Can we talk horse manure? (growing, grass, strawberries, vegetable)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I started a raised bed vegetable garden a few years ago. I've been doing in place composting and adding a bit more garden soil each year. I started horseback riding recently and now have a 'source' for horse manure.
What is the best way to use this? My thought was to take some of the older stuff now and mix it in and let it sit this winter.
I've heard about burning and other things, but honestly don't really know the dangers. I'd also like to spread some in other beneficial areas. I have some perennials, a rose bush, strawberries and a newly planted apple tree. Would it be good to spread some those places as well?
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,551 posts, read 81,085,957 times
Reputation: 57750
We used to live near a stable that offered free manure (fresh) mixed with sawdust by the truckload. I would till it into the soil in fall, and plant the next spring with great results, 2-3 months is enough to compost it. I once planted strawberries in an area that had the fresh manure mixed in that same day and have never had a better crop of big juicy berries. Some plants are more sensitive to root burning than others. Once composted, you can add it to the soil anytime, but mix it into the top few inches or a lot of the nutrients will just wash away in the rain.
txmg,
Fresh horse manure has to compost down before you can apply it freshly
to your plantings.
SO, to add it to a raised bed that is empty, and also add leaves too if you have
any, and then plant your plants after the danger of frost, in your area, would probably
be fabulous!
If you don't want to add it to your raised bed over the winter, you could pile it up in a corner,
and turn it over the winter, and it will be ready by spring.
Then you can distribute it wherever you want.
Or do both.
But FRESH hrose or cow manure must compost down, the buggies have to eat it,
and change it, while it isn't on your plants, to be the MOST beneficial for your plants.
Horse manure doesn't burn. There's sometimes so much bedding mixed in that it locks up nitrogen for a bit-- that's why it's a good idea to compost it first. I went to an interesting talk a few months ago, but I can't find the hand out on it.
The problem with horse manure is weeds. I didn't listen to some people who told me about that and worked in the horse manure on my asparagus bed, garlic, and a few other places this fall. We had a warm spell in late October and I was horrified to see grass growing. I really hope I don't see more weeds -- two other people use manure from the same source and neither of them mentioned this being an issue.
Like you, it makes sense to me to put it down this fall. Six months from now when I can finally plant again, it should be pretty decomposed.
Hmmm - I hadn't thought about the possibility of grass/weed seeds in it.
I could compost, but apparently I am really bad at it. I got one of those barrel type a couple of years ago and it still has leaves in it. I kept throwing kitchen scraps in, but apparently not enough for anything to decompose.
Maybe what I will do is take some manure and add it to my vegetable beds. If I mix it in now and let it sit all winter with snow and such it shouldn't leach away or be too fresh for spring planting. Those vegetable beds tend to get a fair number of weeds anyway. But I will hold off on strawberries and roses, since I've worked hard to minimize weeds in those spots. Then next summer I can add some manure to my 'refuse to compost' compost bin and see if I can at least get that moving.
Horse manure doesn't burn. There's sometimes so much bedding mixed in that it locks up nitrogen for a bit-- that's why it's a good idea to compost it first. I went to an interesting talk a few months ago, but I can't find the hand out on it.
The problem with horse manure is weeds. I didn't listen to some people who told me about that and worked in the horse manure on my asparagus bed, garlic, and a few other places this fall. We had a warm spell in late October and I was horrified to see grass growing. I really hope I don't see more weeds -- two other people use manure from the same source and neither of them mentioned this being an issue.
Like you, it makes sense to me to put it down this fall. Six months from now when I can finally plant again, it should be pretty decomposed.
I'm able to just go through the gate from my backyard into the pasture* to collect it by the wheelbarrow full so there is no bedding mixed in with it but I put it in the compost bins so that it will cook and hopefully kill off most (not all) of the weed and grass seeds if it gets hot enough.
txmg - if your compost isn't breaking down it may be too wet and compacted down with big leaves and not enough air or it may be too dry and needs water. Do you turn it at all to aerate it?
* Or sometimes Zugor the goat manages to break down a section of the fence and he and the horses all come right into the back yard. Then I have to scoop the poop right away or the dogs will have a feast on it.
Not a very good source of amendment to your garden soil, even when composted, if that's all you are putting down.
Horse manure typically has a high salts content which may be detrimental to your garden soil/production.
We used to sell our horse manure from a 60-stall boarding facility to a commercial compost processor and they liked to add it to their dairy manure. But it was at the rate of 60 lbs of cow manure to 1 lb of horse manure.
In any event, it is good practice to get your soil tested before adding any compost material (or fertilizer) so you know what your soil has or is lacking.
Hmmm - I hadn't thought about the possibility of grass/weed seeds in it.
I could compost, but apparently I am really bad at it. I got one of those barrel type a couple of years ago and it still has leaves in it. I kept throwing kitchen scraps in, but apparently not enough for anything to decompose.
Maybe what I will do is take some manure and add it to my vegetable beds. If I mix it in now and let it sit all winter with snow and such it shouldn't leach away or be too fresh for spring planting. Those vegetable beds tend to get a fair number of weeds anyway. But I will hold off on strawberries and roses, since I've worked hard to minimize weeds in those spots. Then next summer I can add some manure to my 'refuse to compost' compost bin and see if I can at least get that moving.
No compost bin can destroy weed seeds or pathogens, only a hot compost over 140º will do that. But a hot compost takes attention, it needs regular turning and adding of green matter for nitrogen and carbon and moisture for a dry compost will not heat up. Manure is a good source of nitrogen, as is alfalfa or clover hay, leaves, straw and wood shavings make good carbon. Start with a layer of straw about 4 inches thick, sprinkle with water, a layer of green, layer of carbon, water, green and on till the heap is at least 3 feet tall by 3 feet wide. Let sit for no longer then 3 days, then rotate the heap by moving it to one side, adding some more green matter like grass clippings or manure and sprinkle the heap to keep the moisture up. By the first turning you should see some steam and a bit of ashy mold in the heap, by day six you should see some darker carbonized matter and heat up to at least 130º. Keep rotating and turning the heap and by 14 to 21 days you will have rich dark aromatic compost. Never add any vegetable or fruit clippings to a hot compost, that goes into a cold or worm compost heap and that can later be added to a hot compost to kill bugs, diseases and seeds. I maintain yards for a living and have a good source of leaves and grass clippings, I keep a 5 cubic yard hot compost heap going steady, but it is huge at 8 feet across and almost 6 feet high and takes me a good hour to rotate. The hottest temperature I recorded in it is 154º. I have chickens and rabbits and when I add their manure to the heap, it gets super hot. A small compost heap about 3 wide and 3 tall will take about 15 minutes to rotate about 3 times a week, it is good exercise and you get beautiful compost out of it.
Take a burlap bag and add a couple shovel full of horse manure,
and put it in a 5 gallon bucket, and fill it up close too the top with water,
and let it sit for a few hours.
Then raise it out of the bucket and let the water drain back into the bucket,
then lower it back down into the water, just like a tea bag.
Add to the ground around your plants but not on the plants.
.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
