Garden Project 2011- The Horse Compost experiment
The compost pile in the foreground is the 'working pile", meaning it
gets buckets of fresh horse manure on it every morning and is
turned once each week. The pile in the background is mature and
ready to use. It is finer grained and shows black soil when dug into.
gets buckets of fresh horse manure on it every morning and is
turned once each week. The pile in the background is mature and
ready to use. It is finer grained and shows black soil when dug into.
On April 11 using the tractor I arranged mature compost into beds
about 6 or 8 feet long and 8 to 12 inches thick after being shaped
with a rake. Each bed contains about five of the tractor buckets full.
about 6 or 8 feet long and 8 to 12 inches thick after being shaped
with a rake. Each bed contains about five of the tractor buckets full.
I planted seedlings and seed directly in the beds in the hopes of
producing a completely organic crop without further application of
composted manure. Shown above are tomatoes, pole beans,
carrots, and the first planting of Country Gentleman Corn. I will post
updated photos as the plants develop. Check back to see what
happens.
producing a completely organic crop without further application of
composted manure. Shown above are tomatoes, pole beans,
carrots, and the first planting of Country Gentleman Corn. I will post
updated photos as the plants develop. Check back to see what
happens.
One month later on May 13 this is how the plantings looked. Some
types of vegetables did very well, but a few things found the high
levels of nitrogen not to their liking. What did well: Squash, melons,
carrots, corn, and tomatoes. What did poorly: potatoes, and pole
beans. The potato plants looked diseased (see below) and
produced poorly, (some other factors may have played a part in the
poor potato production), and the pole beans started well but began
to be "burned" by the high level of nitrogen in the composted
manure.
types of vegetables did very well, but a few things found the high
levels of nitrogen not to their liking. What did well: Squash, melons,
carrots, corn, and tomatoes. What did poorly: potatoes, and pole
beans. The potato plants looked diseased (see below) and
produced poorly, (some other factors may have played a part in the
poor potato production), and the pole beans started well but began
to be "burned" by the high level of nitrogen in the composted
manure.
