Great video! Came in "too late" for me. My husband just picked a load of 250 cubic feet of horse manure in a farm near by. We filled 3 raised beds. Praying for the best now.
Amazing, informative info!!! Had no idea to even consider this as I am transplanted city girl to the country and thinking about using manure for my composting!!! Thanks!!!!!
I've been using horse manure direct to my garden for 30 plus years now. . . Horses on pasture, natural worming and my hay, no pesticides. Never had to trouble myself with composting or turning piles. Lotsa natural methods to avoid chemicals. . .
You didn’t even compost it? That’s helpful for me. I’m short on compost and soil fluffing material but I have a pile of horse poop that’s about 4 months old. It’s mostly decomposed it seems like, doesn’t stink like horse manure anymore at all and has tons of worms and some ants or something living in it, white ant looking things.
@@meglupo18 Horse manure isnt hot at all from the field, from a stall when it has urine mixed in it should set a month. It's nothing like chicken or pig manure. . .
Andrew Jackson ❤️ wonderful! Thank you! Do you know anything about what ratio to add? I have sandy loam top soil and compost and tons of leaves and about 1/2 yard of manure
Wow....didn't realize that composting horse poop was that involved! 😳 Just so you know that your content was VERY HELPFUL! Thank you for sharing it's greatly appreciated!
Good info. Never thought of the herbicide in the manure before watching your video. Guess I am lucky I have 2 horses and have been composting for years. I use wood chips and garden wast with the manure. I turn the pile with a tractor at least 3-4 times a year and keep it moist .It's always over a year old before use. So far I have not had any problems. But if I do, I now know what it may be. Thanks
We do the same. If the horses are yours, then you can control what herbicides are in the field. You shouldn't have any problems. Thanks for the comment.
I drive 1/2 hour each way to get free horse manure. I use it fresh to feed to my ever-expanding worm bins, and also put a nice thick layer at the bottom of my new raised beds and covered with garden soil, will be ready to plant in spring after the wild worms do their thing down there. You are right about dewormer, I never use manure from piles I can’t find worms and bugs in....
As a long time horse owner, I know of No feed store that has a list of the chemicals sprayed on the hay they sell. They would look at me sideways. This is good info but really sucks becasue my whole plan for my future small homestead was to use my horse manure in the garden. :(
Follow the link in the description that tells you how to test it on seedlings. Easy test. Also, as one commenter suggested, check for worms or bugs in the composted manure. There should be some. Also, can you purchase organic hay? That should assure you no pesticides (i would hope)
I find this very informative and accurate, I’m wondering something about potential herbicide in horse manure. Would dicot weed seedlings growing in the manure a sign that it doesn’t contain any selective herbicide?
I run a sprinkler while I add manure to my pile. By the time my 8 x 8 pile is done I've been adding and watering every other day for a couple months so everything is uniformly moist and I don't have to turn the pile.
@@helentc I have an 18” thermometer from Amazon. I go poking around with it once the pile smells like it’s cooking. It usually takes 2-3 days, and starts to cool after a couple weeks. Because the pile shrinks while it processes an 8’ pile will last several months
@@helentc I have an 18’ compost thermometer (Amazon). Plus when you dig into it the not-quite-done sections are pretty obvious. I just set them off to the side in a new pile.
The local pony club sells cheap bags of horse manure, which i had been dumping right into my worm bin. I hadnt considered worming chemicals in the manure... i must just be lucky
I flipped 26 houses from 2011 to 2014. I've laid sod numerous times just two weeks after heavy application of Roundup. Great results with no ill effects on the new sod. There first several houses where sod was laid without Roundup the lawn looked terrible. Weeds sprouting along all the seam lines which grew much faster than the surrounding grass. Given that, I don't think putting material in your compost pile that had roundup on it would have any effect at all.
