We use manure as a fertilizer: horse, rabbit, chicken, cow, pig, liquid and dry, as well as ready-made mixtures (Photo & Video) + Reviews

Apply manure as fertilizer

Manure is an organic substance that consists of the waste products of domestic animals. How fertilizer is used in agriculture, but you need to know how to apply it.

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What is manure

Most often, Russian gardeners and gardeners use cow dung, moreover, as a complex fertilizer. In addition to excrement, it contains straw, peat or other bedding, which can be up to 50% of the total. This is the so-called litter type. There is also bedless, which has a completely different composition, method, scope.

The most famous organic fertilizer in Russia

It has been used as an organic fertilizer since ancient times in all countries where people were engaged in agriculture. It was one of the best ways to restore the nutritional value of the soil, its fertility. Over many millennia, a wealth of practical experience has been accumulated in the application. So, for example, it was noticed that fresh manure inhibits the growth of plants. And rotted - can affect the crop, improve the soil structure.

At a time when only organic fertilizers were known, no one kept counts, but there are statistics for the 60s of the last century. At that time, mineral fertilizers were already widely used. And yet, about 500 million tons of cow waste were taken out to the fields. Collective-farm harvests then were distinguished by stable, high rates.

Considerable merit belongs to the use of organic fertilizers.

Elephant waste paper

In addition, dried excrement was used instead of firewood for home heating and cooking. This is the so-called dung mixed with straw, dry sheep, yak or buffalo manure. It is still used in some parts of Asia and the East. Also, manure was used to build so-called adobe buildings and was used in the manufacture of paper. Elephant dung paper is still made in Thailand.

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Differences between organic and mineral fertilizers

Fertilizer classification

All fertilizers according to their origin are divided into:

The time of application of mineral fertilizers is limited by the last decades, when the chemical industry began to develop. The growth rate of their production, sales are growing every year. Recently, complex substances are most often used.

The group of organic fertilizers includes:

Organic fertilizers, in turn, are divided into vegetable and animal. Manure refers to fertilizers of animal origin. Recently, organo-mineral fertilizers have gained popularity. They are obtained on the basis of manure and various minerals.

Recently, organo-mineral fertilizers, which are extracts based on manure and complex inorganic fertilizers, have gained particular popularity. They are available in liquid and granular form.

The main difference between organic and mineral fertilizers is that they have a different origin. The former arise naturally, the latter are obtained in the process of processing mineral residues or chemically. As a rule, inorganic fertilizers are already ready for use. And such as manure, require long-term processing. But organics have much more advantages, since they are part of nature.

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Types of manure

Bovine

The most common variety. Its chemical composition depends not only on feed, but even on the age and sex of the animal. For example, cows are 15 percent more nutritious than calves. This type of manure is universal, mainly used for the production of various types of organic fertilizers. When decomposed, it releases 15 to 25 degrees of heat, which is transferred to the soil and warms the planted plants.

The most common type of organic fertilizer in summer cottages

In order not to "burn" the roots of plants, precautions must be taken;

• fresh manure is poured only into deep enough holes
• it is mixed with sawdust, which, when decomposed, needs a lot of nitrogen or sand
• between the roots of a planted plant and a layer of cow waste, a layer of sand, earth, peat is made
• the thickness of the layer must be more than 10 cm (after tamping)

But most agronomists still do not recommend using fresh cow dung. The fact is that it contains a large number of pathogenic bacteria that die during long-term storage (for example, in winter) or are destroyed under the influence of elevated temperatures (during decomposition and the formation of humus). When adding it to the hole, lime is added to destroy fungal spores.

Fresh cow waste is also used in the manufacture warm ridges. When decomposed, the substance releases a large amount of heat, which warms the vegetable crops.

There are several secrets on how to make such a bed work:

Cow manure is widely distributed not because of its nutritional value. It is not the highest for this type of manure. Most of all, the popularity was facilitated by the fact that cows are more common in our country than other agricultural animals and, in percentage terms, provide more “production” than pigs.

