I know that horse manure shouldn't be used as compost unless properly aged b/c it might burn the plants. HOWEVER, I have tons of manure that isn't really aged and some really cruddy soil, and I'm trying to figure out a good way of (i) reducing the manure pile and (ii) improving the soil a bit.

Does anyone have any thoughts on digging a rather deep hole, putting some unaged manure/shavings in the hole, putting dirt on top (maybe 3-4" or so), then planting on top of that? I seem to remember reading that folks used to do this in the winter to help heat up the soil a bit--would this create too much heat in the summer?

Thanks in advance for your help.

-- Julie in NC (jwoessner@rtmx.net), May 02, 2002

Answers

HERE COME THE WEEDS

-- Mel Kelly (melkelly@webtv.net), May 02, 2002.

I think it will be too hot. Plants would look good till they get their toes in the manure, then yellow, stress, and wilt.

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

When I plant squash, cukes and pumpkin seeds, in the past I've used fresh cow or horse manure...depending on what was available at the time. I dig a hole about 8 to 10 inches deep, deposit a shovelful of manure, add some soil and mix it up. I poke the seeds directly into this small mound and have not had any problems with it being too hot. You will have more of a problem with weeds than you would with sheep or goat manure. Cows and hoses just don't seem to digest the seeds as efficiently as goats/sheep.

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), May 02, 2002.

Last year, I decided to conduct my own little experiment: I planted 2 tomato plants, same variety, next to each other in my garden bed. In one whole, added fresh (that morning!) pony manure, and to the other whole I added nothing (just backfilled with the earth - which is pretty healthy to begin with). They were also watered the same amount at the same time. The plants grew at about the same rate until we had a hot spell, when the plant in the manure just took off, completely choking out the other plant. They were both Sweet 100 cherrt tomatoes, and the one plant which did so well spread 3' high by about 8' wide, and gave us thousands of tomatoes. I still have a few jars of dried cherry tomatoes in olive oil out in the freezer. Great in stir fries, pasta sauces and pizza! : )

-- Andrea, Big Flats NY (andreagee@aol.com), May 02, 2002.

If you have a large enough area, here is how I handled some of our horse manure. We started hauling lots of it to a 20 by 20 ft area, ours has lots of straw mixed in. Then I placed a shovel or two of dirt and planted all my squash vines,pumpkin,cukes,watermelon, and the like in it. It turned out great, great yields and not to much weeding. Then turn the pigs in to it, to turn up all of it when its finished. Its always fun to try something different. It was the first year we weren't as troubled by squash vine borers, but that could of been a fluke year also!!

-- Suzanne (weir@frontiernet.net), May 02, 2002.

I worked on a organic farm and was told that if you do not properly compost manure you run the risk of E-coli. This was especially true of crops like lettuce if they are not washed well before eating. Anyone else know of this?

-- diane (greenwitch@catskillnativenursery.com), May 02, 2002.

Diane, you're right about the disease risks of improperly composted manures, especially on leafy or root veggies.

There is, however, very little risk to taller flowering or fruiting veggies. Burying the manure at least 4 inches under the soil further reduces the risks of surface contact of your above ground produce.

-- Laura (Ladybugwrangler@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

Thanks for all of your good responses. I have to admit I'm tempted to experiment like Andrea . . . we homeschool, and the kids are always interested in science experiments.

The e. coli information is helpful. I guess I had always associated that more with cattle. Learn something new every day.

I'll let y'all know how the experiment goes. ;)

-- Julie in NC (jwoessner@rtmx.net), May 03, 2002.

I would spread the manure evenly and throughly disc or till which is usually 6 to 10 inches deep.Also you might want to set aside a plot and cover it with about 2 to 4 inches of manure,throughly disc and plant a cover crop like grain sorghorm or sudan grass disc this when its heads are in the green stage.keep repeating this all summer and plant barley or wheat this fall when you work the ground up next spring you'll be amazed at the improvement.

-- Gary (burnett_gary@msn.com), May 03, 2002.

Man oh Man I wish I lived by you!!I would put a add in the paper saying take as much as you want for your mulch pile, it needs to be aged. People are always looking for good stapels for there mulch piles and that it is hot mamure is a big plus!! Helps heat up the mulch pile. I would be hauling as much as my little chevy love wagon could carry.:)

-- Teresa (MO) (c3ranch@socket.net), May 03, 2002.

I do try to age our manure, but we have four horses on 1.66 acres, and we remove the manure from pasture daily,...it really builds up. My nieghbor though has been taking the fresh manure to use as fill. Not using it this year, and they mix it 1/2 and 1/2 with the dirt. I did this last year. With a raised bed. And plan to do it again this year. and One thing that shocked me. My artichoke is huge! In an area I was not expecting anything at all. it was 1/2 and 1/2 and the manure was probably a year old.

Has any one tried to heat their manure to kill the seeds? How did you do this?

donna

-- Donna Potts Walling (rwalling@greatnorthern.net), May 03, 2002.

I just can't resist. Hold a lighted match to your butt. I'm leaving now...

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), May 03, 2002.

Ahhh...someone's been watching too many Jim Carey movies :-)!!!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), May 03, 2002.