How to Make Cow Dung Fertilizer for Plants
Updated: Jan 22, 2022
Plants are fed by different fertilizers to maintain the soil’s nutrients and minerals level. After a certain time, when the crop has grown suitably the quality and nutrients level of soil starts depleting. By adding fertilizers, productivity of crops can be increased and improved.
Fertilizers improve the texture of soil and allow it to hold the water for longer duration. We have a complete array of organic fertilizers available in the market, plus they can be easily produced at home also.
Cow dung fertilizer is an organic fertilizer. It can be made at home easily. It has all the nitty- gritty components required by the plants to grow perfectly. By using cow dung the quality of the soil is maintained and it boost the plant growth.
Cow dung cannot be added directly to the plant’s soil because it contains massive amount of ammonia and salt that can heat up the soil. Wet cow dung also should not be added directly otherwise bacteria's would grow inside the soil which can damage the plant.
In this post we will discuss all the benefits, making of cow dung and precautions need to be followed while using this fertilizer.
Benefits of Cow Dung Fertilizer
● Cow dung fertilizer is rich in organic matter that helps in improving aeration and breaking down compacted soil.
●All the elements like nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sulphur, iron, manganese, copper and zinc etc. are found in small amounts in cow dung fertilizer. All these ingredients are key for the full-fledged growth of the plants.
●This fertilizer maintains the soil moisture accurately and it is a habitat for earthworms also. Earthworms do the loosening of the soil without affecting the plant and its growth.
● In 1 gram cow dung fertilizer 300-500 crore microorganisms are present which makes soil fertile.
● It increases the water holding and water absorption capacity of the soil.
● It improves the structure of heavy clay soils and light sandy soils.
Why should we decompose Cow Dung?
Cow dung needs to be decomposed completely before adding it into the soil. When cows eat grass, chapattis or anything else, it has carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, fibres or fats. All these nutrients go inside the stomach of cows, some of them get digested by the intestine but some of them do not get digested completely and come out as it is along with dung. So, the fresh cow dung has fats, carbohydrates, proteins and other nutrients and if it is given directly without decomposing it will harm the plants and soil.
Roots can only absorb carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and sulphur. So, fresh cow dung cannot be used as fertilizer. Let us start with the process of making cow dung fertilizer.
How to Make Cow Dung Liquid Fertilizer at Home?
The process of making Cow Dung Liquid Fertilizer at home is as follows:
● Disintegrate cow dung in small - small pieces.
● Add water and cow dung should be completely drenched in water. Mix it properly with any stick.
● Cover the container and keep it in a shaded area.
● After 3 days, you will see a dark brown coloured solution. Mix it again with a stick. You can also add a handful of mustard cake in it ( it is optional).
● Now, for the next 2 months every 3rd day stir it with a stick.
● After 2 months, it will be fermented into dark brown coloured solution. Initially, some odour will come but in the final product there would be no smell.
● Liquid cow dung fertilizer is now ready but it is a very strong solution, it needs to be diluted before adding into the plants.
● Now, dilute 1 mug cow dung solution with 4 mugs of water (1:4 , cow dung solution : water) and liquid cow dung fertilizer is ready to use.
● This solution can be stored for 6 months.
Precautions Need to follow before Giving Liquid Fertilizer to the Plants
● When soil is dry, then only add this fertilizer to the plants.
● Maintain space from the stems otherwise if the solution falls on the stem then it might damage the stems.
● You can give it to the plants twice in a month but give light solution. In small pots 1 mug and in big pots 2 mugs are preferred.
This was all about “Liquid Cow Dung Fertilizer”.
Enjoy Planting !!