Just a joke buddy.
Yes sir, like @Badger said, it won’t harm plants when used fresh. It holds pretty much the same nutrients as rabbit pellets do and breaks down fairly quickly.
If you’re planning on eating the Guinea pig, don’t name it… it makes killing it harder when you know their name. 
Lmao!
All i have is one word…LUCKY!! Afgans will do the best in there…fill’er up!
So, the ladies are in. My brother almost stepped on a copperhead whacking weeds, but emergency avoided. We will see how this goes.
My uncle almost lost his foot to a copperhead I kill them all
There a delicacy in South America lol as far as feeding them the ones I had LOVED green peppers
It still bother me that I could not find that damn thing to chop its head off. I did capture and save a black rat snake from their chicken coop though. I’m not a snake lover, but I detest mice and rats. If it is venomous and close to the house, it is a dead snake, if it is out in the middle of nowhere or harmless, I will leave it alone to the best of my ability.
It looks like they are living the broken down goat poo well so far. It’s not the greatest spot sun wise, but I think they look pretty good.
Looking good so far, what do you use for mulching? 
That is pine shavings. I know that more mulch is needed. I really need to get all the leaves pulled back over, but I have not been over there recently.I should have done it after we got them all planted. Live and learn.
Edit: Right now I’m trying to teach the lady watching them how to water. She wants to give them a little water twice a day. I’m trying to break that habit and get it back to more of a wet/ dry cycle. I sent an article to her, we will see if that helps. I can’t argue with how they look however.
