What has been part of normal garden practice for generations is becoming increasingly difficult due to new regulations: fertilizing with horse manure. Anyone who mucks out the barn and stores the material for composting must observe certain regulations. Before storage, horse manure only serves to a limited extent as a nutrient supplier.

Horse manure is a great fertilizer

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Horse manure as fertilizer
  3. compost horse manure
  4. horse manure pellets
  5. frequently asked Questions

    6. the essentials in brief

    • Horse manure is suitable for fertilization because of its nutrient content. Fresh manure is only recommended for heavy consumers, while herbs are supplied with stale manure.
    • The composting and storage of horse manure is regulated in the Fertilizer Ordinance. Small amounts can be decomposed in a quick composter.
    • Horse manure pellets 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 supplies the plants with vital nutrients in a balanced ratio. Horse manure fertilizer has been used in gardens and farmland for generations. Horse manure is suitable for tomatoes and for filling raised beds. Farmers also appreciate the material.

    digression

    Fertilizer regulation for horse manure

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

    New regulations:

    • stored horse manure must be covered
    • general minimum storage of four months necessary
    • no mixing with kitchen waste

    nutrient content

    Horse manure is rich in magnesium, nitrogen and other trace elements

    Horse manure consists of urine, bedding and horse manure. It is particularly valuable as an organic fertilizer 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 animal owner you get the manure from, different proportions of bedding can be mixed in. It acts as a structure giver and ensures soil improvement.

    stored horse manure fresh horse manure
    total nitrogen 6.8 kg/t 4.4 kg/t
    nitrogen available in the first year 1.3 kg/t 0.6 kg/t
    phosphorus 5.0 kg/t 2.5 kg/t
    potassium 19.5 kg/t 9.8 kg/t
    magnesium 1.3 kg/t 0.6 kg/t

    plant

    Cucumbers are happy about a portion of horse manure

    Fresh horse manure is a good plant fertilizer because it provides nutrients quickly. Due to the high fiber content in the horse manure, the formation of humus is promoted. The nutrient content of fresh manure is very high. This is not suitable for weakly 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 plant bed: roses, rhododendrons, hydrangeas
    • in the garden: lawn, fruit trees, raspberries
    • in the greenhouse: tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms

    application

    Fresh horse manure is broken up well before spreading. When fertilizing fruit trees, spread the substrate about ten centimeters thick on the tree disc and dig it flat into the ground. Alternatively, you can cover the fertilized tree disc with a thin layer of leaves.

    Fruit trees and fruit bushes are fertilized in autumn, with the fertilization being sufficient for the next two years. Ornamental shrubs such as roses can be supplied with horse manure annually. Herbs, beds and weakly consuming plants 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 roots.

    compost horse manure

    In the past, some hobby gardeners did not use the manure directly in the fresh state, but made a manure compost. As a result, the substrate is also suitable for fertilizing sensitive plants. The composting of 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 keep a few horses that produce small amounts of manure, quick composting is a good alternative.

    Fresh horse manure should not just be composted. The provisions of the Fertilizer Ordinance apply.

    manufacturing

    The horse manure is first mixed with wood shavings or something similar

    The manure compost is set up separately from household compost on a sealed area. You can mix the manure with other organic material like fall leaves or shredded prunings. During the rotting processes, high temperatures develop inside, which is why the heap should not be higher than 100 centimeters. Cover the compost with a film and ensure adequate ventilation. Care is important for optimal rotting processes. This includes moistening, loosening and regular turning.

    Benefits of composting:

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

    compost worms

    Worms act as compost accelerators. Since compost worms retreat to the topsoil when there is a risk of frost, the compost must be in direct contact with the soil. Because of 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 content of less than 25 percent must first rot on a fixed manure plate for three weeks. You can store the manure in a meadow if it meets certain requirements. This must be used for agricultural purposes and must not be located near bodies of water. A minimum distance of 20 meters to the nearest surface water must be maintained.

    In this way, the manure may not be stored for more than six months. A new deposit has to be selected next year. On the other hand, storage on highly permeable soils such as sand or on subsoil with drainage systems is not permitted.

    tips

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

    quick composter

    Bokashi is a fermented substrate that is made under exclusion of air. Within a few weeks, effective microorganisms ensure that pure horse droppings are broken down into a nutrient-rich substrate. The more straw there is in the manure, the longer it takes 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 is also available in the form of pellets

    Drying horse manure is an environmentally friendly method in which the nutrients cannot get into the soil in an uncontrolled manner. Pellets are made from the dried manure, which are used for heating and fertilization. Experience shows that horse manure pellets are an ideal universal fertilizer.

    tips

    If you buy pellets or horse manure, you should not only be attracted by cheap prices. Pay attention to the origin of products from discounters like Aldi. Manure from competition horses can be contaminated with antibiotics.

    make pellets

    The pelleting of horse manure requires a special drying facility in which the material is circulated and treated with hot air. As a result, large amounts of moisture evaporate in a short time. The finer the material, the faster the drying process. Then it is pressed into pellets. Some companies offer horse owners the option of disposing of their manure in the pelleting plant. In this way, the material can be used profitably.

    Video:youtube

    Pellets - application as fertilizer

    The application of fertilizer pellets is easy and convenient. Shrubs, fruit trees and vegetable beds are fertilized in spring. Work the pellets into the soil about four inches deep. Then water the areas so that the pellets in the ground can swell and decompose. After about three weeks, a handful of the concentrated horse manure can be sprinkled on. 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 shrubs: about 200 grams of pellets per square meter

    frequently asked Questions

    What is the specific gravity of horse manure?

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

    Horse manure or cow manure as fertilizer?

    Crap is not the same as crap. Horse manure is high in nitrogen and contains large amounts of undigested plant matter. Often the manure contains bedding and straw. Cattle manure has a more balanced mineral ratio than horse manure and contains large amounts of potassium. Depending on how the animals are kept, the dung of both species can be contaminated with medicines or chemicals.

    Which biogas plant uses horse manure?

    Fermenting horse manure into biogas is not so easy due to the high lignin content. Scientists are constantly testing how horse manure can be used as fuel. But there are now mini biogas plants for horse manure, which are of particular interest to boarding horse farms and hobby horse owners. In Moers there is a biogas plant that can burn and use 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 involves varying costs. They deliver containers to be filled 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.

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Garden design