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formerly RGG

Now that I have a truck I have located a free source of horse manure. This gentleman apparently has a lot of it to give away. Is it good for growing watermelons as long as it is well composted ? He says there is very little hay scrap, no trash and a little sawdust in it.

12/13/2011 11:25:14 AM

Muddy Waters

I use it all the time,I like 2 years old minimum.sawdust can be acidic so watch your PH.

12/13/2011 12:56:09 PM

sevierville, Tn

well rotted is best. but yes, its sounds like good stuff & the price sounds great.

12/13/2011 3:34:43 PM

Alabama

Make sure it's well composted, I made that mistake once, still can't identify all the weeds I got from it. I lucked up this Fall and found WalMart running a 60% off sale and picked up two pallets for $80.00 dollars.

12/13/2011 5:01:22 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

Solarize it for a month in the early spring before applying (involves sheet plastic) to help cook/sproutup/kill the weed seeds and the grubs... horse can have a lot of grubs.

Best stuff though, especially if low sawdust, and two years aged is good stuff.

12/14/2011 3:30:07 AM

Muddy Waters

Your Right OkieGal,I used to get hundreds of grubs when I used last years manure,thats another reason to age it longer,there are no grubs if composted to 150 degrees.

12/14/2011 1:18:32 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

So...solarize...how to? Clear plastic, black plastic? Will it heat up enough during the winter? Awl help appreciated!! Peace, Wayne

12/14/2011 11:08:15 PM

Muddy Waters

Just basic composting techniques should heat it up to 150.There is a ton of How to info on internet.Growin'Big Melons!

12/15/2011 8:03:43 AM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

I use black to add heat gain and do it about March when my temps are up enough and before spring tilling.

Clear works too. Spread it out and put the plastic over it and weigh down edges and let it fry.

12/15/2011 9:07:28 AM

Okla

Very good how to here at OSU.
http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2649/EPP-7640web.pdf

12/15/2011 10:17:28 AM

Okla

Use transparent (clear), not black, polyethylene because it transmits most of the solar radiation directly to the soil. Black polyethylene absorbs the heat and does not conduct the heat downward.

12/15/2011 10:18:38 AM

Ut

I actually tried solarization this last summer for the first time on a 100x20' patch. I tilled in organics, laid down drip lines, covered with thin clear plastic, sealed the edges with soil all the way around, put a few bricks to hold it down, watered under the plastic until soaked, and let it roast all July and August in the sun. I felt it with my hand and yes, it was very hot. Tip- use UV safe plastic!!! I failed to do so and my plastic crumbled into 1 million pieces! Quite a clean-up job. I hope it held up long enough to kill the fusarium wilt. It is supposed to kill diseases and weed seeds.

Has anyone had any luck against wilts in any other ways?

12/15/2011 11:06:47 AM

Ut

Man I hate wilts

12/17/2011 11:04:32 AM