In general, manures should be composted before application to lawns. In addition to containing a high percentage of quick release nitrogen, fresh manure attracts flies, creates an unpleasant odor, results in angry neighbors, etc.

-Deerslayer

How long does it typically take before horse manure is no longer too "hot" to apply to a garden or to the base of apple trees?

Definitely compost it first. Besides being too "hot", horse manure also contains lots of viable seeds. Unlike cows, horses do not break down most whole seeds. A stay in a hot compost pile will take care of both problems.

Thanks for the input. Confirms what I thought...that horse manure "ought" to be composted. The woman who if now my friendly supplier (free) mentioned she uses it straight on her lawn. And her lawn....I must say...looks awesome...so I wondered.

Atypically, the horses making "my" manure don't graze. They are "city" horses. Bad for them, but good for me in terms of weed seeds. They get a mainly alfalfa diet.

I haven't seen too many post on the value of manures vs "grains" like corn, alfalfa, and soy bean...or, more properly, as a compliments to "grains". I've generally fertilized using fish emulsion, but with a new found sourse of manure I wonder if I ought to get composting for future lawn use?

This is my first year with soy bean and alfalfa applications. No corn, as corn meal is proving to be a very illusive commidity here in Los Angeles.

Cheers all,
Bill

Composted manures are great for increasing the amount of organic material in your soil but they are not very good fertilizers. Below is an N-P-K breakdown for common manures.

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-Deerslayer

Deerslayer, I'm a bit perplexed. In your first post you warn fresh manure has a "high percentage of quick release nitrogen." And in the second you suggest horse manure is a poor nitrogen source. Or am I missing something?

Is it high in nitrogen when fresh...but low after being composted?

Anyway, I've enjoyed reading our posts for quite some time. Thanks for all your input on this forum.

Bill

"Is it high in nitrogen when fresh...but low after being composted?"

Correct; fresh manures are very high in soluble nitrogen (aka quick release N). The sources of the soluble nitrogen break down during the composting process.

If you are interested in learning more about fresh and composted manures, a great deal of information is contained in this Gardening Forum FAQ.

Manure FAQ

-Deerslayer

Deerslayer, thank you much for clearing that up and for the link to the FAQ. Most informative. Fortunately I have a compost pile that can absorb the horse manure just fine.

Cheers,
Bill

All compost and manure is "low" in nitrogen - at least when you compare it to synthetic fertilizer or even grains. The catch is the application rates. A thin layer of compost (1/4-1/3 inch) weighs about 1,500 lbs per 1000 sq ft. With a synthetic fertilizer, you might put out 3 lbs per 1k. With an organic, you might put up to 20 lbs per 1k. Even a very "low" nitrogen source adds up when you put 75-500 times as much product out.

Bill, even though the horses are eating baled alfalfa, you need to remember the stuff in the bale is only as good as what was in the field. Horses eat the weeds in a bale of feed as well as the intended feed source. So, unless you go to the field before it was harvested or inspect the bale before it was consumed, you really donÂt know what weed seeds you might be introducing to your lawn. Weeds like to grow in alfalfa and grass fields just like they like to grow in our lawns.

Bonnie

Composted manure breaks down extremely slowly. Even with high application rates, you'll probably need to supplement it with a quicker release organic fertilizer like SBM. After five years or so of annual compost application, you may be able to eliminate the supplemental nitrogen applications. The amount of time is dependant on the particular type of grass.

If your lawn is low in organic matter, compost is a great way to jump start an organic program. However, once your organic program is underway, other organic materials, such as SBM, is much easier to transport and apply.

The quote below if from the University of Colorado.

"The nitrogen in composted manure will be primarily in stable organic forms and first year release rates will be significantly less than with fresh manure. For example, in composted dairy manure, only 5-20% of the nitrogen will be available the first year. In soils low in organic content, this can lead to a nitrogen deficiency unless an additional quick release nitrogen source is supplemented."

-Deerslayer