Bunny Honey: Using Rabbit Manure as a Fertilizer

although additional light after they sprout can substitute for some cold.

Once the lily bulbs sprout, they are closely monitored by growers in order to time them for Easter. This can be difficult, as Easter can vary from March 22 to April 25. Temperature is used to speed up or slow down the crop. As each plant can respond a bit differently, many plants traditionally have been moved back and forth between warm and cold greenhouses, so are sometimes called a “wheelbarrow crop.” Growers track growth using such techniques as “leaf counting” in which rate of leaf unfolding is recorded.

When buying a lily, look for a plant with flowers in various stages of bloom from buds to open or partially opened flowers. Foliage should be dense, rich green in color, and extend all the way down to the soil line (a good indication of a healthy root system). Look for a well proportioned plant, one that is about two times as high as the pot. You also should check the flowers, foliage, and buds for signs of yellowing (improper culture), insects, or disease.

At home, keep your lily away from drafts and drying heat sources such as wood stoves or heating ducts. Bright, indirect light is best with daytime temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees (F). Water the plant only when the soil feels dry to the touch, but don’t overwater. If the pot is in foil, make sure water doesn’t collect and remain in the foil; this will keep the soil too wet.

To prolong the life of the blossoms, remove the yellow anthers (pollen-bearing pods) found in the center of each flower. If you get this staining pollen on fabrics, don’t rub it off, but remove it with sticky tape.

If you have cats, especially those that like to chew on leaves, keep your lily away from them. Any part of this lily, as with many of its lily relatives, can cause kidney failure in cats. Eating even one leaf can be fatal to a cat with them stopping eating, vomiting, and becoming lethargic. If you think a cat has eaten a leaf, call a veterinarian immediately as prompt treatment often can be successful.

It’s difficult to get an Easter lily to rebloom indoors without repotting and special care over several years. If you live in a zone 6 area or warmer (0 to -10 degrees average winter minimum), perhaps even a protected location in a colder zone 5 site, you might get your plant to overwinter if planted outdoors after spring frosts. If so, they should provide you with summer blooms in a couple years, when they’re established and regain energy from their indoor forcing.

Looking for an organic, small round, pelleted form of fertilizer? Consider using fresh rabbit manure.

Are you looking for an organic, small round, pelleted form of fertilizer? Look no further than a pet rabbit or two. Fresh rabbit manure is approximately 2 percent nitrogen, 1 percent phosphorus and 1 percent potassium. Use it fresh, straight from under the hutch. It does not burn plants. Use the pellets to topdress your lawn, mulch roses, vegetables, flower beds and ornamental plantings, or supercharge your compost pile and create an earthworm heaven.

One Michigan 4-H'er has had a booming business selling his “bunny honey.” As a young entrepreneur, Jack has found a way to cash in on what many would consider a waste product. Jack knew some gardeners that wanted a natural fertilizer. He also wanted to make a little money to help pay for the rabbit feed for his 4-H rabbit project. Bunny honey was the answer.

“Feeding my rabbits costs money. Selling their manure to help make gardens grow just makes sense. I get coffee cans, ice cream pails and buckets to fill and sell the bunny honey. It helps to cover my feed costs,” said Jack. “Your garden will grow better with bunny honey from the hoppin' hotel!”

(Continued on page 6)

texture, or pH, there are plants available that will thrive in those conditions. 2. What is the drainage like? Do a simple perk test by digging to the depth of the planting hole. Fill the hole with water. Drainage of one inch per hour is good. If drainage is slow, choose water loving plants. 3. Look for microclimates. Planted areas near pavement will be warmer and require more water. If you are planting next to a building with a southern exposure, heat may be reflected back onto the plants. Prevailing winds will make certain areas colder. 4. How much sun does the site receive? Look for shading from buildings or trees. (Keep in mind that all of those bare trees will be covered with leaves!) Also, look at the sun’s direction. South facing sites receive the most sun, west is next, and then east-north gets the least amount of sun. 5. Look up. If you are planting near electrical wires, use species that are less than 25 feet tall at maturity. If you are planting near a building, keep in mind the mature size of the plant. Make sure it won’t eventually block doors or windows. Plant far enough away from the foundation to accommodate for lateral growth. Also, plants can be damaged by too much water or snow from above, depending on the position of eaves, roof angles, or the absence of gutters. 6. Look down. Don’t plant over underground utilities.

Although you won’t dig deep enough to disturb them, if any work needs to be done in the future, you will probably loose the entire planting. 7. Are there any wildlife problems? Protective wire collars can be placed around tree trunks to keep away rabbits and mice. Deer, of course, are a bigger problem. There are species of plants that deer tend to avoid when browsing. If you have a deer problem, planting species that are less palatable to deer will save you a lot of frustration!

Now that you have done all of the above, it may be time to actually head to the nursery and pick out some plant materials. Here are some things to keep in mind and ask about before you open that wallet:

1. Where did the nursery stock originate? The closer to home, the better. Stock raised in southern locations may not be inherently hardy to our area. 2. Purchase plants that are zoned for your area. Plants that are tagged ‘zone 4’ or, ‘hardy to minus 30 degrees’ will do well in all of Warren County. 3. Stick with native species as much as possible—they grow here for a reason! 4. If available, try to purchase varieties that are disease or insect resistant. 5. Vary the types of plants. You may love maples, but the entire planting could be wiped out by a single disease or insect. (Think of the American elm!) For large plantings, choose plants from several different plant families.

Ask questions! At Cooperative Extension we can assist you in making wise landscape choices. Remember: Plants are available that will tolerate the conditions present at your planting site. You don’t need to change the site to accommodate the plants—match the plants to your site.

(Continued from page 5)

Here are a few facts about rabbit manure: • Rabbit manure has four times more nutrients than cow or horse manure and is twice as rich as chicken manure. Cow, horse and chicken manure are considered “hot” and need to be composted (well-rotted) to use as fertilizers. • One of the best things about rabbit manure is it doesn’t need to be composted. • Rabbit manure is organic matter and improves poor soil structure, drainage and moisture retention. • It improves the life cycle of microorganisms in the soil. • Worms love rabbit manure. • It is not as smelly as other manures and is easy to handle. • One doe and her offspring can produce a ton of manure in one year. That’s a lot of bunny honey. • Rabbit manure is packed with nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, minerals and micronutrients. • It contains beneficial trace elements such as calcium, magnesium, boron, zinc, manganese, sulfur, copper and cobalt, just to name a few. • Nitrogen (N). Rabbit manure is higher in nitrogen than sheep, goat, chicken, cow or horse manure.

Plants need nitrogen to produce strong green growth. • Phosphorus (P). Rabbit manure is also higher in phosphorus than the other manures. It helps with the transformation of solar energy to chemical energy.

Phosphorus also helps plants to withstand stress and contributes to more and bigger blossoms, and is great for root growth. • Potassium (K). Potassium helps with fruit quality and reducing disease; plants will not grow without it.