Discover The Benifits Of Horse Manure In Your Compost And Garden
More Plant Growth Factors: Many people do not realize that horse manure will decompose and start composting if it is piled up and left alone. This will occur no matter if you shovel it all up in one big pile or if you leave it lay where it is because this is a natural process. It may not be a pleasant smell while it is going through the process because the inside of the manure is not getting enough air. Also the temperature is not going to get as high as it will if you pile it all together. This is necessary for killing parasites and many other items. Heat is Essential for the Compost  If you manage the compost pile containing the horse manure the right way, you will cut down on flies and their eggs. The temperatures have to be high enough so making sure the compost is in the right condition will take care of this. The following are a few things that can cause disease or infection if you are planning to use the Compost on the grass in which your horses graze. - protozoa
- bacteria
- fungi
- viruses
- worms
- flies
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These are all disease causing elements that need to be dealt with to keep from spreading illness. By managing the compost, the risk of these types of illness will be greatly reduced if not eliminated. Other benefits will include the absence of odors that are a real problem with non-composted manure. Managing the compost pile correctly will allow the manure to be reduced by as much as half. Weeds will not be a problem as the compost will kill these seeds. And should you decide to sell any for fertilizer, the market for this is great. Many plant nurseries, landscape companies and organic farmers will be a source for selling your compost. Compost is Nature's Helper When using horse manure as compost to help make the soil richer, it may have other benefits as well. The compost will help retain rain long enough for it to soak into the soil. When it rains on soil that is packed tightly together, the water runs off the soil and carries small particles with it as it makes it way to lakes, ponds and rivers. This will cause the water to get cloudy and the fish suffer. They cannot find food such as insects. Another thing you may not know is when chemical fertilizers are made natural gas is used to manufacture this fertilizer. Natural gas is a non-renewable resource that is one of the many we are trying to conserve. The use of horse manure compost can greatly reduce the need to use this natural resource and help the environment at the same time. Another thing that is of great concern is the nitrogen in manufactured compost. This nitrogen is often washed into the nearby rivers and streams and can contaminate the drinking water supply. This has been known to cause health problems. So, as you can see horse manure as compost has many benefits we did not know it had.
Horse manure for gardening is an invaluable resource.
Its nutrients include potassium, phosphorous and nitrogen, making it an excellent soil conditioner. Every year, around a 1000-pound horse produces eight to ten tons of manure, collecting at the rate of two cubic feet each day, including bedding. In the suburban areas of South California alone, there are 90 thousand horses being raised.- The composition of nutrients depend on how the manure is stored, its type of bedding and the kind of feed the horse is given.
- Commonly, with bedding, one ton of fresh manure has a nutrient composition of 13 pounds of nitrogen, 13 pounds of potassium, and 5 pounds of phosphorous.
- Besides these, the horse manure has valuable trace elements. It enhances soil texture and moisture-holding capacity with the organic substance.
For the manure to be beneficial at its best, it needs to be decomposed properly. Manure management is important in ensuring decomposition for quality organic fertilizer. Also, proper handling of the manure should be carried out to prevent surface water contamination. The decomposition starts as soon as it is voided. With proper storage and composting, the decomposition rate can be slowed. The storage for manure must be dry and leveled so surface water cannot flow through it. The manure needs to be removed from stalls and spread every day. Keeping the manure dry and piled, makes fly breeding kept to minimum. The size of storage should meet the capacity of horse manure for one year. It should be covered with a roof or plastic tarp to prevent contamination of groundwater and surface water. Composted manure is a state in which it becomes an organic fertilizer. Composting manure is the process of controlling the natural decay of organic substance in a moist and aerobic surrounding. Microorganisms are drawn to it and start to break down the manure until it reaches the final stage and produces a by-product known as compost. Compost or humus is dark, crumbly and soil-like substance with earthly smell. It is used as plant food and soil conditioner. Composting of horse manure takes about thirty to ninety days and needs to be kept moist, piled and turned regularly for equal circulation of oxygen. The composting process can be more sophisticated according to a desired product and quantity. Horse manure can be used as unprocessed or composted. Unprocessed state can also improve soil structure and has low labor input, while the nutrient content is higher. However, on the other side, it can be difficult to spread, poses higher water quality risk and more likely to contain weed seed. Unprocessed manure may need to be added nitrogen source if bedding content is too high.
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