Fertilize with horse manure

Fertilize with horse manure

the essentials in brief

  • Horse manure is suitable for fertilization because of its nutritional content. Fresh manure is only recommended for heavy eaters, while herbs are supplied with stale manure.
  • The composting and storage of horse manure is regulated in the fertilizer ordinance. Small amounts can be broken down in a rapid composter.
  • Pellets made from horse manure are an efficient alternative to conventional horse manure.

Use horse manure as fertilizer

Fertilizing with horse manure is ecological and good for the plants. It provides the plants with essential nutrients in a balanced ratio. Horse manure fertilizer has been used in the garden and on arable land for generations. Horse manure is suitable for tomatoes and for filling raised beds. Agricultural businesses also appreciate the material.

also read

  • Horse manure - an excellent fertilizer for raised beds
  • Garden fertilizing - know how
  • Fertilize potatoes properly

Digression

Fertilizer ordinance for horse manure

Many horse owners cooperate with farms. They obtain hay, straw or silage from the farmers and in return give their horse manure back. The new fertilizer ordinance freezes these collaborations. Pure horse manure therefore falls under the category of farm manure. Stable operators must invest in new storage space, regardless of the number of their animals, before the horse manure is passed on to third parties.

New regulations:

  • Stored horse manure must be covered
  • Flat-rate minimum storage of four months is necessary
  • no mixing with kitchen waste

Nutritional content

horse manure

Horse manure consists of urine, bedding and horse droppings. As an organic fertilizer, it is particularly valuable because, in addition to the main nutrients, it contains large amounts of magnesium and trace elements. The ingredients of the natural fertilizer are in a relatively balanced ratio. The nitrogen content is comparatively high, especially in stored horse manure. Depending on which pet owner you get the manure from, different proportions of litter may be mixed in. It acts as a structuring agent and ensures a soil improvement.

stored horse manurefresh horse manure
Total nitrogen6.8 kg / t4.4 kg / t
nitrogen available in the first year1.3 kg / t0.6 kg / t
phosphorus5.0 kg / t2.5 kg / t
potassium19.5 kg / t9.8 kg / t
magnesium1.3 kg / t0.6 kg / t

plants

horse manure

Fresh horse manure is a good plant fertilizer because it provides nutrients quickly. Due to the high fiber content in horse manure, humus formation is promoted. The nutrient content is very high in fresh manure. This is not suitable for low-consuming herbs or young plants. If the horse manure has been stored or composted for at least a year, you can use the substrate for all plants.

Areas of application:

  • in the raised bed : cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchini
  • in the ornamental bed : roses, rhododendrons, hydrangeas
  • in the garden : lawn, fruit trees, raspberries
  • in the greenhouse : tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms
Horse manure is suitable for these plants

application

Fresh horse manure is chopped up well before it is spread. If you are fertilizing fruit trees, spread the substrate about ten centimeters thick on the tree grate and submerge it shallowly in the earth. Alternatively, you can cover the fertilized tree slice with a thin layer of leaves.

Fruit trees and fruit bushes are fertilized in autumn, with fertilization sufficient for the next two years. Ornamental shrubs such as roses can be supplied with horse manure every year. Herbs, beds and plants that do not eat well should not be fertilized with fresh manure. It is too hot for many herbaceous plants and can cause damage if it comes into contact with the roots.

Compost horse manure

In the past, some hobby gardeners did not use the manure when it was fresh, but instead made manure compost. This means that the substrate is also suitable for fertilizing sensitive plants. Composting fresh manure is becoming increasingly difficult due to the new fertilizer ordinance, so you should fall back on stored horse manure from animal owners. If you have few horses that produce small amounts of manure, quick composting is a good alternative.

Fresh horse manure cannot simply be composted. The provisions of the Fertilizer Ordinance apply.

Manufacturing

horse manure

The manure compost is set up separately from the household compost on a sealed surface. You can mix the manure with other organic material like fall leaves or shredded wood cuttings. During the rotting process, high temperatures develop inside, which is why the pile should not be higher than 100 centimeters. Cover the compost with a foil and ensure adequate ventilation. Care is important for optimal rotting processes. These include moistening, loosening and regular repositioning.

