How to Use Partially Composted Horse Manure
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- Опубликовано: 11 окт 2024
- I get lots of questions about using horse manure in the garden, so I thought I'd make a video on how to make use of horse manure that is not fully composted.
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Baha I thought I had rocks ! I am in the mountains of BC Canada.
They say you’re a great gardener if you can grow rocks . Thought I was good I have a fresh pale of stones every rain.
You are like a garden guru growing rock that big !
THIS! This is what we should ALL be looking for! I hate gardening tutorials that promise to save you lots of money on vegetables, but the first thing you have to do is buy plastic bins and punch holes in them (!), or buy a towering box's worth of lumber and then fill it with potting soil (!!). Unless you're trying to garden in a marshland, raised beds are a total waste of every resource involved! I can't imagine how they ever became fashionable. THANK YOU for bringing gardening back down to EARTH again!
Thank you!!! You get it :)
Get plastic bins at the dump. You would be surprised what ppl throw away all the time.
Awesome episode. This is the kind of video that keeps me, and many others, coming back again and again to your channel. Seriously practical advice - demonstrated in real life.
Thanks man :)
I sort of did this opposite. I put a layer of horse manure down then covered with leaves. In the spring, I will move the leaves off and plant in what I hope to be lovely soil : ) I'm excited for spring
That's a great idea!
Followed your instruction on a earlier video Greg when I built two small beds a few weeks ago, old rotten logs, leaves, old straw..now they're looking good and I have carrots coming up already...
That's great!
I learn a new technique every time I watch one of your videos. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Glad to hear it!
I can tell just by the way you talk that you're one of the smartest gardeners on RUclips. Reminds me of the best mycologist I ever met. I'd love to learn more and maybe speak with you. We need more professionals on RUclips and less actors. Thank you
Thanks man
Your plants will love you for this!
love the cardboard idea for the squash and bigger plants. very smart.
Thanks you made a lot of sense with the horse manure I was trying to figure out.
I like this. I'm living Denmark, about 55ºN, so about the same as you and I think we have fairly similar climate for most of the year. I have a neighbour with horses so have a free supply. I"m learning a lot as I start my small holding. Thanks very much.
Great idea. I'm planning to experiment with something similar to this in an old water trough using a significant amount of old horse manure to fill the bulk of it. Hoping it will work out for our carrots.
I couldn't wait to get out today and till in the cow manure. I had to drive an hour to get some cheap mulch may for 2 dollars a bale Managed to fit 25 bales on the pickup bed. Im so excited foe this year. Also got my 14 lbs of sunchokes ready to be planted delivered today too man are those expensive to buy.
Yikes, 14 lbs that a lot. On the bright side, you'll never need to buy them again
@@maritimegardening4887 that's my plan. They are really big though and look like they have lots of 'eyes' like potatoes would you cut them up or plant whole you think. Some are the size of my fist.
@@chris9282 I plant them whole - they are less likely to be attacked or infected that way. Still, yours seem much larger than mine.
@@maritimegardening4887 I was surprised at the size of these. Its like they have 5 small ones attached together but like you said im worried about rot and pests cause we're getting lot of rain lately too so I guess whole would be better and just give them more room to stretch i suppose. My tilled ground is about 12 inches so that should be plenty and then space about a foot apart on the big ones. You turned me on to these they are delicious I even add them raw sliced to my salads and yummy they are 😁. Im also quite excited that they are a invasive species as weird as that sounds lol. I like invasive species I can eat I have dedicated a 4 foot by 60 foot new garden for them. My lawn mowing work is dwindiling haha
Chris P great report! Are you in Nova Scotia ? Mind me asking where you purchased yours?
I know it's an old video, but thanks. Good info. I live in the desert and even I can find logs, although I mostly use small branches from prunings. Also, I go to a nearby city park and pick up grass after the city mows, and in December (yes...the leaves don't fall until December) I'll go pick up fallen leaves.
Awesome!
Got 25 bags today.....Just browsing your poop videos and leaves seeing what I can do with them.... Great to revisit them. Thanks.
Now I know how to save the neglected flower bed we’re getting to plant. 😁💜
You can do it!