Very informative Amy! I have access to horse manure "compost" from a neighbours Horse farm . It has been piled up for in excess of 1-2 years but unsure if it has herbicides in it. Would it have broken down in that time and be safe to use for vegetables ? It no longer looks like Manure but like rich compost. (have used it to grow roses and they are amazing but would love to be able to use as compost in my vegetable garden
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 need help. I was given approximately 10 lbs of horse manure from a friend. She said it was maybe 6 weeks old. I have a barrel type composter, a small backyard and no idea how to make it compost for my vegetables and/or a feed additive for my red wigglers. Thank you.
Red Wigglers will definitely eat horse manure, but you first need to know if persistent herbicides were used on the hay fed to the horses. I'd be glad to help more, but I may be better help by phone. Would you like to book a call? You can do so here. calendly.com/gardensthatmatter/call?month=2023-02 Amy
I can't believe that you didn't warn against using manure with horse urine in it, ammonia is wicked hard to compost out if there are the right conditions to create ammonia nitrate. there's actually a fairly powerful secret cold composting technique related to ammonia breakdown ^_^ and as its an original by me that's the most I will say XD
No, and in fact, depending on where you live, its often better not to have your pile in the direct sun (dries out to quickly). We have several piles/bins on the edge of the woods. Just make sure your pile isn't too close to tree trunks (at least 6-8 ft away).
What about yr old piles? I've been piling it up and trying to decide how to make a compost situation and have 2 horses. It's just piling up on the back of the property since last July. (Just from the stalls)
What if I've gotten Horsemen or from a stable and I don't know if it has been warmed or not or if the pasture was sprayed? Will it still be safe to use in my garden after composting
It's hard to know. Dewormer can usually be sanitized in the sun for several days if on a pasture, but in a stable, it might be a risk. If the grass the horses are grazing have been sprayed with a "persistent herbicide", it can last for several years and will not break down in your compost. You will be making "killer compost" and the only thing that will survive in your garden are grass plants like corn. If you cannot talk to the owner of the horses or the pasture owner (if different), to see what they spray on their field, then I would not chance it. Persistent herbicides can be catastrophic to a garden and could take years to recover for growing. It's not worth the risk.
What about feeding the horse manure to earthworms in a tub? Will it kill the earthworms? Will the earthworms cycle it through and cleanse it? The horse manure in question has been in black plastic bags in a sunny spot for two years. I have nor will I be able to obtain the horse manures chemical history. Thank You, Tom.
Good question, Tom! Sorry for my delayed reply. Did you give it a try? If you're still deciding, here's what I'd suggest: 1. Open the bags and spread them so the horse manure is exposed to sun. Let the sun's UV work on it for a week or two to help degrade any chemicals left in it. 2. Mix it with "brown" bedding (like shredded leaves 1:1) and get it evenly moist. 3. Put it into your tub, and make a pocket of the tub bedding only. (This gives worms a place to go if the manure breakdown is too hot initially.)
Regarding Persistent Herbicides. I raise compost worms. If I'm not sure about the "Killer Compost" factor is it possible to give it to worms and let them "cleanse" it after hot composting it? I know the person that will let me have the horse manure and they get their hay from Mohave Valley AZ. It has been my understanding that the Persistent Herbicides are mostly used in the North and not down here. Wormers have a relatively short lifespan so they will not be a problem. Mother Earth News also did a big story specifically about "Killer Compost" some time back and the fact that it lives for years was a serious caveat for using manure from horses that were fed hay from the northern US. Hoping you can help me.
