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Alpaca manure is the best fertilizer for both vegetable, flower gardens and even house plants. It's lower in organic matter than manure from other farm animals, but still has enough to improve soil texture and water-holding capacity. This lower organic content allows alpaca manure to be spread directly onto plants without burning them. It is the decomposition of organic matter content of the manure that indicates their efficient digestive system. The alpaca's 3-stomach digestive system processes food so efficiently seeds do not survive to become weeds in your garden, as with cow or horse manure. It also has comparatively high levels of nitrogen and potassium which are major plant nutrients and part of the well-known N-P-K indicator on fertilizer bags, and an indication of good fertilizer value.
Don't be misled by the N-P-K numbers that suggest manure is less powerful than chemicals. The values of manure and organic fertilizers in general, are often based on the relative amount of nitrogen (N), phosphoric acid (P) and potash (K) they contain. While these are important elements, it is misleading to make a direct comparison between farm manures and chemical fertilizers on the basis of the relative amounts of N-P-K.
A herd of alpacas consolidates its waste in one or two spots in the pasture, thereby controlling the spread of parasites and making it easier to collect and compost their fertilizer. This manure is also sometimes called "alpaca gold". The fact that alpaca waste is a great recyclable product is another earth-friendly aspect of alpaca farming.
Alpaca manure has a very low odor, practically none which makes it a fantastic fertilizer to work with. Good soil health will reduce disease and pest problems and keep your plants happy and healthy throughout the year. Our alpacas are raised naturally with no artificial chemicals or additives in their grass or feed. They are kept free of parasites and healthy all year round.
Multiple uses for alpaca beans
- Use Alpaca beans safely on your houseplants, just spoon a little into the soil, and the fertilizer will gradually release as you water. It is odorless and harmless to pets.
- Sprinkle some Alpaca beans around your plants or trees, mix with a little dirt and every time you water your plants you are fertilizing them at the same time.
- For seedlings, use alpaca tea. Mix 1/3 cup alpaca pellets with 2/3 cup of water and let it sit from 5-12 hours. Within 24 hours of the first application, you will begin to see the difference in your seedling. Alpaca tea appears to be an effective deer repellent also! Deer do not like the smell.
- When transplanting house plants, mix it in with your potting soil.
- Alpaca beans are great for delicate plants and terrific for soil health. Adding it to your garden or lawn can help reduce disease and pest problems.
The chart below shows how alpaca manure compares to other common manures.
Manure |
Chicken |
Diary cow |
Horse |
Steer |
Sheep |
Alpaca |
N-P-K |
1.1 .80 .50 |
.25 .15 .25 |
.70 .30 .60 |
.70 .30 .40 |
.70 .30 .90 |
1.5 0.2 1.1 |
Chicken manure
Poultry manure (chicken in particular) is the richest animal manure in N-P-K. Chicken manure is considered "hot" and must be composted before adding it to the garden. Otherwise, it will burn any plants it comes in contact with.
Dairy (cow) manure
"Dairy Manure may be the single most useful soil-builder around. Washed dairy manure from healthy cows is just about perfect for garden use; it can be used as a topdressing and for soil improvement. Dairy manure is preferable to steer manure, which has a higher salt and weed seed content. Though cow manure has low nutrient numbers, that's what makes it safe to use in unlimited quantities.
Horse manure
Horse manure is about half as rich as chicken manure, but richer in nitrogen than cow manure. And, like chicken droppings, it's considered "hot". Horse manure often contains a lot of weed seeds, which means it's a good idea to compost it using a hot composting method.
Steer manure
Steer manure is one of the old standbys, but it's not the most beloved because it often contains unwanted salts and weed seeds.
Sheep manure
Sheep manure is another "hot" manure. It is somewhat dry and very rich. Manure from sheep fed hay and grain will be more potent than manure from animals that live on pasture.
Happy growing. Do your own test so you can see for yourself why we call it "alpaca gold".
Please contact for further information.
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