Using composted horse manure as fertilizer in your garden can be a sustainable alternative to traditional fertilizers. Since horses typically produce quite a bit of it annually, storage can often be a problem for horse owners. Instead, the stuff can be used by gardeners to fertilize garden plants. One way to do this is to use theenvironmentally friendly compost, which is rich in nutrients and supports plant growth, to add to the garden soil. Here is some useful information and tips that can help you when gardening with this natural fertilizer.
Benefits of horse manure as fertilizer for plants
Horse manure is an ideal material that you can use as an organic fertilizer to boost your garden plants with nutrients. The process of composting is very quick and gives the beds a huge boost. However, this is especially true for the first year. After that, you need to add more and more of it to keep your plants thriving. Many people use the stuff in their breeding grounds. A fresh pile of manure, for example, helps create a new oneCreating a bed in the garden, as it generates heat. Garden plants can grow on the pile even when it is cold outside. By the end of the summer you will probably be done with it when the fertilizer is fully composted and can be used to improve the soil in other areas of your garden.
As a professional or hobby gardener, you can make the most of the benefits of horse manure in the garden. This is a good source of nutrients obtained as organic matter. In turn, it decomposes with the help of microorganisms, insects and earthworms, which prove to be friends of plants. By combining your compost heap made from autumn leaves with the plant litter and the horse's droppings, you will receive an excellent natural fertilizer that contains the crucial elements for plant development. These include nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium. All of this presence ensures a relatively neutral pH of 7.6 in terms of acidity in the garden soil.
Why you should fertilize with horse manure
As you already know, fertilizing the soil is a guarantee of a good harvest. So if you're hoping to pick more fruits and vegetables from your garden without using vital plant nutrients, it could be a difficult task. Natural horse manure as a fertilizer for tomatoes can therefore be an important factor that allows the plants to grow significantly faster. In addition, horse manure as a suitable tomato fertilizer will definitely not disappoint you. Say goodbye to chemical fertilizers to help your vegetable patch thrive naturally. The organic material from horses is effective, but it also takes time to prepare, even if you have a lot of it in the yard. Horse manure in the garden can be a great idea.
Any self-respecting gardener will choose horse manure in the garden, which is natural, inexpensive and suitable for the vegetable garden, orchard and ornamental plants. However, this is not preferable for your houseplants due to the smell. This natural fertilizer, available in many rural areas or from reputable suppliers, stimulates new plants while providing essential nutrients for further growth. Its nutritional value is slightly higher, with horse manure or cow manure being very popular as garden fertilizer for the vegetable seedlings you have already brought outside.
Apply fresh horse manure as fertilizer to the soil microflora
Instead of dried horse manure, the fresh stuff should not be applied directly to plants. The material is not toxic but can burn the roots. However, you can incorporate well-aged manure or manure that has dried out over the winter into the garden soil without worrying about burning. To prevent weed seeds and worms from creeping in, it is best to let the manure stand for 2-3 weeks before spreading it over the plants. The heat generated by composting can effectively kill most seeds as well as any harmful bacteria that may be present. Furthermore, composting horse manure for fertilization is no different from traditional methods of producing such compost.
Production of natural fertilizer from animal manure
This process does not require any special tools or structures. In fact, you can compost small amounts of horse manure simply with a shovel or pitchfork. Although adding additional organic material to the pile can create a more nutritious fertilizer, it is not always necessary. Add just enough water to keep the pile moist while turning it at least once a day to speed up the process. Then cover the pile with a tarp to keep it relatively dry but still moist enough. This means you can work better with it and store the necessary heat.
There is no ideal length of time for composting horse manure as fertilizer, but it usually takes two to three months if you do it right. However, it would be better to check the compost so as not to miss the optimal usage phase. In the final stage, the horse manure looks like potting soil without the specific smell. You can also maximize soil aeration and drainage, which ultimately leads to healthier plant growth.
When can you fertilize garden plants or lawns with horse manure?
Although most gardening experts advocate continuous fertilization throughout the year, you should know that the soil benefits the most from its application in the fall, as winter approaches. Simply spread the remedy without burying it. The manure composts itself by forming a mat and does not need to be turned over to act as a powerful biological activator. For best results, add horse manure to nitrogen-deficient crops such as corn, potatoes, garlic and lettuce. The natural fertilizer can also strengthen your lawn. However, avoid adding horse manure to flowering and fruiting plants such as tomatoes and peppers this time of year. If you still decide to use it for this, you should mix the stuff with other compost so that it doesn't stunt plant growth.
If you, as a non-horse owner, have difficulty finding such animal manure, you can use dehydrated manure, which makes an excellent addition to your garden without a plant preference. However, if there is no farm nearby, you can also order the material online or buy horse manure as fertilizer from a specialty store. For those who are afraid of letting the horses graze in the orchard, you don't need to worry. Cattle have grazed in the meadows and around the fruit trees for centuries. Fertilize the horse pasture with horse manure without being affected. On the contrary, animal waste improves fertility.
Of course, there are also some bad experiences that people have with the natural material. For example, horse manure that has not been composted can turn the flowers black on a magnolia after it has been applied. Another incident would be, after spreading the stuff with a wheelbarrow, finding mole cricket eggs in it. This parasite gnaws at the bottom of young plants such as lettuces, tomatoes, green beans, etc. So it is best to allow horse manure to mature before using it in the garden.