Hi! I intend to use the horse manure mixed with food scraps to raise worms. My hope is that the worms will neutralize and/or cleanse the herbicide. Please let me know what you find out. Thanks! Nelson
I will check into it on several sites that I am on. However I have never seen this discussed before so I'll just ask and hope I get an answer from someone that REALLY knows. I'll get back to you as soon as I can. BTW, I am using 7 year old manure plus it came from a local farm. Hopefully the only thing you will have to do is get REALLY old compost. We will see.@@nelsonolivera8059
I checked with several people that are familiar with this situation and ALL concur on one point. It will NOT hurt worms BUT the bad stuff still is abundant in the castings. Not good to use for gardening. @@nelsonolivera8059
@@Paratrooper23 Ouch! Thank you so much for letting me your findings. It is very kind of you. I need time to digest this info and figure out a strategy to work with it. I am leaning towards raising the worms for the worms reproduction and not the castings. Thank You very much! Nelson
Thanks for the info, very helpful...my compost is soil and veggie based, is it ok to place horse manure on the top of the compost immediately or mix immediately...?
We like to add horse manure into our compost bins along with everything else. We also have some large piles of horse manure composting in the pasture. We turn and water it just the same as any of our bin piles. Thanks for the question Adrian.
@@GardensThatMatter i have a raised garden bed. im planning on putiting near fresh horse manure, near the bottom of the garden bed. its about 500 mm high. will this stop the seeds growing, and allow for the manure to slowly decompose?
Very good point, Brian! If you own the horses or know the owner well enough to ask, you can check on persistent herbicides in hay and any wormers or other meds. If you're getting manure from someone random, you might keep that compost pile separate and test it by growing a few bean plants in pots with it as part of your mix.
they said it stable that I got the horsemen or act, they had dewormed the horses about 2 months ago as far as the feed goes the hay they believe that it was treated with a something that would be safe for the horses to eat. The bedding is Sawdust so I'm sure sawdust it's fine.
Hey Jeff. Most herbicides are safe for horses and other animals. That is not the concern, what is safe for horses doesn't mean it is safe for plants that are surrounded by the killer compost. "Persistent Herbicides" were developed for long term control of broad leaf plants, and they are usually considered (semi)safe for grazing animals. Just be careful and if you have any doubts, don't use the manure in your compost. Here is an article about persistent herbicides and compost that might help. www.compostingcouncil.org/page/persistent-herbicides Good luck and thank you for reaching out to us with your questions.
Yes. Before incorporating into your compost or garden, you want to know where the manure came from. I assume you are talking about cow or horse manure. If so, you want to ask who you got it from what herbicides they may have used in the grazing field. There are some "persistent herbicides" that have been popular in the last few years, which means farmers can spray it once and it will last in the field for several years (even in cut hay). If the manure has grass or hay that has persistent herbicides in it, it will kill everything in your garden (except grass crops like corn). This will contaminate your compost too. You will be making "killer compost". Here is a link for more info on persistent herbicides. www.compostingcouncil.org/page/persistent-herbicides
Nobody, nowhere, addresses the herbicide issue! Well Rodale Radio does, in lawn clippings (same problems, do the homework before you use them). That nitrogen fixing bean crop looks better and better...
Newbie here. Question: an easy place to collect our horses manure is in the barn. But it’s manure that’s been soaked with urine also. Is it still ok to use? Or should I go hunting for piles in the pasture?
Hi Cary. Great question. Manure and Urine are both great sources of nitrogen for compost. No need to find manure not mixed with urine. Urine is a valuable source of nitrogen too. There are 2 main things to be aware of with using manure in your compost. The first is dewormer. Dewormer used in horsed and cattle will exit the animal in their manure and will kill any worms and microbes in your compost that are responsible for decomposition. Most dewormers will be sanitized/sterilized with time in the sun. When our horses have been dewormed, we usually wait a couple of weeks before using any manure from the pasture (let it bake in the sun). Manure in the barn after dewormer is different. We will either toss it from the stalls into the sun or not use that particular manure for compost. We will wait until we are sure the dewormer has worked its way through the animal's system and is sterilized by the sun before composting it. The second thing to know (or to be sure about) is that the manure isn't coming from animals that are grazing on pastures that have been sprayed with "persistent herbicides". Are you aware of persistent herbicides? The were developed to eliminate broad leaf plants in pastures so that farmers don't have to spray as often. Like the name implies, they persist in the soil for years. So, if you use manure from an animal that eats grass sprayed with persistent herbicides in your compost and use this compost in your garden, it will kill everything in your garden (but grass) and will then persist in your garden's soil for years, ultimately contaminating your garden and rendering it un-growable. This kind of contaminated compost is called "killer compost". So you want to make sure you always know what is sprayed on the pastures that your horses are grazing on before using that manure in your compost or garden. Here is a link for more info on persistent herbicides. www.compostingcouncil.org/page/persistent-herbicides-faq Here is our youtube video on horse manure too, which explains what I've already explained, but might be useful. czcams.com/video/WOTuV71rXPc/video.html Sorry so long of an answer, just wanted to make sure you were aware of the risks of manure. But as long as these 2 things are checked, manure (and urine) are great sources of nitrogen for your compost. Let us know if you have any further questions. Thanks and happy gardening.
