Subject: Horse manure?
From: "RPM1"
Date: Mon, Feb 9, 2004 7:38 AM
Message-id:

http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/6917/manure.htm

What do y'all think about growing orchids in horse manure?

Ruth CM


Having read about this over the past year or two, I decided to give it a try
with cymbidiums, where it had been suggested in the first place. By way of
background, I have grown cymbidiums for several years, won ribbons at shows,
and twice won for best cymbidium in an annual society show.
Last spring I started with three plants, each of which had previously flowered.
They were repotted, with cleaning off all old media and being careful not to
damage the roots. They were repotted using only fresh horse manure. They were
watered every day as advised, and fed additionally, once a week with 100pp
N/gal of a balanced fertilizer.
In my opinion, they grew very well, but no better than previously, in a bark
mix. They are in flower, now, but each has the same number of inflorescences
that they produced last year.
The horse manure worked quite well, but no better than my bark mix.
Will I use it again? I doubt it as it is not as convenient; but there was no
odor, and I did not find it messy-just not as convenient.