I really enjoy watching your videos! Thanks for sharing! And spreading the word!
Your channel is one of my favorite gardening channels! Thanks for your practical information and relaxed, genuine style.
Thanks :) Glad you enjoy it!
That’s a great idea do in the spring to warm up the soil for cool weather crops have to try but using more of a core garden method
This has come at a perfect time. I'm just about to build raised beds. I've got horses so I'm going to pile a heap of manure in first at the bottom. Thanks for your video!
Awesome thanks!
I use this technique with under-composted leaves with chicken manure. They are dark and mushy, but not composted. Soil will go on top - perfect!
Sound is fine- no problem, great gardening lesson
Thanks
Just found your video when searching horse manure vids. I’ve got two horses and loads of manure lol some piles are well aged 3+ years, but some is newer and I wanted to see how to tell when a good time to use it would be (not too “hot”). Your video answered all my questions. What a great time for gardening when everyone is quarantined from the Coronavirus😕. Thanks again!!
That's great Veronica - I agree, it's a good way to stay positive during these difficult times
im a newbee to gardening with boxes .thankyou for this insite
Another great video!
I commented on another video about cardboard use for a topic. I just thought it would be great to hear about how you use those paper bags.
I also so appreciate that you talk about only having a car & not a truck. I have a hatchback & it’s great & moves lots for my garden.
Thanks for the idea! I've done a few vids on that topic - but I suppose I could always do more :)
Watching you dig the big rocks out of your original soil I Just can't believe how well you have done in your garden. I really enjoy your videos. Are you going to do anymore Ruth Stout method this year?
I've got a couple ideas for R.S. applications this year. All depends on how much time I have to work with. Glad you like the channel, thanks for the kind words :)
I totally love your natural style! Thank you ♥️🙏🏾
Thank you so much!!
I made garden bed today using fresh horse manure 4 inches bellow surface. Now I'm curious if it will get too hot, didn't know until afterwards that it was supposed to be aged :-s ups.
Trial and error, trial and success is a great way to learn, and dispelling or confirming some of the myths along the way.
Very detailed and well thought out. Thank you for all those great tips.
Glad it was helpful!
horse manure is not hot so it doesn’t need to compost. I spread it in the fall and then cover it with thick mats of old hay or some thick black mats and it’s ready to go next spring. Sometimes I spread some in the spring when starting a new bed, add seeds or seedings, then place newspaper down to block weeds that is held in place by old hay, no issues and good use of the manure we have here.
My elderly grandmother always used manure from old horses so that the manure is already composted when they pass it.....she was always one to take advice from until the day we noticed a suppository sticking out of her ear but at least we now know where her hearing aid is.....talk about listening to bowel sounds.
I've been burying manure like this for years. it works well for me.
Thanks Great to get the confirmation!
Hi Greg. Could you use the (composting) heat to your advantage in spring. Say like pickaxing trenches in your frozen ground, stick your horse crap in, cover and wait. May help the ground thaw a bit. Especially in combination with your other systems. Keep at it Greg.
You could, but man that would be a lot of work! Maybe to kick start a couple beds :)
@@maritimegardening4887 yeah thats kinda what I was thinking so you could get a jump on the season. Heard you mention many a time about the beds being solid for a while. I understand if the workload isn't worth any benefits though.
Brown Thumbs Allotment Charles dowsing makes hot beds just like Greg. He adds soil on top of hot manure and plant on top in early spring. Then covers it til harvest time.
Nice solid advice with no Bells and Whistles.
Glad it was helpful!
Just subscribed. Your compost worms will love the cardboard.
Thanks and welcome
Really enjoyable and informative. Lots of common sense and I like your delivery and manner. Thanks very much. I’m about to tackle my first summer with a garden in Spain. Clay soil with not much but rocks and sand but I’ve just taken delivery of my first load of horse manure!
Best of luck!
Looks like youre finally have spring in your area.Seems to be a lot of clay there,and I saw the 2 big rocks you dug out,we have a lot of clay here to.
It's a land of clay and granite!
Great video thank you! I learnt a lot that I needed to learn.
Glad it was helpful!