Gardens That Matter Thank you so much! I really appreciate the help and education! I am a first time gardener, and even new in owning a horse! We keep our horse at a friends farm. We know that he does not spray the fields where she grazes, so we know that what she eats is safe. We haven’t given our horse a dewormer in quite some time. So we’re good there too! But it got me thinking- I should look into that. I’m sure there is a CZcams video for how often you should deworm a horse! 😂
@@caryinky Good to know your horses are grazing on clean grass. Sorry I can't help you with horse care (how often to deworm). The horses on our pastures aren't ours. Our family leases the pasture for the horses to graze. Good for us. We don't have to take care of the horses, but we get to collect their manure for compost. Yay.
Great video! Came in "too late" for me. My husband just picked a load of 250 cubic feet of horse manure in a farm near by. We filled 3 raised beds. Praying for the best now.
You want it to rot before it goes in beds, how we get E. coli in lettuce...
Ugh Must be composted! It will burn plants otherwise. Not To late I think. just build it up in middle of beds possibly?
Not washing lettuce also causes e coli infection
Perfect! I recently got two miniature horses and plan on their contribution to our garden effort!
That is perfect. Congratulations.
Thank you for listing the persistent herbicides so that we can cross reference!
Amazing video, amazing delivery for everything you need to know about horse manure😊 thank you so much.
Amazing, informative info!!! Had no idea to even consider this as I am transplanted city girl to the country and thinking about using manure for my composting!!! Thanks!!!!!
This is a top notch video. My wife and I own two horses and I am composting the manure. Thanks for the info!
Thanks, Wheless! Glad to hear that it helped. You'll be able to grow some nice veggies and/or flowers with that compost. :)
You are very smart, sweet lady! Thanks for a great video.
Thank you Tom.
I've been using horse manure direct to my garden for 30 plus years now. . . Horses on pasture, natural worming and my hay, no pesticides. Never had to trouble myself with composting or turning piles. Lotsa natural methods to avoid chemicals. . .
You didn’t even compost it? That’s helpful for me. I’m short on compost and soil fluffing material but I have a pile of horse poop that’s about 4 months old. It’s mostly decomposed it seems like, doesn’t stink like horse manure anymore at all and has tons of worms and some ants or something living in it, white ant looking things.
@@meglupo18 Horse manure isnt hot at all from the field, from a stall when it has urine mixed in it should set a month. It's nothing like chicken or pig manure. . .
Andrew Jackson ❤️ wonderful! Thank you! Do you know anything about what ratio to add? I have sandy loam top soil and compost and tons of leaves and about 1/2 yard of manure
@@meglupo18 I'd use as much as u have on what y want. . . It's about the same as adding bagged topsoil.
Wow....didn't realize that composting horse poop was that involved! 😳 Just so you know that your content was VERY HELPFUL! Thank you for sharing it's greatly appreciated!
Your best video, for me!
Thanks for your info never knew I had to keep it moist.
