horse manure for garden?

[cheapdave]

have been looking for some cheap compost or composted manure for garden and have found a source of some clean manure & sawdust mix.........this person will give me this stuff for free, and will load it for me as well........he will give me the oldest he has .......he has a large pile that he has made into a ramp of sorts, he dumps the fresh at far end driving over oldest stuff with loader.....So the material he will give me is quite compacted, heavy and wet........will this work for my garden? I am concerned how to break apart and work into soil......and since I will be planting some things soon - beets, broccoli, carrots, onions, kale, cabbage..........is this a good way to go, or should I look for some better option? Oh and one more thing.....I have picked up 1 load of compost from the city....I went to city compost yard and found I can get all that I want for free......compost is clean and looks good.....I used on flower beds, but not sure I trust for vegetable garden....They said compost it is 99 percent leaves and grass.

[Billy]

Uh-huh. Manure of an uncertain age, should be added to the garden three months before planting. If you can keep it away from the edible part of the plant for 3 months, that is just as good (No slashing on the edible portions while watering. This goes for septic lines as well.). Work into soil with a shovel for best N effect (although you will be damaging the soil by turning it). It is probably best to use it as side dressing.

Manure Chicken Diary Cow Horse Steer Rabbit Sheep Alfalfa Fish Emulsion N 1.1 .257 .70 .70 2.4 .70 3 5 P .80 .15 .30 .30 1.4 .30 1 1 K .50 .25 .60 .40 .60 .90 2 1

Use as manure at 18 lbs of chicken manure per 100 sq. feet. This is good for corn, tomatoes, peppers, squash. It is over kill for root crops and melons.

concentration X quantity = concentration X quantity

Ex. N (Steer manure) X ? = N (Chicken manure) (1.1) X 18 lbs ? = Chicken manure (1.1) X 18 lbs. / .70 (steer manure) = 28.29 lbs of steer manure

On the other hand, the city has no idea of what has been put on its compost. When in doubt, throw it out. If this is for decorative plants, no problem. If this is for plants that you are going to eat, forget it. If the city can absolutely, positively guarantee that no herbicide, insecticide, or heavy metals (or arsenic) have been used on their compost, then use it everywhere.

[David Hare-Scott]

Yes it should be excellent.

I am concerned how to

No problem, it will not be too strong for young plants, just mix it in breaking up lumps as best you can.

Oh and one more thing.....I have picked up 1 load

I cannot comment not knowing what leaves and grass or how composted it is.

David

[brooklyn1]

Perfect... if you're growing WEEDS!

[Una]

I would take the manure and sawdust bedding. Municipal compost typically has "biosolids" added to it from the municipal sewage treatment plant, and some trash.

If you have the space, consider getting manure ahead of time and working your own compost pile for next year. I did that, and now have a lovely big pile of finished clean compost ready to use.

Una

[Phisherman]

If the manure is at least partly composted (maybe 6 months on the ground) it can be tilled into the vegetable garden. We can get free "city" compost too, but you never know what you are getting.