Horse

Horse in terms of chemical indicators is considered one of the best among other species. If we compare it with a cow, then in terms of the content of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and calcium, it exceeds one and a half to two times. It has a higher "burning" temperature than cow's, that is, the temperature that is reached during decomposition. Therefore, for the "heating" of annual crops, it is more often used.

Horse manure is one of the most beneficial for plants.

It is these properties that are used in the production of organo-mineral fertilizers based on horse manure. This is a liquid concentrate, which is additionally enriched with trace elements. And dry granules from the same type of waste, which can be added when planting in the hole. The application rates of horse manure compared to cow manure are reduced by one and a half to two times, so that there is no overdose of vegetables with nitrates.

Horse manure has several uses. One of the most famous is the preparation of a nutrient medium for champignons. The substrate is prepared from rotted horse manure. Moreover, fertilizer from horses fed on hay and oats is considered the best for these purposes.

This method was especially common until the 50s of the last century.Recently, when the number of horses has sharply decreased, manure of other animals is used. It is mixed with various additives to make it look like a horse.

Rabbit

There is one advantage of rabbit manure that gardeners really like: it does not contain plant seeds. Rabbits only feed on leaves and stems and do not eat seeds. This is a significant plus: in all other species there are many weed seeds that retain their viability for a long time. After applying fertilizers to the ground, they begin to actively germinate.

There are no plant seeds in rabbit dung because rabbits don't eat seeds.

There is a peculiar trend: the smaller the animals, the greater the concentration of useful trace elements in their waste. Rabbit exceeds other species several times in the content of nitrogen, potassium, calcium and other substances. This is very convenient for those who do not have storage space. It is also much more convenient to transport it, because it takes little time.

But due to the high concentration of various substances, rabbit fertilizer cannot be applied fresh. When it is composted, ballast is used: sand, peat, sawdust, fallen leaves, mowed grass, lime, ash. It dries quickly, so for rotting, you need to constantly moisten the place where it is stored. You can close it with any moisture-proof material to maintain humidity.

Pork

Pig manure is used only in rotted form. The fact is that it has the most pungent smell, which few people like. This feature is due to the fact that pigs eat not only plant, but also animal food. In addition, there are many parasites in their excrement, which are destroyed only when they rot. Due to the strong concentration of ammonia, “baking powders” in the form of sand, sawdust and peat are added to pig manure.

Pig manure is most often delivered with bedding

Most often, pig waste is inseparable from bedding and feed residues. Therefore, this fertilizer is not suitable for fresh use. Scientists have found that nitrogen in pig fertilizer (about 70 percent of the total) is in an easily digestible form. Penetrating into the soil, it is able to accumulate in it. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage of this species, due to which it is almost never used fresh.

It is mixed with other species and stored in large heaps for storage. When composting a small layer, the fertilizer dries up and does not turn into humus. It has a very low rotting temperature and this must be taken into account. Sometimes it is specially mixed with horse manure, which has a high "burning" temperature to maintain optimal conditions.

Chicken

Chicken manure is known for its beneficial properties for plants. Cucumbers, potatoes, zucchini, pumpkins, herbs and greens grow well in the place where poultry is walking. Litter is several times more nutritious than cow dung, even horse dung. The high content of nitrogen and phosphorus makes it look like ammophos. But, unlike mineral fertilizer, the composition of the litter includes only organic matter.

Chicken manure is several times more nutritious than cow or horse manure.

After fertilizing with diluted bird droppings, vegetables grow better and get sick less. The second advantage of this type of organic fertilizer is that it is easier to carry or transport than other types. The high concentration of nutrients does not make it more caustic, as is the case with pig manure.

Although you also need to be careful with dressings from diluted litter. It is bred not less than 1:20. This ratio is taken by volume. Chicken manure is also insisted along with "green fertilizer", "Baikal" and subsequently this slurry is used in a diluted form for liquid top dressing.

