Question
hi,.melissa i am planning to manure my apple trees with sheep manure,can you tell me what quantity is recommended for a tree,and what does sheep manure contain as regards other manure

Answer
Dear Vivek, Sorry it took me a bit longer than I meant, but I have been moving into a small house this week.  Anyway, the sheep manure would be an excellent choice to manure your apple trees.  Sheep manure has many benefits: it is low in nitrogen which can make apples susceptible to fire blight and other diseases, but it is very high in phosphorus and potassium (the P and K in the fertilizer) which will give you more and better apples.  It is also less expensive compared with other manures.  One of the biggest "problems" with it is that sheep manure often has a lot of weed seeds in it, but since you are using this under apple trees, I don't think that will be a problem at all.  If you were using it in vegetable beds, it could make things difficult, but you can easily weed under the apples.  Now the rate at which to apply it:  I would put on the same amount as using horse manure, which would be about 90 lbs a year, or about 3 1/2 4 gallon buckets or about 44 liters per tree.  By the way, I will be getting settled in my home soon, and then I will get together everything I can on apple growing.  I am serious when I say that I want you to have a wonderful crop of apples this year.  How many trees do you have, how old are the trees and what kind are they?  I hope this information is helpful and I look forward to hearing from you soon.  Melissa