Growing Grass With Horse Manure

Horse manure must be treated carefully to kill harmful bacteria.

Cow manure is the most common type of manure used as fertilizer, yet horse manure has all the same benefits. Both these animals are herbivores. This means that their dung will have a high amount of beneficial organic material essential for healthy plant growth. The beneficial characteristics contained in horse manure can be harnessed by creating a liquid called compost tea. The process to make this liquid is long and takes significant patience. However, it is one of the most potent ways to deliver horse manure to your grass without worrying about harmful bacteria usually found in horse manure.

Things You'll Need

• Horse Manure
• Shovel
• Wheelbarrow
• Pillow cases
• Water
• Spray bottle
• Direct sunlight/heat
• Thermometer

Instructions

Preparring and Using Horse Manure for Grass

1. Place the manure out in direct sunlight until the center of the pile reaches 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Horse manure has harmful bacteria (including e.coli) that needs to be killed with high heat. This process can take upwards of 3 weeks.

2. Place the horse manure in pillow cases and tie up the opened ends.

3. Fill a large wheelbarrow half way with water and place the pillow cases filled with horse manure into the water. Allow the horse manure to sit in the sun for at least another 3 weeks.

4. Look at the water to see if it has turned the color of tea. If so, you may bottle the mixture and spray directly onto your grass.

References

• Gardenguides.com: Growing Grass with Horse Manure
• Finegardening.com: Fertilizing the Old-Fashioned Way - with Manure
• Simplegiftsfarm.com: Compost Tea