In dry form, chicken manure is also used quite often. It dries easily and turns into a light dusty substance.Chicken manure contains a high percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which can cause an overdose in plants. To reduce the concentration, it is mixed with peat sand or grass compost. In this way, a dry top dressing is obtained, which can be scattered in a thin layer around annual plants or in the near-stem circles of trees.

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Benefit (chemical composition)

Manure contains a large amount of elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and others. The highest concentration of nitrogen is in chicken manure, followed by rabbit manure. The second place is shared by sheep and goats, the third is occupied by horse manure. In last place is pig manure.

Manure with straw

Magnesium and potassium are most abundant in sheep manure. All other types of these elements contain approximately equal amounts. But phosphorus compounds, on the contrary, are most in pork. Its concentration exceeds twice the content of this element in cow dung. Close in phosphorus content to pork, goby manure. This fact once again justifies the theory that the quality of manure depends on several parameters:

With the litter, the degree of content of nutrients slightly decreases (depending on the amount of litter) and only the potassium indicators, on the contrary, grow. The litter is straw, peat, sometimes - sawdust (partially). Depending on the type of litter, the chemical composition also changes. The "richest" straw bedding, peat has a low nutritional value.

The quality of manure depends on the type of farm animals, as well as on the feed they used. If the feed consists of roughage such as straw, hay, grass, vegetables, then the quality of the final product deteriorates. When feeding with compound feed, nutritional value, on the contrary, increases.

Manure is rarely used fresh (from 0 to 2-3 months). Most often, semi-rotted (from 3 months to six months), rotted (half a year to a year) manure or humus is used in vegetable gardens and gardens (it is stored for more than a year). With proper storage, its value as a fertilizer does not decrease.

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Application

The application is varied and depends primarily on the type of animal. Therefore, if possible, it is best to mix different types of manure. Its use is also determined by the period during which it was stored or processed. Manure is used most often in a processed form. So it not only restores soil fertility, but also improves its structure.

fresh

Manure in the fields

Manure is used fresh in two cases:

Then manure is evenly laid out on the vacant site:

In dry

For 1-3 years, manure can completely dry out. In this form, it is very convenient to work with him. It has not only high rates in terms of the content of macro- and microelements, but also good mechanical properties. If dry manure has been properly prepared, then it should not contain pathogenic microbes.

Sheep and goat manure dries out the fastest. It initially has less water than other animals. It takes about a year to turn into a dry fertilizer. The same amount is needed in order for the chicken manure to dry.

Dry horse manure

Horse and cow manure takes longer to dry completely. Depending on storage conditions - from one and a half to three years. To speed up this process, frequent tedding and shoveling is used. Thus, the manure will be more evenly heated and dried. Dry manure is easy to transport. Bags weigh much less than with fresh.

Manufacturers became interested and began to pack valuable fertilizer in small packages. This volume is very convenient to use when planting cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers. It is enough to put a handful in each hole and the plant will be provided with food for a long time. This type of fertilizer is used to feed home and balcony flowers.

Granular

Chicken manure in granules

Granular manure is sold in packaged form in specialized stores. The pellets are obtained through a special treatment that fresh manure undergoes. They do not contain excess moisture, are light, easy to transport and have no smell. They are used for long term use. The granules are buried in the soil, where they, decomposing, enrich it for a long time.

liquid

liquid horse manure

Liquid manure is sold in bottles with a volume of 5 liters or more. It is obtained by fermentation. This process is accelerated with the help of biotechnology. The solution is a concentrated mixture that must be diluted before use. These types of organic fertilizers are much more convenient to use than fresh manure.

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Processing methods

Semi-rotted and rotted

The simplest and most affordable way to process manure is to store it for 3-12 months. From 3 to 6 months it is considered semi-rotted, from 6 months to a year - rotted. These types, unlike fresh, are used quite often. Semi-rotted has a rather viscous consistency, dark color, including straw.