That's an awesome idea! My income is very limited and I have a neighbor that has a horse about 1/4 mile from me. Im hoping for free manure. Maybe I can trade a couple of my tomato plants for it. Im excited about trying this. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Best of luck!
Those were some big as rocks!
Another video I wish I'd seen a couple months ago haha ah well you live and learn I guess
nice to see your growing big rocks lol
I like your style! You should change your name to the frugal gardener! Lol Its probably already being used though but, thanks... Big fan!
I regret not going with something like that. The channel really has much more to do with that than with gardening in the maritimes.
I love your name, but maybe it's because I live here too!
great plan, I should have thought of that
Boy I have a huge pile i got from a local ranch like you, but I've seen on some vids it might not be good because of a herbicide farmers use to keep down broad leaf weeds. I reckon its working for you just fine, so fingers crossed. Thanks
It's a risk I suppose. As the ranch - maybe they know if it was treated
@@maritimegardening4887 Yes thats what ill do.... Thank you
Just be sure if you are using horse manure with lots of bedding material to add extra nitrogen if using the bed immediately. I tried making a Hugelkultur raised bed and everything turned yellow after transplanting a week later. I was told that the "compost" was about 6 months old, and it didn't have any odor to indicate that it hadn't completely composted. I checked PH using a meter and also a soil test kit, both indicated 6.5 PH. So I fertilized the transplants with some Miracle Gro plant food 24% N and after 2 treatments everything started greening back up. I'm pretty sure that the extra bedding material had sequestered all of the available nitrogen trying to break down the organic matter. Of coarse if you can let it set for several more months before planting that may not be an issue.
You existing soil must have had no nitrogen in it at all.
@@maritimegardening4887 I did one of the home soil test for PH, N, P, K and it said N was adequate, but I think it was being locked up by the bedding material (compressed pellets). I think the manure had composted as there was no odor, but there was excess wood that hadn't broken down.
Enjoyed watching it, thankyou
Thanks :)
Could you use this concept in making a new raised bed? We have horses and acres of trees (so plenty of leaves). So we would start this fall building the boxes and filling then plant in the spring. Could we put cardboard down on ground inside of bed to kill existing weeds then next add the leaves & then the horse manure ( ok to be fresh if not planting in garden till spring?) last put topsoil on top of manure and then cover with mulch ( or wood chips from branches we put thru chipper shredder?). Is there other steps that we should add? Again this would sit through the winter (we are in zone 6b - Eastern Kentucky). Very Eager for your input.
Everything you are saying is exactly what I would recommend
@@maritimegardening4887 Thanks for replying.
Thank you for sharing your methods for using horse manure! I'm a novice gardener with only one growing season completed. I've learned a LOT and looking to know more. I'm wondering if there is any advantage to putting down the manure now (Late October/early November) while I'm putting the garden to bed for the Winter rather than waiting until the Spring?
Thank you in advance. I've subscribed to your channel and hope to learn more from you.
Yes, this is a great time to add it - that way it's that much more broken down by next spring - and one less thing to do next spring :)
@@maritimegardening4887 Thank you!
I started going to the horse farm and getting manure and old bedding like you do. I didn't bury it like you did in this video since it's fall now and won't be planting until next spring. I just mixed the manure in with the soil and put the straw/hay on top as a mulch along with some leaves. The only thing that concerns me is the horse farm is big and it's difficult to know if any of the horses are on antibiotics or other meds. I'm assuming that's rare but are you ever concerned about that? Do any meds break down over time?
I never worry about it. The med cost money - so they only use them if necessary (that's what the guy at the stable I used to go to said) - and they break down as you guessed.
I love the ideas here. Can you link us to the update of this video. Thanks so much
Just watch any of my garden tours and watch for this particular bed during the tour. The soil in in has been very productive! I have nice beets growing in it this year :)
Great video I'm novice gardener last fall I made 3 raised beds 4x8x6in, put all the leafs from around my house into the beds. I bought top soil and peat moss Rona had the top soil on for .87 a 25 liter bag this was to get me started. Now will I need to put any fertilizer or compost into the beds?
