Composting: Turning Horse manure into fertilizer and
growth medium
growth medium
Horses make a lot of manure and every horse owner has to deal with a disposal
problem. At Boggybottom we see the manure as a welcome part of the gardening
process because it can be turned into a pretty rich soil in a surprisingly short time
by piling it and turning the pile once a week.
problem. At Boggybottom we see the manure as a welcome part of the gardening
process because it can be turned into a pretty rich soil in a surprisingly short time
by piling it and turning the pile once a week.
Steaming Heap
In this series of photos is documented the
weekly turning of the compost pile. This is
an "active" pile. Note the steam boiling out
of the pile when the tractor takes a bite.
That means the bacteria in the pile are
thriving and breaking down the manure
into soil and fixing the nitrogen in a form
that is richer and more long lasting than
the nitrogen contained in fresh horse
manure.
When the pile no longer steams the
process is complete and the compost is
ready for the garden. We now have tons of
compost and expect a very nice organic
garden this year. (Positive thinking.)
The tractor is 2001 Kubota we bought
locally and we've had about a year.
Without it, turning the compost piles would
be very labor intensive and time
consuming. I know this because I did it
with a pitch fork before the tractor.
We were lucky enough to find it for about
$10K with a number of implements and a
trailer to transport it. That seemed like a lot
of money and still does, but it's one of the
best investments we've made.
If you're thinking about buying a tractor, I
recommend getting one with a bucket on
the front. It is amazingly useful.
I turn the pile from all sides, lifting the
bucket high before spilling it out slowly to
incorporate as much oxygen as possible
for the bacteria to use in their processing.
How long does it take? About 2 months to
build the pile with the 5 buckets of horse
manure we take out of the corral every
morning, combined with the soiled hay
from the horse stalls and the bottom of the
poultry yard every few weeks.
About another month is required for the
bacteria to turn the pile to usable compost
LINKS:
In this series of photos is documented the
weekly turning of the compost pile. This is
an "active" pile. Note the steam boiling out
of the pile when the tractor takes a bite.
That means the bacteria in the pile are
thriving and breaking down the manure
into soil and fixing the nitrogen in a form
that is richer and more long lasting than
the nitrogen contained in fresh horse
manure.
When the pile no longer steams the
process is complete and the compost is
ready for the garden. We now have tons of
compost and expect a very nice organic
garden this year. (Positive thinking.)
The tractor is 2001 Kubota we bought
locally and we've had about a year.
Without it, turning the compost piles would
be very labor intensive and time
consuming. I know this because I did it
with a pitch fork before the tractor.
We were lucky enough to find it for about
$10K with a number of implements and a
trailer to transport it. That seemed like a lot
of money and still does, but it's one of the
best investments we've made.
If you're thinking about buying a tractor, I
recommend getting one with a bucket on
the front. It is amazingly useful.
I turn the pile from all sides, lifting the
bucket high before spilling it out slowly to
incorporate as much oxygen as possible
for the bacteria to use in their processing.
How long does it take? About 2 months to
build the pile with the 5 buckets of horse
manure we take out of the corral every
morning, combined with the soiled hay
from the horse stalls and the bottom of the
poultry yard every few weeks.
About another month is required for the
bacteria to turn the pile to usable compost
LINKS:
