Horse Manure

[RebelCowgirl]

Hey Geeks, I just found this article on using horse manure as a medium. I have lots of horses and lots of manure and this seems very interesting to use it as a medium but before I start collecting poo and putting it in my orchid pots I would like to know what y'all think first. Here is the article:

Horse manure Nick's Horse Manure Site

1.An effective and inexpensive medium.
2.A perfectly balanced food including a dozen or so trace elements.
3.A tremendous blossom booster.
4.As an extra bonus, the plants receive hormones, fungi and bacterium, which can affect the genes of the plant which stimulate better growth and an increase in the number and quality of flowers.
5.The plants produce flowers at an earlier age, sometimes before they are one year old and before they have produced their first bulb. This is a big benefit for hybridisers.
6.The plants become more resistant to pests and diseases. For millions of years up until about 100 years ago, plants received only natural food.
7.In my experience, the fresher the manure is the better. There are bonuses in this which are living things - hormones, fungi and bacterium. Allowing the manure to become old and dry may adversely affect these bonuses.
8.Plants in horse manure keep on growing in winter in Tasmania in an unheated glass house.
9.Because of the soluble elements in horse manure, you feed the plants automatically each time you water them. Computer control cannot improve on that.
10.Plants with very low E.C. (electrical conductivity) like Disa and some natives, will grow better in horse manure than anything else, but you do need a buffer to get the E.C. balance right. Spagnum moss is a very good buffer. Fill the pot to 50 - 60% with horse manure then fill the top half with spagnum moss. Plant the orchid in the sphagnum moss and water the plant every day freely with free drainage. This keeps the E.C. balance perfect and you then can't go wrong.
11.Can you find a more effective, cheaper or simpler way to grow your orchids. This applies to all kinds of orchids. There is not a plant on earth which won't grow the natural way.
Nic van den Bosch on the OGD

Here is NPK analysis
Horse: 15-5-13

[jayfar]

I suppose as long as your growing space isn't also your living quarters. Certainly would be a great conversation starter when you have guests over for a dinner party. Mmmmm, what's that I smell cooking?

[Leafmite]

I'd probably mix it with perlite, styrofoam, charcol, and lava rock to keep it open when it starts to break down. I do agree with organic fertilizers being the best. I just switched to planttone (plug nose), make use of my goldfish water, and plan to buy some worm castings. I know some people that use horse manure on their gardens with great success. Good luck and keep us posted.
Leafmite

[RebelCowgirl]

I think I may try it on a few NOID phals, I was thinking of mixing it with coir and sphag moss because those are the 2 mediums I have on hand.

[koshki]

I think this idea stinks...

Ok, that was a weak attempt at a joke. But I do have one question...was this article specifically related to growing orchids? Keep us posted with results of your NOID test!

[RebelCowgirl]

It was directly related to orchids, here is the exact link:
https://www.msu.edu/user/harveyb/orchid.htm

It does stink a little lol, actually horse poop doesn't really stink all that bad but I'm around it all the time so maybe I have gotten use to it, IDK. Anyway since I have a large abundance of the stuff might as well give it a try. Unless someone that knows more than me tells me not to because it is a bad idea, then I probably wont try it.

[otis 226]

I'd just make sure it was WELL Rotted before using it on any plant life. The best garden I ever planted was mostly thanks to composted horse manure. The fresh stuff will be deadly to most plants, (internal temps. will get too high). Hint: once it stops being very smelly, its good to go. Excellent stuff.

[jpyerry]

This might be a silly thing to say, but if you do try it, you might want to autoclave it or sterilize it in some other way first. You never know what pathogens might be hiding in it.

[1joyceh]

I would give it a go Jenny, just as the article suggests...but, put it where it would not be smelly...like your plant room, that is closed off, and you could always open the window if it did smell. I have used worm castings, and bat guano, all work great, horse poop why not?
just don't try it on the freddies yet....YIKES!!

[RebelCowgirl]

Originally Posted by 1joyceh

I would give it a go Jenny, just as the article suggests...but, put it where it would not be smelly...like your plant room, that is closed off, and you could always open the window if it did smell. I have used worm castings, and bat guano, all work great, horse poop why not?
just don't try it on the freddies yet....YIKES!!

Oh heck No, not trying poop on the freddies, I would be crazy if Idid that Lol I would have to lock it up in the plant room so my little one don't try to eat it.....YIKES!!!! He loves to eat dirt.

[Reg22]

Well, the NPK proportions sound pretty good....

[terra_australis]

Wouldn't it break down rather quickly?

[Anton]

Good way to introduce bacteria and other nasties to your plants, personally I wouldn't use it in a blue fit, I am having enough trouble keeping them "clean" as it is without introducing more problems.

My 2 sepals worth.

[NancyH]

In small doess mixed with something that will make a nice loose mix to lend air to the roots sounds good to me. You are a horse person and I am sure you use the stuff in your garden so you understand the necessity to really "cure" the manure for the heat and also to kill any weeds that will sprout. It would look bad to have a bunch of grasses and such sprouting out of your orchid pots. Try it and let us know. Experimentation is the mother of invention! Nancy

[Andrew]

I know a lot of people who have tried and failed with horse manure and I don't know anyone who bothered to take it beyond being a 'growing competition' novelty. I think the premise on which van den Bosch's idea was based is sound; ie plants will respond better to a constant source of nutrients than to intermittent fertilising. I think the idea falls apart in practice because van den Bosch's method required some pretty high maintenance watering to prevent the plants burning from the high nutrient load of the medium.

The site detailing using horse manure can be found here (the link to the original site on the page you linked to is broken).