As long as you keep the soil mulched it should take care of itself. As the worm population grows, they will turn all your mulch into worm poop, and fertilize your soil for you :)
Thank you for the good info.
Great video!
Speaking of knife in the garden I find a bread knife is a great tool
Hello,
How much horse manure would you spread and till it per square foot of soil or if it's easier for you to answer, what thickness of manure would you lay on the soil provided it's the only source of fertilizer you're adding to soil? I was told anywhere from 2"-3" is adequate but I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks
I'd agree with that. 1" at minimum.
How did this method work for you 4 years on. This is certainly something I would be looking at with access to fresh horse manure and a horrid experience of buying soil I know I have to fix.
That bed is still doing great!
I am thinking of utilizing left over manure that's about 10 years old.. am I wasting my time? Will this still condition the soil?
Absolutely! Use it :)
GOOD IDEA THE CARDBOARD ------- but it may be easier if before you wet it , just after you cut it to size ---- pile them in a stack and use a wood drill to make the holes to whatever spacing you need for each crop !
Could we get an update please Greg of what’s planted so far in the garden? You mention planting carrots in this bed but they aren’t in yet... or are they?
Planning too do one of those this weekend
???? In Some of your other videos regarding house manure, you said there may be a chance of pathogens so not too plant root vegetables. Is the difference here that you have the manure sandwiched between organic matter on the bottom and soil on the top? I'm super lucky to have a free supply of manure and bedding!
That's right - its' below ground, and it takes a few months for the carrots to get that deep - so I figure it's ok. There's probably still a risk - but less risk in my estimation :) Safest bet is not to plant a root veg in year one
I just got Horse Shit for my birthday….lol…come over and SEE!
Does the manure have to be partially composted or can I also use fresh manure? Maybe with a little bit more topsoil over it?
The fresh manure I'd go a bit deeper, maybe 6" of soil over it or more.
Maritime Gardening Got it, thanks! :)
When he finds rocks they are HUGE!
So, if I remove the many layers of fallen leaves, too soil, then put manure,
For sure the weeds won’t come through, but will it heat through the winter?
There's no such thing as "for sure" with weeds - because some are more tenacious than others. What I would say is that if the manure is under a few inches of soil, most seeds in the manure will not be able to germinate. It's way better than having the manure on top for sure - because that's almost no different than spreading weed seeds over the soil :)
Thank you.
Love your “real” videos! Breathing, back pain,
I’m on a hot massager from layering leaves
All
Day yesterday!
Thank you.
Love your “real” videos! Breathing, back pain,
I’m on a hot massager from layering leaves
All
Day yesterday!
Top notch.thank you very much
Have an endless supply of fresh horse manure, can it be stored in a vented bulk bag for a year to decompose
Yes
terrific
is it ok to put some partially composted horse manure under my roses. i replanted my roses from pots into the soil and mix a bit of manure at the bottom of the hole
In the hole I would use the native soil. Just keep them mulched and it should all work out ok
Anna Kenny make a tea with the manure so as not to put seeds on top....they can be onerous....hope not too late
Could you use a tarp and poke holes in it instead of paper bag?
Yes, you could, but then you've created a barrier between the soil layer and the mulch layer - so the worms will not be effective in turning the mulch into food for your plants.
Hi good idea I have horses, so loads of fresh stuff, can I use really fresh or month old manure? I was thinking of putting it deeper adding topsoil and leave till spring. It’s Dec here now.thanks
Yes - using this technique you are basically "trench composting".
respect
I have buried old horse manure under about 2 ft of soil inside a large and deep raised bed..Some of the manure is not fully decomposed ie has straw/hay There are a lot of worms inside the manure I guess this is a good thing..I plan to put new top soil and compost on top of the old soil..Will the buried horse manure breakdown under the soil quickly through worm activity or is it slowed down by being buried..? Is it a good idea to put cardboard on top of the old soil that is on top of the buried manure and then add new top soil and compost mix on top of the cardboard ? Hope you can help..Thanks in advance
I don't think you need to do anything beyond what I did in the video - just bury it about 6-8" deep and let nature take it's course - you'll have great soil. Buried under 2 feet of soil it will break down very slowly because there's so little air at that depth.
