Horse manure is a rich source of minerals and healthy microbes, making it a superior organic fertilizer for gardens.
Composted manure may be placed on your grass, dug into the ground, or used as a mulch to improve the soil.
Horse manure is high in nitrogen, making it particularly good for plants that love nitrogen, such as rhubarb, garlic, and leafy green vegetables.
After adding horse manure, your plants’ growth and health will significantly improve.
How To Use Horse Manure In Your Garden
Because it contains dangerous germs, fresh horse dung shouldn’t be spread directly on your garden beds, especially not on vegetable gardens.
Fresh horse dung can give a lot of nutrients to your garden, but it will also spread germs and weed seeds, which might eventually harm your crop.
Composting horse manure before using it in your garden is the best method to utilize it.
The natural process of composting is how decaying organic waste turns into fertile humus. The humus may then be added to your garden beds as fertilizer.
How to compost horse manure
Horse dung should be piled up and let to sit for at least 3 to 4 months in order to degrade and soften.
You may include newspaper, grass clippings, coffee grounds, vegetable scraps, and other biodegradable things in the pile.
Your horse dung composting process will benefit from the addition of anything you would place in a regular compost pile.
To hasten the decomposition process, turn the mound once a week and keep it wet.
The compost pile should reach a temperature of at least 176°F (80°C) and maintain it for a few weeks. To determine the temperature of your compost pile, use a soil thermometer.
Most weed seeds and any potentially dangerous bacteria in the manure will be destroyed by the heat created during the composting process. The compost will be of higher quality the longer it sits.
The compost may then be put to raised garden beds, used as a mulch around your plants to improve the soil, or dug into your garden beds before planting.
Can blooming plants be fertilized with horse manure?
Horse dung is high in nitrogen but low in phosphorus and potassium, therefore blooming plants like roses, tomatoes, peppers, and other plants that produce flowers shouldn’t be fertilized with it.
Horse dung may be used to improve the soil surrounding your blooming plants, but you must also add a source of high phosphorus or potassium, such bone meal, dried molasses, or fish emulsion.
Where to find horse dung
If your ranch or farm has horses, you have daily access to a lot of fresh horse manure. Horse breeders, riding establishments, and stables in your neighborhood may also sell you horse excrement.
How much horse manure do I need?
How much compost you want to generate and the size of the area you plan to fertilize will determine how much horse dung is required.
According to the usual guideline, you require roughly 20 lbs (9 kg) of horse dung per cubic yard (or 1 m3).
Composted horse dung does it smell?
You may use the compost on your gardens without being concerned about unpleasant scents after the composting process are over.
Conclusion
Composting horse dung is the same as regular composting processes. In reality, using a shovel or pitchfork and a modest bit of horse dung, you can quickly compost it. Furthermore, compost can be generated fast from a simple, free-standing pile.
Reference
- Energy and nutrients from horse manure: Life-cycle data inventory of horse manure management systems in Gävleborg, Sweden
- Horse Manure Management by Commercial and Old-Order Amish Equine Operators: Economic and Conservation Implications