Rotted manure is used in the fall when digging the site

This fertilizer is used in the fall when digging the site. It is placed no more than 10 kg per 1 m2. It is embedded in the soil to a depth of at least 40 cm. The same proportion and depth of application to the soil and rotted manure. It is distinguished by a homogeneous, looser structure. In rotted manure, straw or other bedding is not distinguished.

Semi-rotted manure is applied to various crops. Particularly responsive to the introduction of such garlic, pumpkin crops, gourds. In the second year, beets can be grown on such a site, carrot, onion, potato. The same types of fertilizers are used for liquid dressings.

Humus preparation

Fresh manure is rarely used. Basically, it is stacked in tall piles, which are kept at a high temperature during storage. Under its influence and with the participation of bacteria, it turns into humus, which does not "burn" the roots of plants.

Humus has a high content of biologically significant elements and microorganisms. It has a great structure. Ready-made humus looks like loose, light earth, which is saturated with air and beneficial bacteria. It has a dark color. Because of this, rotted manure is sometimes called humus soil.

Ready humus is loose and light

In order to prepare humus, you need to allocate enough space. The site must have walls so that the manure does not crumble. They can be lattice or with holes for air exchange. Air circulation is necessary so that the original product does not become moldy. For the same purposes, manure must be constantly shoveled, turning the lower layers up and vice versa.

The humus is ready in 1-2 years. Good humus does not have an unpleasant odor, mold traces. It is loose, homogeneous, pleasant to the touch, crumbles in the hand. For use on the site, humus is mixed with earth or sand and the soil is mulched where it is necessary to increase its fertility. You can make an infusion on humus and water the cultures with it.

Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting is a popular direction in agriculture. With its help, an artificial fertile layer is created even on poor sandy soils. The final product, vermicompost, is obtained after the processing of various wastes by earthworms. It can be manure, plant residues, food waste and other organic matter.

Vermicompost

Such compost has undeniable advantages:

• high nutritional value
• lack of weed seeds that worms process
• loose homogeneous structure
• worms are brought into the beds along with compost, which continue their activities

For the processing of manure into biomass, the most common type of worm, red Californian, is used. To prepare organic waste for processing, they are piled into heaps of a certain height, which are poured with plenty of water. Then they are periodically aerated in order to get rid of the smell of ammonia.

When mixing, any additives (peat, lime) are introduced, which contribute to the acidification of the substrate to 7.5-8 units. After a month of preparation, the uterine culture of worms is brought to the surface. For processing, they will need from one to 3 months, depending on the thickness of the layer and the desired result.

Compost using humates

Fresh manure contains many pathogenic microbes that are destroyed only with prolonged proper decay or with a quick method of forced fermentation. At the same time, humates are added to manure, which contribute to the accelerated decomposition of waste and the death of harmful microorganisms.

potassium humate

To do this, a collar with fresh manure is shed with a solution of stimulants. For 10 kg of manure, an average of 10 g of humates is taken. Then the mixture is thoroughly mixed several times over 2-3 months. The result is an environmentally friendly product, ready for application under fruit and berry crops.

Mullein

Mullein is based on cow dung

Mullein is an infusion of fresh manure on water. Of all the methods, this is the fastest to get rid of all the imperfections of fresh excrement (worm eggs, pathogenic bacteria, weed seeds). Fresh manure is poured at the rate of 1:4 by volume and the solution is allowed to ferment well. As a result, a nutrient liquid is formed, which must be diluted so as not to burn the roots of plants.

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Rules for the use of humus

Humus is applied when digging the garden

There are several rules, the observance of which depends on human health and the safety of vegetables that he has grown on his site:

Humus is used not only in the garden. It is used for growing potted plants, flowers, and seedlings.

4 rules for applying manure

We use manure as a fertilizer: horse, rabbit, chicken, cow, pig, liquid and dry, as well as ready-made mixtures (Photo & Video) + Reviews