Good info. Never thought of the herbicide in the manure before watching your video. Guess I am lucky I have 2 horses and have been composting for years. I use wood chips and garden wast with the manure. I turn the pile with a tractor at least 3-4 times a year and keep it moist .It's always over a year old before use. So far I have not had any problems. But if I do, I now know what it may be. Thanks
What a good source of compost for your garden, @zpoedog! It sounds like you have a good system setup. :)
We do the same. If the horses are yours, then you can control what herbicides are in the field. You shouldn't have any problems. Thanks for the comment.
What implement do you use to turn your compost?
@@erind6436 I have a tractor with a loader bucket. I only takes me a minute to turn the pile.
I drive 1/2 hour each way to get free horse manure. I use it fresh to feed to my ever-expanding worm bins, and also put a nice thick layer at the bottom of my new raised beds and covered with garden soil, will be ready to plant in spring after the wild worms do their thing down there. You are right about dewormer, I never use manure from piles I can’t find worms and bugs in....
Nice. Thanks for the comments.
Wow, I had no idea you could feed it directly to worms. Interesting. Good point about manure with no bugs or worms in.
Lots to learn here.
I got compost from the city dump once and it was killer compost.
That is happened to us too. We don't get compost from city (or county) resources anymore. We just make our own.
You are extremely thorough! Thank you from a new subscriber!!
As a long time horse owner, I know of No feed store that has a list of the chemicals sprayed on the hay they sell. They would look at me sideways. This is good info but really sucks becasue my whole plan for my future small homestead was to use my horse manure in the garden. :(
Exactly. I’m in the same boat. Nobody knows if they has been treated it’s damn near impossible to find out
But she said we can still do onions. What about sweet potatoes
Follow the link in the description that tells you how to test it on seedlings. Easy test. Also, as one commenter suggested, check for worms or bugs in the composted manure. There should be some.
Also, can you purchase organic hay? That should assure you no pesticides (i would hope)
Neighbor has horses and good cannabis pot soil is extremely expensive and takes from profits.Thank you
i was thinking to myself to make a slurry, and spread it on the south facing garden and let it sit in the sun for a month before we start planting.
I'm surprised you don't have more subscribers. Great video's..
We are working on it. We have mainly put our time into our blog, but now are shifting more toward CZcams. Thank you for your encouraging words.
I find this very informative and accurate, I’m wondering something about potential herbicide in horse manure. Would dicot weed seedlings growing in the manure a sign that it doesn’t contain any selective herbicide?
That was very helpful! Thank you.
Thank you for a great informative video!
Thanks, Elaine! :)
Thank you.
I run a sprinkler while I add manure to my pile. By the time my 8 x 8 pile is done I've been adding and watering every other day for a couple months so everything is uniformly moist and I don't have to turn the pile.
I like your sprinkler idea. How can you make sure the high temperatures get to all parts of the compost if you don't turn?
@@helentc I have an 18” thermometer from Amazon. I go poking around with it once the pile smells like it’s cooking. It usually takes 2-3 days, and starts to cool after a couple weeks. Because the pile shrinks while it processes an 8’ pile will last several months
@@helentc I have an 18’ compost thermometer (Amazon). Plus when you dig into it the not-quite-done sections are pretty obvious. I just set them off to the side in a new pile.
The local pony club sells cheap bags of horse manure, which i had been dumping right into my worm bin. I hadnt considered worming chemicals in the manure... i must just be lucky
I flipped 26 houses from 2011 to 2014. I've laid sod numerous times just two weeks after heavy application of Roundup. Great results with no ill effects on the new sod. There first several houses where sod was laid without Roundup the lawn looked terrible. Weeds sprouting along all the seam lines which grew much faster than the surrounding grass. Given that, I don't think putting material in your compost pile that had roundup on it would have any effect at all.
Is fresh horse manure tea ok to feed the garden .thanks for your video
Great vid. Thanks!
