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Des Moines, Iowa

I found some three year old composted horse manure. Can I use too much? This stuff looks perfect. I was thinking of putting 18 inches on my whole patch. It is also free

11/23/2009 8:40:00 AM

Colorado Springs, CO

Why are you so specific about the "18 inches" ? How much deeper than those 18" will you be tilling that layer into your host soil ? You ask if one could use "too much". It depends to an extent on how well you incorporate that manure into the other mineral base that is your host soil.

Aged three years is good and yet I feel that one year is sufficient, with active turning and microbe feeding additives, to result in maximum potency of that horse product. (Now, three years on a chicken manure does make sense !)

Being composted is good, but does that mean that it just sat there in-place for three years....or was it turned, aerated and enhanced with other beneficial substances so as to create a truly rich blend worthy of the "compost" label ?

11/23/2009 10:21:03 AM

Colorado

jrg-4 inches would be a safer bet.Balanced fertile soil is what will grow the biggest fruit.18" is excessive and is likely to hurt your results

11/23/2009 11:50:03 AM

Des Moines, Iowa

18 was just a number that meant "a lot". It hasn't beens turned or enhanced just sat in a big pile. I just thought it might be good for it to be most if not all of my root-zone. I put three inches on already and tilled in maybe I will leave it at that. Thanks for your help.

11/24/2009 9:46:06 AM