Who uses horse manure?

[rockman]

I have access to manure. The bedding comes in bags from tractor supply. They are small wood pellets that dissolve in liquid. They are fed high protein bagged feed and hay. Hopefully not too many weeds! Iv'e been collecting the manure since fall. Turning it with a pitch fork. Would it be ready this spring, and any plants I should avoid? I'm the one who believes a little does but a lot does better! thanks, rockman

[Worth1]

Depends on what they were fed and where that feed came from.
One member here learned the hard way with residual round up.
Do a bean sprout test by all means.

[bower]

Horse manure is great stuff, but as Worth said, herbicide residues have made it a gamble. So sprout a bean in that before you plant tomatoes. Both beans and tomatoes are sensitive to the residues that have been found in manure.

[rockman]

Thanks Worth1 and bower, will put beans in our southern window today. rockman

[gssgarden]

I have used some I picked up from a local horse farm. Only problem was the amount of Bermuda grass that came up that year. It was horrible. I assume it didn’t sit long enough.

Greg

[rockman]

My test beans are swelling. Thinking about putting a big sheet of black landscape felt over the manure to see if any weeds are lurking. Don't have to worry about Bermuda grass but have plenty of crabgrass. Dick

[Cole_Robbie]

If there is herbicide in the manure, the beans may still grow, but will have a knarled, twisted, skinny leaf sort of look.

[rockman]

Could the herbicide most likely be in the hay, or the bagged feed from tractor supply? By mid wk I should see some growth. I didn't think to ask my neighbor about the feed, as they have race horses and I was thinking probably nothing but the best for them. They have only been next door for a yr. or so and I don't know the workings of their mini farm. I will ask! Thanks, Dick

[pecker88]

Bean test for sure. Any gnarled looking leaves, STAY AWAY!

It's not Round-up risidual, glyphosate doesnt carry over. Not to mention, if spraying round-up on hay would kill it!

Any Tordon products are what you need to be worried about. Many hay producers use Tordon as a broadleaf herbicide on prairie hay (grassy meadows) and that has a minimum of 7-yr carryover. Tordon, like 24-D kills broadleaf and not grass. Recently at my dad's farm, I noticed that Tordon now comes with a huge label that warn users of the risidual effects and passthrough issues when composting. I'm pretty sure the DOW company recently battled a lawsuit re: compost and risidual carryover.

I end up buying compost, because I cant use any manure from my dads livestock, he uses Tordon and I learned the hard way in my new 30-ft greenhouse with raised beds.

[rockman]

Iv'e used the purple Tordon on stumps to kill the sprouts. Didn't know it's used on hay fields. My neighbor may know what is used in the fields where their hay comes from. Thanks,Dick

[pecker88]

Originally Posted by rockman

Iv'e used the purple Tordon on stumps to kill the sprouts. Didn't know it's used on hay fields. My neighbor may know what is used in the fields where their hay comes from. Thanks,Dick

Yep, the risidual is the whole reason why it works wonders on killing trees.

Take a look here, 3rd paragraph from bottom, page 4. It says 5 years, but who's counting!

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...1fN1TKnxeODhoI

[rockman]

I use a small sponge brush to apply Tordon on something woody I can't dig out. Don't spray Tordon and after reading your info. won't. In a rare case I use Kilz All (round up wanta-be) to kill anything green, as like you said doesn't leave residue. Another neighbor has bee hives and we have had bees in our sycamore tree for 30 yrs. so we are careful what we do. Thanks,Dick

[Worth1]

Another thing to consider about horse manure is all the stuff they give horses by way of shots and so on.
All of this ends up in the manure or at least I have heard it does.
anyone any information on this.

I personally turned down horse manure some years ago.
It wasn't free she wanted free access to my tomatoes.

[rockman]

The manure is so convenient, 200yds from my compost. I'm saving my neighbor a few bucks as they dump it into their 6x10 dumpster along with their house trash. Maybe I should give the first tomatoes to them and see how they fair

[loeb]

Horse manure is nice, just don't plant anything with an edible root in it... I wouldn't plant any greens like salad, in the first year too. Pumpkins/squashes in the first year are the best, and next years the other veggies..