Very informative Amy! I have access to horse manure "compost" from a neighbours Horse farm . It has been piled up for in excess of 1-2 years but unsure if it has herbicides in it. Would it have broken down in that time and be safe to use for vegetables ? It no longer looks like Manure but like rich compost. (have used it to grow roses and they are amazing but would love to be able to use as compost in my vegetable garden
Any updates?
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
Thanks for the handy tips!
I just bought 8 bags of horse poo on a drive through the country.
Then thought, what do I do now? 👍😅
really? you randomly bought bags of horse sh ? lol
@@FixItYerself ahahaha and the fact he paid for horse poo too 😂
I would never buy doodie 😂😂😂 I'm about to pick a truck full for free fitty free
@@charitablemiraclebeekeeper1200 no doubt. my mom's horse leaves mountains of it behind. maybe she should bag it up and sell it
wow, thanks
I need help. I was given approximately 10 lbs of horse manure from a friend. She said it was maybe 6 weeks old. I have a barrel type composter, a small backyard and no idea how to make it compost for my vegetables and/or a feed additive for my red wigglers. Thank you.
Red Wigglers will definitely eat horse manure, but you first need to know if persistent herbicides were used on the hay fed to the horses. I'd be glad to help more, but I may be better help by phone. Would you like to book a call? You can do so here. calendly.com/gardensthatmatter/call?month=2023-02
Amy
I can't believe that you didn't warn against using manure with horse urine in it, ammonia is wicked hard to compost out if there are the right conditions to create ammonia nitrate. there's actually a fairly powerful secret cold composting technique related to ammonia breakdown ^_^ and as its an original by me that's the most I will say XD
Thank you.
1:😧😕horse manure seriously thats grose 2:I ❤ your channel
What about the dewormer that they used about two months ago is that now
does the compost pile need to have direct sun? I would like to put my compost bin in the woods on the edge of the paddock. Is that possible?
No, and in fact, depending on where you live, its often better not to have your pile in the direct sun (dries out to quickly). We have several piles/bins on the edge of the woods. Just make sure your pile isn't too close to tree trunks (at least 6-8 ft away).
TY!
@@GardensThatMatter
Hi I got 20 yards of cow manure compost from a farmer do you recommend I let it sit or spread it out? I'm sure my neighbors hate me.
I live I Thailand and my horse doesn't have de wormer
What about yr old piles? I've been piling it up and trying to decide how to make a compost situation and have 2 horses. It's just piling up on the back of the property since last July. (Just from the stalls)
Absolutely. Year old piles are great, but you may need to add some moisture to get it going.
What if I've gotten Horsemen or from a stable and I don't know if it has been warmed or not or if the pasture was sprayed? Will it still be safe to use in my garden after composting
It's hard to know. Dewormer can usually be sanitized in the sun for several days if on a pasture, but in a stable, it might be a risk.
If the grass the horses are grazing have been sprayed with a "persistent herbicide", it can last for several years and will not break down in your compost. You will be making "killer compost" and the only thing that will survive in your garden are grass plants like corn.
If you cannot talk to the owner of the horses or the pasture owner (if different), to see what they spray on their field, then I would not chance it. Persistent herbicides can be catastrophic to a garden and could take years to recover for growing. It's not worth the risk.
What about feeding the horse manure to earthworms in a tub? Will it kill the earthworms? Will the earthworms cycle it through and cleanse it? The horse manure in question has been in black plastic bags in a sunny spot for two years. I have nor will I be able to obtain the horse manures chemical history. Thank You, Tom.
Good question, Tom! Sorry for my delayed reply. Did you give it a try? If you're still deciding, here's what I'd suggest:
1. Open the bags and spread them so the horse manure is exposed to sun. Let the sun's UV work on it for a week or two to help degrade any chemicals left in it.
2. Mix it with "brown" bedding (like shredded leaves 1:1) and get it evenly moist.
3. Put it into your tub, and make a pocket of the tub bedding only. (This gives worms a place to go if the manure breakdown is too hot initially.)
