Credit and Thanks to Robin Benton and her 4H students who assembled this informational paper. From “High Desert Organic Gardening” Llama manure is lower in organic matter content than manures of most other barnyard livestock (like cows, horses and sheep)--but it still has plenty to improve soil texture and water-holding capacity. This lower organic content allows llama manure to be spread directly onto plants without fear of 'burning' them. It is the decomposition of organic matter which produces the heat that can damage plant roots. Compared to the other barnyard animals, the nitrogen and potassium content of llama droppings is comparatively high--an indication of good fertilizer value. (Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are the major plant nutrients; they are the familiar N-P-K on fertilizer bags.) Phosphorus is relatively low--but it is low in most other livestock manure as well. Calcium and magnesium content is about average. Salinity is not too high but it is high enough that one should not apply llama poop directly onto seedlings or improperly mix it into the soil. Overall, llama manure is a great organic fertilizer. Of course, organic fertilizers are usually lower in nutrient content than synthetic fertilizers-so more needs to be applied to get the same amount of nutrients. For example, llama manure would be about 1.5-0.2-1.1 versus the 20-10-5 of synthetic fertilizer. Apply about 13 times as much llama manure to get the same amount of nitrogen. Llama beans can be used directly in your garden without danger of burning plants. If the beans aren't kept moist they will harden and form a white crust taking longer to break down. A favorite way to store them is to moisten them (damp not dripping, like you do compost) and keep them well covered. During the first couple of days check and remoisten if needed (it will depend on how dry they are when you start this process). In something over a month the beans will break down and look like moist rich peat moss, ready to amend your garden. This allows you to have yours ready to go instead of having to wait during spring or fall planting preparation, when increased demand causes supply to be lower. Another option is to till the beans into your soil in the fall and they’ll be broken down into the soil with winter rains and snow, read for spring!
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AuthorLynda Liptak is the founder of Llamas del Sol and is dedicated to sharing the awesomeness of llamas. She has only owned llamas since February 2009 but it has been a very in-depth involvement. Lynda and her family have four wonderful trekking llamas with very different personalities. Lynda has been studying camelid dynamics since the start of her llama adventures and is an active member of Marty McGee's Camelidynamics Forum. She has completed the Basics Clinic (three times!) to include the shearing course, medication administering, and has hosted the Camelidynamics Basic training at the Llamas del Sol ranch. She is a past ski-instructor certified by the Professional Ski Instructors of America and an Emergency Medical Technician - Basic. She is also holds a masters degree in operations research from the Colorado School of Mines and works part time at Applied Research Associates, inc. as a scientist. Archives
September 2023
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