I have a source of donkey manure. Will that work
I have no experience with donkey manure, but I would imagine that they have a similar diet and digestive process to horses. Maybe do a little investigation to see how similar they are to horses.
@@maritimegardening4887 Thanks I will. Appreciate you replying. I have learned a tremendous amount about gardening from you. I have a small raised bed in back of my house. But it produces a lot of food for me. I am semi retired and this is such fun. You do a great job. Keep it going. God Bless
Thanks, I'm so glad you find the content useful :) Let me know how things go with the donkey manure :)
What is the size of the boards you use are they 2x6 not pressure treated?
That's right, cheap spruce 2x6
@@maritimegardening4887 awesome thank you
@@chris9282 A bought a bunch of board last fall that were"seconds" - 1/2 price because they were all flawed in some way
@@maritimegardening4887 I can find cheap sawmill board up here too I was just unsure how deep i should get them. But 6 to 8 inch board will be good
@@chris9282 Yep, no need to go any higher than 6"
Isn’t this called a “hotbed”?
That's right
Greg, you need a new mic. Thanks for everything you do.
No the noise your neighbors making in the background is not bad it’s the love 💕 making in the background 😮that they are doing is disturbing 😳
How did the carrots do?
They grew great!
To much fussing, just dump it in, mix it up, make sure it's moist, staple clear plastic over it, let the sun heat the bed, weeds will sprout, turn it again, recover it, repeat til planting time, the solarization will work on the seeds, break down the straw, warm the soil. Experiment with it. Works
It took like 10 minutes to bury the manure - how on earth is what you are suggesting less fussing?
How did the carrots turn out?
Awesome!
@@maritimegardening4887 nice! I just found a source of free partially composted horse manure...I will def try this...I also may add a good bit to my compost pile.
Aren't you worried that the dewormer given to horses may also kill off the worms in your garden?
No. The stable that I get it from only uses it when necessary, and rarely. I got tonnes of worms dude. The manure I get is a few months old, so dilution and composting action will likely have broken down any such materials by then. Doesn't seem to be a problem.
Wouldn’t that burn the roots if it’s not fully composted?
Horse manure is a good deal lower in nutrients than other manures. That bed is full of carrots now.
I can get as much as i want but recently I have been hearing horror stories about Grazon in the hay they eat not only destroying garden plants but ruining the soil to the point where you have to remove the soil. Please research this. It's happening everywhere now
Why not just ask the person that you get your manure from. That's what I did. Not an issue for me.
@@maritimegardening4887 oh, I did. We don't allow it in our animals. Just popping up in farms around the area. I'm hoping to get people aware of a growing problem. That's all.
Ah I play with horse shit all the time, break it up with my hands once it dries up.
So…….does the horse 🐎 know that your playing around with his poop 💩🫣🤭😬🙄🫤
no i dont argree, just put the manure on top of your soil , save a lot of work , with all repect
IN the fall - yes; in the spring - hey you're growing food there - so it';s not a good idea to have it not fully broken down, & right next to your greens/etc. - so that's why you bury it.
John S. You are using the manure that is not fully composted. Composting would kill most weed seeds, not all. By putting it right on top, you :1, don't get the benefit of the warmth it would provide, but, 2. mostly you will raise any and all the seeds from anywhere the horses grazed. If you use garden soil, or potting soil with your soil on top, you raise few weeds. Just saying, tried and true. Amplifying your labor, and I have much need of that, since I have "reached a certain age". And those of you right alongside me, can tell the younger the truth of the matter. Most of us will feel the Same Age you do. Hopefully, you will have learned how to laugh at everything, and most importantly- laugh at yourself!! Those who learn this secret to happiness will enjoy life, while the sad multitude of groaners and whiners will drive everyone away. Or they will think about escape at the least...😁😝❣️
dont walk on the beds
I've made about 370 videos, and this is one of the only ones, where I walk on a bed, and the soil is sitting beside the bed when I do it - so I'm really not walking on the soil. You'll notice that once I put the soil back on I don't walk on it at all - and have not walked on it since.