Regarding Persistent Herbicides. I raise compost worms. If I'm not sure about the "Killer Compost" factor is it possible to give it to worms and let them "cleanse" it after hot composting it? I know the person that will let me have the horse manure and they get their hay from Mohave Valley AZ. It has been my understanding that the Persistent Herbicides are mostly used in the North and not down here. Wormers have a relatively short lifespan so they will not be a problem. Mother Earth News also did a big story specifically about "Killer Compost" some time back and the fact that it lives for years was a serious caveat for using manure from horses that were fed hay from the northern US. Hoping you can help me.
I checked my old issues and it's in April/May 2011 issue page 20.
Hi! I intend to use the horse manure mixed with food scraps to raise worms. My hope is that the worms will neutralize and/or cleanse the herbicide. Please let me know what you find out. Thanks! Nelson
I will check into it on several sites that I am on. However I have never seen this discussed before so I'll just ask and hope I get an answer from someone that REALLY knows. I'll get back to you as soon as I can. BTW, I am using 7 year old manure plus it came from a local farm. Hopefully the only thing you will have to do is get REALLY old compost. We will see.@@nelsonolivera8059
I checked with several people that are familiar with this situation and ALL concur on one point. It will NOT hurt worms BUT the bad stuff still is abundant in the castings. Not good to use for gardening.
@@nelsonolivera8059
@@Paratrooper23 Ouch! Thank you so much for letting me your findings. It is very kind of you. I need time to digest this info and figure out a strategy to work with it. I am leaning towards raising the worms for the worms reproduction and not the castings. Thank You very much! Nelson
Thanks for the info, very helpful...my compost is soil and veggie based, is it ok to place horse manure on the top of the compost immediately or mix immediately...?
We like to add horse manure into our compost bins along with everything else. We also have some large piles of horse manure composting in the pasture. We turn and water it just the same as any of our bin piles. Thanks for the question Adrian.
@@GardensThatMatter Thanks very much.
@@GardensThatMatter i have a raised garden bed. im planning on putiting near fresh horse manure, near the bottom of the garden bed. its about 500 mm high. will this stop the seeds growing, and allow for the manure to slowly decompose?
Think this is why I failed at cauliflower. So onions are OK? I want to grow something. What about sweet potatoes????
the problem with horse manure is that u can never be sure what treatments the horses are given
Very good point, Brian! If you own the horses or know the owner well enough to ask, you can check on persistent herbicides in hay and any wormers or other meds. If you're getting manure from someone random, you might keep that compost pile separate and test it by growing a few bean plants in pots with it as part of your mix.
they said it stable that I got the horsemen or act, they had dewormed the horses about 2 months ago as far as the feed goes the hay they believe that it was treated with a something that would be safe for the horses to eat. The bedding is Sawdust so I'm sure sawdust it's fine.
Hey Jeff. Most herbicides are safe for horses and other animals. That is not the concern, what is safe for horses doesn't mean it is safe for plants that are surrounded by the killer compost. "Persistent Herbicides" were developed for long term control of broad leaf plants, and they are usually considered (semi)safe for grazing animals. Just be careful and if you have any doubts, don't use the manure in your compost. Here is an article about persistent herbicides and compost that might help.
www.compostingcouncil.org/page/persistent-herbicides
Good luck and thank you for reaching out to us with your questions.
I was able to get some aged manure that is 2-3 years old. Anything I should do before I use it?
Yes. Before incorporating into your compost or garden, you want to know where the manure came from. I assume you are talking about cow or horse manure. If so, you want to ask who you got it from what herbicides they may have used in the grazing field. There are some "persistent herbicides" that have been popular in the last few years, which means farmers can spray it once and it will last in the field for several years (even in cut hay). If the manure has grass or hay that has persistent herbicides in it, it will kill everything in your garden (except grass crops like corn). This will contaminate your compost too. You will be making "killer compost". Here is a link for more info on persistent herbicides. www.compostingcouncil.org/page/persistent-herbicides
Horse Dewormer?
