horse manure
When we talk about horse manure, it is actually a mixture of animal waste and plant litter, most often straw. Among the various manures, that of horse is one of the most balancedbecause it consists of dry matter rich in carbon and moist materials rich in nitrogenmoreover, it also contains potassium from urine.
Due to the high proportion of dry matter, its decomposition is rather slow, but when it does, it provides the soil with minerals and trace elements, nothing but good things for your garden. Nevertheless, it is necessary to take some precautions when using this type of manure.
The advantages of horse manure
As we have mentioned, it is during its decomposition that this manure feeds the soil. But these are not its only advantages:
- He favors the creation of a layer of humus on the ground, the structure and composition of which are then significantly improved.
- It allows to enjoy rich, airy soileven if, originally, it is rather sandy or clayey.
- Because of this change in the structure of the soil, the living organisms it shelters can develop better, which also contributes to thesoil improvement.
- It is also a highly effective solution for amend heavy soils.
The different types of horse manure
According to its degree of maturity, horse manure is classified into three categories.
fresh manure
As the name suggests, fresh manure is the one that is used immediately. It has various disadvantages that should be taken into consideration:
- The presence of urine makes it rich in ammonia. Used in large quantities, it can therefore pollute the soil instead of improving it.
- It inevitably contains weed seeds that can germinate in your vegetable garden.
- Her nitrogen content is significant and may pose a risk to young roots.
- It may contain pathogenic germs or dewormer residues that can contaminate your crops.
Half-ripe manure
As its name suggests, it is in the intermediate stage between fresh manure and composted manure. If you want improve the quality of your soil, you can, in the fall, spread it on the bare soil surface. It goes so gradually decompose throughout the winter. It can also be used as mulch for gourmet plants, such as roses, but also at the foot of fruit trees or for squash, melons, tomatoes in the vegetable patch. But to do this, the plant must be sufficiently developed.
composted manure
Composted manure is fresh manure that has followed all its process of decomposition for at least 6 months. The advantage is that it no longer presents no risk for the roots of young plants and that it is cleared of anything that causes problems when it is fresh. Here are the precautions to take to allow good composting of horse manure:
- Don’t stack too high;
- Do not put the manure pile directly on the ground, raise it with branches, etc., to allow air to circulate underneath and liquids to drain away. Otherwise, remember to return it at least 3 times during the 6 months;
- To prevent it from being washed away by the rains, cover it with straw, among other things.
Manure sold in garden centers is usually composted manure.
Proper use of horse manure
The precautions to take
To take advantage of the beneficial effects of horse manure without harming the soil in your vegetable patch or garden, it is important to follow these recommendations:
- Horse manure being very rich, there is no need to use it every year. The best solution is to renew this intake only every two or three years.
- If you use fresh horse manure, it is not recommended to spread just before planting, because the nitrogen could burn the young roots. It is best to use it 3 or 4 months before planting or to use it to prepare growing beds, setting it up 1 month before planting.
Make a warm bed
In the case of the use of fresh manure, it should be noted that when it decomposes it rises in temperature. It then has the advantage of allowing the creation of a warm layer which can be very useful for hasty crops or for young plants to be planted later. To do this: in a pit or in a wooden tray, place a layer of fresh manure to a thickness of about 40 cm. Water copiously, then cover with 20 cm of soil and compost.
Spread the manure
- If you use composted horse manure, you can spread the equivalent of 1 to 3 kg/m². It will then be incorporated into the soil when digging, either before sowing at the beginning of March, or in autumn.
- You can also spread a 5 cm layer of composted horse manure on the ground and, two weeks later, scratch the ground to allow partial burial of the manure. You can also put it under your trees, shrubs and perennials in the spring.
When to add manure?
Autumn is the best season for spreading horse manure in a thick layer because on the one hand, the snow and the rains have time to pass over it and decompose it until spring, and on the other hand, earthworms and the like have time to incorporate it into the soil. After it is spread, you can cover this manure a layer of dead leaves. In the spring, all you have to do is scratch everything before planting.
Although fall is the best season, you can put composted horse manure on your beds a fortnight before planting.
Horse Manure Toxicity
When using fresh horse manure in the vegetable garden, consideration should be given to the question of its toxicity. As we have seen, manure can contain toxic elements, especially when the animals undergo medical treatment or are dewormed, which is often the case. According to studies, these traces of treatment would take 3 weeks to disappear. It is therefore preferable to age fresh horse manure before using it or introducing it into your compost, as it could destroy the worms present in it.
How to get horse manure?
Just because you don’t own a horse doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the benefits of its manure. So you can get it for free from individuals with a horse, an equestrian centre, etc. Another solution is to buy bags of horse manure from a garden centre, generally in the same place as the potting soil.