Advantages of composting:

  • Material sags by 50 percent
  • Heat kills fly larvae, worm eggs, pathogens and weed seeds
  • Odors are reduced with good ventilation

Compost worms

Worms act as a compost accelerator. Since compost worms retreat into the topsoil when there is a risk of frost, the compost must be in direct contact with the soil. Due to the new fertilizer ordinance, fresh manure may no longer be stored on an unsealed surface or disposed of on the compost. These regulations are intended to reduce the increasing input of nitrate into the soil, but worsen the living conditions for compost worms

storage

Dried horse manure with a dry matter below 25 percent must pre-rot on a paved manure plate for three weeks. You can store the manure in a meadow if it meets certain requirements. This must be used for agriculture and must not be located near water. A minimum distance of 20 meters to the nearest surface water must be observed.

In this way, the manure cannot be stored for more than six months. A new deposit must be selected in the next year. However, storage on highly permeable soils such as sand or on surfaces with drainage systems is not permitted.

Tips

Caution is advised when storing horse manure at the property line. In most federal states, compost heaps up to a height of two meters have a distance limit of 500 meters.

Quick composter

Bokashi is a fermented substrate that is produced in the absence of air. Effective microorganisms ensure that pure horse droppings are broken down into a nutrient-rich substrate within a few weeks. The more straw there is in the manure, the longer it will take to decompose. For this type of compost, you will need a rain barrel with a lid, a garbage can, or thick garbage bags.

Horse manure pellets

horse manure

Drying horse manure is an environmentally friendly method in which the nutrients cannot enter the soil in an uncontrolled manner. The dried manure is used to make pellets that are used for heating and fertilization. Experience shows that horse manure pellets are an ideal universal fertilizer.

Tips

When buying pellets or horse manure, you shouldn't just be attracted to cheap prices. Pay attention to the origin of products from discounters like Aldi. Manure from competition horses can be contaminated with antibiotics.

Making pellets

Pelleting horse manure requires a special drying system in which the material is circulated and treated with hot air. This means that large amounts of moisture evaporate in a short time. The finer the material, the faster the drying process. This is followed by pressing into pellets. Some companies offer horse owners the opportunity to dispose of their manure in the pelletizing plant. In this way, the material can be used profitably.

video: Youtube

Pellets - use as fertilizer

The application of fertilizer pellets is easy and convenient. In the spring, bushes, fruit trees and vegetable beds are fertilized. Work the pellets into the soil about four inches. Then water the surfaces so that the pellets in the soil can swell and decompose. After about three weeks, a handful of the concentrated horse manure can be sprinkled. Pellets are also suitable for fertilizing potted plants or lawns.

Recommended amounts:

  • Container plants: approx. 200 grams of pellets per liter of soil
  • Lawn: 50 to 100 grams of pellets per square meter
  • Beds and trees: about 200 grams of pellets per square meter

frequently asked Questions

What is the specific weight of horse manure?

The specific weight of manure as the ratio between weight and volume is significantly higher in animals with greasy manure than in horses whose manure consists largely of undecomposed fiber. Playpen dung from cattle weighs 600 to 700 kilograms per cubic meter. Horse manure mainly consists of straw, so that the values ​​range between 200 and 300 kilograms per cubic meter.

Horse manure or cow manure as fertilizer?

Not all crap is the same. Horse manure has a high nitrogen content and contains large amounts of undigested plant parts. The manure often contains litter and straw. Cattle manure has a better balance of minerals than horse manure and contains large amounts of potassium. Depending on how the animals are kept, both types of manure can be contaminated with drugs or chemicals.

Which biogas plant takes horse manure?

Fermenting horse manure into biogas is not so easy due to the high lignin content. Scientists repeatedly test how horse manure can be used as fuel. But there are now mini biogas plants for horse manure, which are particularly interesting for boarding horse farms and hobby horse owners. In Moers there is a biogas plant that can burn and utilize straw and horse manure.

What to do with the horse manure?

Disposing of horse manure is now a challenge for many horse owners. Disposal via companies that specialize in horse manure is associated with costs of varying amounts. They deliver containers for filling and take care of the timely collection of the containers filled with horse manure. Tilger Dienstleistungs- & Handels GmbH is working on a nationwide solution so that collection can be carried out free of charge.