rotted horse manure how to apply?

londonTiger

Hi

Got myself 10 bags of rotted horse manure from a stables - 4 year old and well rotted. Doesn't smell at all.

I am going to dig a ditch near my fruit tree and put about 4-5 bags of the manure in. The tree is new and hasn't spread it's roots yet. But I'm hoping in a year or so the tree will find it and blossom.

Is it ok to pour it into the ditch neat or does it need to be mixed? As I said - it's well rotted and mixed with hay and stuff and seems to be done properly.

wallbash

First of all . I don't know the size of the bags, but 4-5 bags of the manure for one small new tree seems a lot, I await other answers with interest.

londonTiger

yeah i bougght too much, i dont fancy digging again a year or so later - surely the manure will remain nutrient rich and the tree will use it for years down the line. I am placing it 3 ft deep so no weed or other plants will use it.

The other bags I am going to use it for vegetables so it will be closer to the surface. How should I mix the manure for the surface?? 50:50 with soil? Should I spready out a layer of regular soil on top to prevent weeds from settling in?

londonTiger

bag is garden refuse sack. 1 bag probably has the same amount of stuff as a 50L compost bag. But compost in compost bags are tightly pressed and compacted - the manure probably isn't as compact though

Dr._Shoe

Most people seem to just spread ours on top of the soil and let the weather do the rest.

wallbash

. I am placing it 3 ft deep

So you are digging an even deeper hole and the muck is eventually 3 ft down

or

Its a 3 ft hole then filled with muck and tree sits in/on the muck?


As for veg site, I would just spread a few inches on top and fork in .

yeah i bougght too much,

Depends on the size of the veg plot, but it does seem a lot.

londonTiger

wallbash wrote: »

So you are digging an even deeper hole and the muck is eventually 3 ft down

or

Its a 3 ft hole then filled with muck and tree sits in/on the muck?


As for veg site, I would just spread a few inches on top and fork in .




Depends on the size of the veg plot, but it does seem a lot.

no max depth is 3 ft deep. I will will it so that it's from .5ft to 3ft. Hopefully the roots just need to find the top of the manure and it will keep growing roots deeper into the manure.

So question remains, is well rotted horse manure a complete source of nutrient and usable straight. or does it need to be mixed with soil?

Mojisola

Why on earth would you bury it 1m down?

Young trees do much better in the first couple of years if the soil around them is kept clear of other growth so use the manure as a thick mulch on the surface and let the worms and the rain take the nutrients down to the roots.

wallbash

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/manures/horse-manure-compost.htm

But sorry it fails to answer your interesting question. You say its well rotted and has ceased smelling.

I would mix it well with your garden soil , but still waiting for others to jump in on this thread!

wallbash

Why on earth would you bury it 1m down?

No .we have cleared that up, but the hole for the young tree still seems excessive.

Mojisola

londonTiger wrote: »

no max depth is 3 ft deep. I will will it so that it's from .5ft to 3ft.

wallbash wrote: »

No .we have cleared that up, but the hole for the young tree still seems excessive.

Still seems like 'yes' to me.