[Chris[_3_]]

Is it OK to use horse manure containing LAY-SOFT?

A neighbour has horses and uses for their bedding something called
LAY-SOFT made by Ron Hull & Sons.
It is made from wood chippings.
The manufacturer says only whitewood is used, that it is treated only
with ozone, not chemicals.

Is it OK to put on the garden or to mix in with the compost?
--
Chris

[Bob Hobden]

"Chris" wrote

Is it OK to use horse manure containing LAY-SOFT?

A neighbour has horses and uses for their bedding something called LAY-SOFT
made by Ron Hull & Sons.
It is made from wood chippings.
The manufacturer says only whitewood is used, that it is treated only with
ozone, not chemicals.

Is it OK to put on the garden or to mix in with the compost?

If it's soft wood chips treated with a form of oxygen, presumably for
sterilisation purposes, then I don't see a problem.
Their site says "after use Lay-Soft is bio-degradable and an excellent
temporary weed suppressant - so you can be sure that you are "doing your
bit" for the environment and lowering yours and your horse's carbon
footprint!"
Wood chips do take longer to rot down than some other animal bedding and in
doing so they do use nitrogen so only use it as a manure after it is well
rotted. If you intend to keep it to rot then throw on some high nitrogen
fertiliser to help speed the process. Well rotted sawdust etc does make an
excellent manure for clay soils IME as the small particles help break up the
clay and keep it broken up.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

[Derek Turner]

On Wed, 28 Mar 2012 22:49:32 +0100, Bob Hobden wrote:

If you intend to keep it to rot then throw on some high nitrogen
fertiliser to help speed the process.

In other words, pee on it.

[Chris[_3_]]

In article , Derek Turner
writes
On Wed, 28 Mar 2012 22:49:32 +0100, Bob Hobden wrote:

If you intend to keep it to rot then throw on some high nitrogen
fertiliser to help speed the process.

In other words, pee on it.

Won't the horses have done that?
--
Chris

[Derek Turner]

On Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:23:08 +0100, Chris wrote:

In article , Derek Turner
writes
On Wed, 28 Mar 2012 22:49:32 +0100, Bob Hobden wrote:

If you intend to keep it to rot then throw on some high nitrogen
fertiliser to help speed the process.

In other words, pee on it.

Won't the horses have done that?

Yes, of course, but Rob is worried that the lay-soft may deplete the
nitrogen as it composts so a little of yours will do no harm and probably
some good.

[Kate Morgan]

Is it OK to use horse manure containing LAY-SOFT?

A neighbour has horses and uses for their bedding something called
LAY-SOFT made by Ron Hull & Sons.
It is made from wood chippings.
The manufacturer says only whitewood is used, that it is treated only
with ozone, not chemicals.

Is it OK to put on the garden or to mix in with the compost?
--
Chris

I use a similar product for my horses bedding and it seems to rot down well
although much slower than straw. I used quite a lot of it to put a surface
down for the horse to be exercised on and that too works well, I also get
loads of interesting fungi growing on it.

kate

[Chris[_3_]]

Chris writes:
Is it OK to use horse manure containing LAY-SOFT?

A neighbour has horses and uses for their bedding something called
LAY-SOFT made by Ron Hull & Sons.
It is made from wood chippings.
The manufacturer says only whitewood is used, that it is treated only
with ozone, not chemicals.

Is it OK to put on the garden or to mix in with the compost?


Then Kate replies (oddly - under the signature separator - and without
word wrapping - I wonder why?):
I use a similar product for my horses bedding and it seems to rot down
well although much slower than straw.
I used quite a lot of it to put a surface down for the horse to be exercised on
and that too works well, I also get loads of interesting fungi growing on it.

Kate - thanks for your comments.
My concern was that the manure made from Lay-Soft might kill my
vegetables.
Can anyone confirm plants growing OK after the manure has been applied?
--
Chris