Hay is for Horses, but what about their poop-a-lish . . . ?

[MangoFang]

Our city has announced a free horse manure pick up program at a couple stables
we have.  You know - a bring-your-own poop bag/bucket and grab all you want kind of deal.
So.....what's the low down on this type of fertilizer for plants (mango in particular)?

I know it will be high in nitrogen, but any negatives as far as the quality of the nutrients?


Thanks, Gary

[michsu]

Here's something I found online...

http://www.esc.rutgers.edu/downloads/RLpage/FS036_HorsesAndManure.pdf

For approximate numbers, here you go:
http://www.alpacasofmontana.com/naturalfertilizers.html

[bsbullie]

Here in SFla,  it will bring you unwanted population of flies.

[starling1]

Depends what the horse has been fed, but virtually the same as cow.

[Coconut]

Horse compost you can start a mushroom farm.  They will burn your plant if you don't compost it first.  We used to get them from the Polo Club here in West Palm, sad to see Mc Mansion development is replacing it.

[ricshaw]

Depends what the horse has been fed, but virtually the same as cow.

I think horse is higher in grass weed seed.

[starling1]

Depends what the horse has been fed, but virtually the same as cow.

I think horse is higher in grass weed seed.

Yes, this is true. Cows have a more sophisticated digestive system than horses which enable them to process more seeds internally.

[fruitlovers]

Yes main danger is introducing horrible weed seeds that pass right through horse's digestive system. Fertility wise horse manure is very good. You don't want to apply high amounts of nitrogen to mangos. There has been other threads about this. I would use the horse golden apples on other fruit trees instead.

[starling1]

It's a GREAT banana fertilizer, and a great citrus fertilizer. Probably better than chicken manure because it's more difficult to over fertilize by using it. I own a horse, and tend to use the manure on most things. If you can compost it, chances are the heat will kill off  excess seeds, but this might not work in an open system.

You can burn it if you run out of firewood BTW.

S

[Mark in Texas]

Our city has announced a free horse manure pick up program at a couple stables
we have.  You know - a bring-your-own poop bag/bucket and grab all you want kind of deal.
So.....what's the low down on this type of fertilizer for plants (mango in particular)?

I know it will be high in nitrogen, but any negatives as far as the quality of the nutrients?

Thanks, Gary

Been hauling "road apples" via 4.5 cu. yd. dump trailers for years.  It's a great source of organics and NPK with one caveat - make sure that the horses were not grazed on fields that were treated with a broad leaf herbicide, the worse being picloram found in the old Grazon herbicide. 2-4-D is not so bad, but pichloram will pass through the horse and destroy sensitive plants.  It takes forever to decompose.  It's not a health issue to humans or horses, just to certain broadleaf plants.

Never seen flies around horse manure and had no weed issues.  I've sourced it from 4 large stables with no problems.  Go fer it.......

Mark

[Mark in Texas]

You don't want to apply high amounts of nitrogen to mangos.

Why not?  I'm using a slow release 18-4-9, tree is healthy.

[ricshaw]

Horse manure used for mushroom farming compost is sterilized.

[MangoFang]

hmmmm....a mixed response as would be expected.  Well, to put in around my orchard plancts - apple, pear, peach - sounds like a good idea.  Maybe let it sit for a few months to let the heat work itself out....?

And yeah, the bananas, yeah, and what about papaya, yeah, they are heavy feeders too....

OK....I'll cautiously get some and maybe compost it, or let it sit first....
THANKS FOLKS....

Gary