Gardeners Help!

[miss_thenorth]

I posted this over at TEG, but got no hits. Maybe you guys would know. I built my raised bed,a nd filled it in with horse poo. I think the horse poo is old enough (as in composted enough) but I would like to test it and then add either topsoil or compost. The nearest place that tests soil is an hour away, so I wont be taking in a sample. I can buy a kit but it only tests the ph. Would this be sufficient? And what would you recommend I add--compost or topsoil? I need to get the land worked as I am planting this weekend. thanks!!

 

[farmerlor]

I posted this over at TEG, but got no hits. Maybe you guys would know. I built my raised bed,a nd filled it in with horse poo. I think the horse poo is old enough (as in composted enough) but I would like to test it and then add either topsoil or compost. The nearest place that tests soil is an hour away, so I wont be taking in a sample. I can buy a kit but it only tests the ph. Would this be sufficient? And what would you recommend I add--compost or topsoil? I need to get the land worked as I am planting this weekend. thanks!!

How old is the poo, what will you be putting in the bed and I would use compost regardless.

 

[patandchickens]

I've replied over on TEG, but to summarize, personally I would not test at this point but would add (good, clean) topsoil if possible. (Not compost nor triple mix).

Have fun,

Pat

 

[reinbeau]

Steve answered you, too, over on TEG - patience, Grasshopper!

 

[miss_thenorth]

Thanks guys! I had to head into town, so to combine trips, I thought I would pick up a load, so I was hoping I got a quick answer. had I known I was going into town today, I would have posted it sooner. So, I got a load of topsoil, figuring since I already had organic, as in shavings and/or straw in with the poo, I didn't want to add more organic, as in compost. The manure is over a year old, but I don't know how much shavings it consists of, since we used shaving two years ago, and straw last winter. Shavings break down much slower, and since I'm not exactly sure what part of the pile hubby got it from, I'm not sure how much (many) shavings are in it. Hubby said it looked well composted, and when I checked it, I thought it did too, but I don't want to take chances if the shavings are still "hot".

 

[TanksHill]

kinda the same thing I have right now. I put partially composted horse manure in last fall. With straw,,,,, This spring I have been adding a combination of mulch and top soils. Seems to be working ok. I never do the ph test. Let us know how yours turns out. g

 

[freemotion]

I've been using horse compost for years....my rule of thumb is that it is ready when you can no longer tell it was horse poo or what the bedding was. You should feel free to pick up a handful with your bare hand and sniff it, and it should smell like.....nice dirt.

An eighty year old man who did some bulldozing for me and works a lot for local horse farms told me that he had been composting manure from a fancy farm.....read: more shavings than doo-doo in the manure pile, and pine shavings at that......and had some finished compost tested. He said it came back PERFECT, not acidic from all the shavings. Because it was "done."

Hope this helps.

 

[big brown horse]

Good info free!

In Texas it was "too hot" to add (at least that is what I was told) until it was fully composted, but hardly anyone did that, they just used cow manure. I guess it was because there was soo many cows there.

Now that I am up here in N.W Washington I was told by a gardener that it didn't need to be fully composted. What is your view (or anyone elses) on this matter?

 

[miss_thenorth]

I have used partially composted horse manure by just adding some to an existing garden plot, but this time was different, since I built up the area 8 inches, and filled half with the manure. the rest I wanted to top with top soil or compost. Since it was such a large amount of manure ( to fill the space), i wanted to get it right. glad I chose top soil.

My thoughts, --if you are just going to add some as a soil amendment, it should be all right if not fully composted.--at least it worked for me before.

 

[freemotion]

My understanding is that it depends on what you are planting. If it continues to break down in the garden soil, it will rob nutrients while breaking down, rather than adding them....I want to say nitrogen, but I'm not sure.

It also depends on how soon after adding it that you plant. Also if you work it into the soil or mulch with it sitting on top.