Home Improvement

Best Time to Apply Manure to Flower Garden

10 August 2025 - By 

So, you’re thinking about using manure in your flower garden? Excellent choice! Manure can be a fantastic soil amendment, providing essential nutrients and improving soil structure. But timing is everything. Applying it at the wrong time can lead to problems like nutrient burn or unpleasant odors. Let’s dive into the best times to spread that good stuff and keep your flowers happy and healthy. We’ll cover everything from the best seasons to consider to the types of manure that are most beneficial. Get ready to get your hands dirty!

Best Time to Apply Manure to Flower Garden: Fall is Fantastic

Fall is often considered the ideal time to apply manure to your flower garden. Why? Because it gives the manure plenty of time to break down over the winter months. This decomposition process releases nutrients slowly, making them readily available to your plants in the spring. Plus, the freezing and thawing cycles of winter help to further break down the manure, improving soil structure.

Tip: Applying manure in the fall also helps to suppress weeds by smothering weed seeds and preventing them from germinating.

Preparing Your Flower Garden for Fall Manure Application

Before you spread that manure, do a little prep work. Remove any dead or dying plant material. This will prevent diseases from overwintering in your garden. You can also lightly till or loosen the soil to help the manure incorporate more easily.

  • Remove dead plant debris.
  • Loosen the soil surface.
  • Spread manure evenly.

Spring Application of Manure to Flower Garden: Proceed with Caution

While fall is generally preferred, you can apply manure in the spring. However, there are a few things to keep in mind; Fresh manure can be too “hot” and burn delicate seedlings. Therefore, it’s crucial to use well-composted manure in the spring. Composting reduces the nitrogen content and makes the manure safer for your plants.

Choosing the Right Manure for Spring Application in Your Flower Garden

If you’re applying manure in the spring, opt for well-rotted or composted manure. Chicken manure, in particular, is very potent and needs to be thoroughly composted before use. Horse and cow manure are generally milder, but still benefit from composting.

  • Composted Chicken Manure: High in nutrients, use sparingly.
  • Composted Horse Manure: Good all-around choice.
  • Composted Cow Manure: Another good option, readily available.

Interesting Fact: Manure not only fertilizes your plants but also improves soil drainage and water retention!

Avoiding Summer Manure Application in Your Flower Garden

Summer is generally not the best time to apply manure to your flower garden. The heat can accelerate decomposition, leading to strong odors. Plus, actively growing plants may be more susceptible to nutrient burn if the manure is too fresh. Are you really going to want that smell wafting through your yard during a summer barbecue? Probably not!

Exceptions to the Rule: Side-Dressing with Composted Manure

There are exceptions, of course. You can side-dress established plants with well-composted manure during the summer. Side-dressing involves applying a small amount of composted manure around the base of your plants. This provides a slow-release source of nutrients without overwhelming them.