'CNN WANTS TO KNOW YOUR LOCATION'
Nobody, nowhere, addresses the herbicide issue! Well Rodale Radio does, in lawn clippings (same problems, do the homework before you use them).
That nitrogen fixing bean crop looks better and better...
Newbie here. Question: an easy place to collect our horses manure is in the barn. But it’s manure that’s been soaked with urine also. Is it still ok to use? Or should I go hunting for piles in the pasture?
Hi Cary. Great question. Manure and Urine are both great sources of nitrogen for compost. No need to find manure not mixed with urine. Urine is a valuable source of nitrogen too. There are 2 main things to be aware of with using manure in your compost. The first is dewormer. Dewormer used in horsed and cattle will exit the animal in their manure and will kill any worms and microbes in your compost that are responsible for decomposition. Most dewormers will be sanitized/sterilized with time in the sun. When our horses have been dewormed, we usually wait a couple of weeks before using any manure from the pasture (let it bake in the sun). Manure in the barn after dewormer is different. We will either toss it from the stalls into the sun or not use that particular manure for compost. We will wait until we are sure the dewormer has worked its way through the animal's system and is sterilized by the sun before composting it.
The second thing to know (or to be sure about) is that the manure isn't coming from animals that are grazing on pastures that have been sprayed with "persistent herbicides". Are you aware of persistent herbicides? The were developed to eliminate broad leaf plants in pastures so that farmers don't have to spray as often. Like the name implies, they persist in the soil for years. So, if you use manure from an animal that eats grass sprayed with persistent herbicides in your compost and use this compost in your garden, it will kill everything in your garden (but grass) and will then persist in your garden's soil for years, ultimately contaminating your garden and rendering it un-growable. This kind of contaminated compost is called "killer compost". So you want to make sure you always know what is sprayed on the pastures that your horses are grazing on before using that manure in your compost or garden. Here is a link for more info on persistent herbicides.
www.compostingcouncil.org/page/persistent-herbicides-faq
Here is our youtube video on horse manure too, which explains what I've already explained, but might be useful.
czcams.com/video/WOTuV71rXPc/video.html
Sorry so long of an answer, just wanted to make sure you were aware of the risks of manure. But as long as these 2 things are checked, manure (and urine) are great sources of nitrogen for your compost. Let us know if you have any further questions. Thanks and happy gardening.
Gardens That Matter Thank you so much! I really appreciate the help and education! I am a first time gardener, and even new in owning a horse! We keep our horse at a friends farm. We know that he does not spray the fields where she grazes, so we know that what she eats is safe. We haven’t given our horse a dewormer in quite some time. So we’re good there too! But it got me thinking- I should look into that. I’m sure there is a CZcams video for how often you should deworm a horse! 😂
@@caryinky Good to know your horses are grazing on clean grass. Sorry I can't help you with horse care (how often to deworm). The horses on our pastures aren't ours. Our family leases the pasture for the horses to graze. Good for us. We don't have to take care of the horses, but we get to collect their manure for compost. Yay.
Starts 1:10
My girlfriend does own a mare so we have much fertilizer
Just buy it .
Most places are $40 / 50 for a full trailer load and come with a NPK.
Can I compost TORTILLAS (both corn & flour) ???
Yes. We lived in New Mexico for 10+ years and we composted lots and lots of tortillas (and stale tortilla chips)
Ever composted rabbit poo
I did it with Woodglut.
I don’t even have a horse
erbs...
i fucking want some horse poop!!! where can i buy some fresh horse dung?
no way to tell
i don't use it for gardening honey
With a name like turd-guzzling, we know what you do with them 😁
herbicides and pesticides should be banned. Period
50 lbs lol!
ONE HORSE!!!!???😮
stop waving your hands pls XD