Fertilizer

Chicken compost smells like sh-t.

There's a source hiding 'neath our ( pet owners', that is) noses:



Waste not, want not.

Best to make compost for your plants from vegetables waste matter.

Don't neglect mineral supplements.

That is absolutely the case. We grew asparagus when I was a child, and we added calcium to the patch every year. No amount of compost, even with egg shells in it will supply that need.

I have a simple design for a compost pile. Simply dig a hole as big as your needs. Put all your compostable material in the hole occasionally adding a little soil to inoculate. After about 6 months or so I pile it up with dead leaves or weeds depending on the season. Then I retire that one and dig another hole right next to it. After 6 more months I dig the composted soil out of the original hole and spread it.

compost (xcept manures) are usually mild an worth the work. Manures are like any chemical, apply after soil testing. Dont just DUMP it over the garden (or in my case , the fields). Many manures are high in one or more of the components and Nitrogen, usually staring out as ammonia or nitrites will quickly denitrify and convert to nitrates and flow to the water table and cause problems. P and K will usually sit and be taken up by plants unless too much is added(Too much K will raise the pH a lot and make clay out of the formerly tilthy soil. P will form all kinds of non-conservative salts. SO, soil testing isnt just a good idea, its necessary.

Having my fields "nutrient mapped" by a soil scientist saves me money nd more than pays for itself. When I bought this farm almost 30 yers ago, the fields were spent an crop yields were supported by over dumping of horse, pig, an cow manures. SInce then, Ive been managing nutrients by a good sense program and my yields have gone way up (For everything except alfalfa and hard wheats since we are a humid area and great alfalfa is grown in really dry areas where the stuff is irrigated in 160 A rounds.

Micronutrients are very important too. We manage and map our Mo an Se. Se is a micronutrient that lambs need to help them when they are first born. Sheep in our area can bring lambs with "white muscle disease" where the lambs cant stand up and can often dies if Selenium isnt dosed to them.
Also, Copper must be managed.

we have a huge asparagus patch and every 5 years or so, I spread limestone chunks and epsom salts to the base of the plants around this time of year. We used to wait till we had a heavy snow and then Id take a spreasder and drive a ton or two of Limestone pellets and epsom on the areas where the plants are. Tomatoes are like that too but they need mostly magnesium So most limestones provide both (Except cement limestones)