We have all heard of cow manure being widely used as a soil fertilizer for various crops. On the other hand, the use of horse manure as a fertilizer is seen much more seldom. However, it turns out that some properties of horse manure can actually be beneficial for growing some plants.
In today’s article, we will be exploring plants like horse manure. Along with that, we will also be briefly taking a look at what plants don’t prefer.
Plants That Like Horse Manure
The reason why horse manure can be helpful in the growth of some plants is that they provide a boost of nitrogen in the soil. Not only that, but it also contains good amounts of phosphorus and potassium, which are all essential nutrients for a plant’s healthy growth.
Kale
Scientific Classifications:
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Brassica
Kale is quite quickly becoming one of the most popular leafy vegetables in the world, as people are finding more and more delicious healthy recipes with it. Using well-rotted horse manure can really help farmers to get the best yield when growing kale.
Pak Choi
Pak choi is a vegetable that is used in Asian cuisines the most. They make great side dishes, or you can chop some up and add them to your main dish. Organic horse manure can be amazing for making the soil richer with the three most important nutrients the Pak choi plant needs.
Spinach
Scientific Classifications:
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Genus: Spinacia
Species: S. oleracea
Used in all countries and cuisines across the world, spinach is a versatile vegetable in high demand because of all its packed nutrients. It turns out that horse manure is fantastic for leafy vegetable Herbaceous plants since they require a high amount of nitrogen. Hence, it works well for spinach.
Mustard
Scientific Classifications:
Kingdom: Plantae
Subkingdom: Viridiplantae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Brassica L
From making condiments to oils, mustard is a very useful crop that farmers want to grow. Studies have shown linking the use of horse manure as organic fertilizer for mustard plants to higher protein content and oil in mustard crops!
Lettuce
Scientific Classifications:
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Species: L. Sativa
Lettuce is also a leafy plant which is why horse manure greatly helps in its growth. It has been found that the best effect for lettuce can be achieved when the manure is mixed with lime and then used as fertilizer.
What Plants Don’t Like Horse Manure
Using horse manure is just not the best option for flowering plants. Because horses don’t digest everything very well, oftentimes, weeds can be found with manure. So, when the weed-containing manure is used as a fertilizer, it can result in weeds being grown all around your flower plant.
Resources:
https://outpostbuildings.co.nz/blogs/news/what-is-horse-manure-good-for
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/horse-manure