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Today, the agricultural industry offers gardeners and gardeners a huge selection of various fertilizers – organic and mineral. However, many experienced farmers prefer to use horse manure as fertilizer. They know perfectly well how to apply it to get consistently high yields.
The long-term use of horse manure in the agro-industrial sector has long proved its undeniable benefits for increasing crop yields, as well as increasing their resistance to various diseases.
Benefits of horse fertilizer
Gardeners also use other types of natural fertilizers, but when choosing which manure is better – chicken, horse or cow, many prefer horse. It differs:
- greater dryness and lightness, which allows loosening heavy clay soils;
- rich in the most important mineral elements;
- higher rate of decomposition compared to cow or pig manure;
- water retention effect on light sandy soils;
- good heat dissipation;
- low content of weed seeds;
- resistance to pathogenic microflora.
However, in some cases, the use of horse manure is undesirable:
- if the mass is covered with a fungal coating, it is useless for warming the soil;
- horse manure that has not decomposed to the end emits too much ammonia and is harmful to cucumber beds;
- when using this organic fertilizer on potato fields, scab may occur;
- with high soil density, manure slowly decomposes with the release of methane and hydrogen sulfide and can damage plant roots.
Types of horse manure
The organic mass can be used in different forms and at any stage of decomposition.
Fresh manure
Fresh humus is easy to identify by its appearance – it contains undecomposed plant residues. Over time, the mass will become more homogeneous in composition and dark in color. The use of fresh humus as a fertilizer can have negative consequences for plants, since:
- it will suppress their development and may even burn the roots due to the large heat transfer;
- manure contains fresh weed seeds that will quickly germinate in the garden;
- spores in the fresh mass can cause fungal diseases.
Application of manure in autumn
It is better to bring fresh horse manure to the beds in the fall, when the entire crop has already been harvested. By spring, it will decompose and become an excellent top dressing for seedlings. The introduction of manure in the fall on the beds should be accompanied by their rapid digging, so that a significant part of the nitrogen contained in it is not lost. Mixed with straw and a small amount of ash, you can use this substrate:
- cover tree trunks for the winter;
- fall asleep in the aisles of berry crops;
- make a “warm bedding” under cucumber or cabbage beds.
use in spring
In the spring, fresh horse manure is used as an indispensable biofuel for greenhouses. The heat released by it during decomposition evenly warms the beds during the cool spring months, and carbon dioxide saturates the soil and loosens it, making it airy. With the help of warm beds arranged in this way, even in the cold northern regions, it is possible to grow watermelons.
In the spring, fresh manure can also be used:
- for carrying out liquid dressings, mixed with water;
- in a mixture with mineral fertilizers;
- for the preparation of compost from horse manure and sawdust, straw, fallen leaves.
rotted manure
Semi-rotted organic mass can:
- feed garden crops – zucchini, cabbage, cucumbers;
- fertilize flower beds;
- mulch rose bushes;
- diluted with water, apply as a liquid top dressing;
- use when digging beds.
In rotten manure, the color darkens almost to black, and the weight is almost halved. It is a fertile substrate that is used:
- when preparing the soil for seedlings;
- for fertilizing vegetable crops and garden trees.
Last stage of decomposition
At the final stage of decomposition of horse manure, humus is formed – a valuable organic fertilizer, which:
- is a universal top dressing for all garden and garden plants;
- significantly accelerates their growth and development;
- improves the taste of most root crops, for example, radishes and onions lose their bitterness when used;
- improves soil structure;
- increases the yield of fruit trees;
- can be used for mulching.
Ways of storage
It is important to ensure that manure is properly stored. Then it will contain a richer content of useful elements. There are two methods for storing a substance.
The cold method is more preferable, as it allows you to save more nitrogen and prevent overheating of the mass. Stacking of organic matter should be carried out in the following sequence:
- dig a spacious hole or arrange a fence;
- put plant remains in it in layers – straw, leaves or sawdust and fresh horse manure;
- it is advisable to lay a layer of peat at the bottom to absorb the released slurry;
- the thickness of each layer is 15-20 cm;
- earth or peat is poured over the layers;
- the stack is covered with a film to protect it from moisture or overdrying.
With the hot method, the mass of manure is simply covered in heaps that are open to free penetration of air. Under its action, the microflora actively reproduces in them and an intensive loss of nitrogen occurs. After a few months, the mass will decrease in volume and become loose and light.
Liquid top dressing
A solution of liquid horse manure is often used as a fertilizer. To prepare it, you need to pour water on a mixture of straw or sawdust with fresh organic matter and insist for two weeks, stirring occasionally. Such an infusion is an effective root dressing for vegetable crops. It should be carried out after abundant watering of the beds. Too saturated solutions of manure should not be prepared – they can damage the plants.
Even faster, liquid top dressing can be prepared from humus by infusing it with water for 2-3 days. When using the finished infusion, you need to dilute it twice with water. Periodic top dressing with liquid horse manure will provide garden crops with rapid development and high yields. You can enhance the effect of the infusion with the help of nettle. It is rich in useful trace elements. However, this infusion is not recommended for plants that prefer acidic soils.
Application as an extract
Today, highly effective fertilizer can be purchased in any form and in convenient packaging: in bags, where it is located:
- in dry form;
- as an organic fertilizer in granules;
- diluted in bottles.
Especially popular was the extract of horse manure. The instructions for its use recommend using it for root and foliar dressings and for all types of soils. The product is obtained by extraction from manure using a special purification technology. Manufacturers guarantee when using this fertilizer:
- high germination of crops;
- excellent survival rate of transplanted seedlings;
- rich harvests of vegetable and fruit crops.
Top dressing with liquid fertilizer is carried out in dry weather every two weeks. Treatment should be done early in the morning or after sunset. Before use, the solution must be diluted according to the instructions.
Reviews of gardeners and gardeners
Conclusion
When used correctly, horse manure is an effective fertilizer for a range of crops. But it must be used taking into account the composition of the soil and the type of garden crops.
