making potting mix with aged manure

[pointer80]

Hello all, I want to make some potting mix and I want to add equal parts of 2 year old aged horse manure along with rice hulls,perlite and peat moss. I want to use this in my planting holes in my garden. My main question is will the horse manure aged 2 years be ok to use? I just do not want it to hot. I also thought about adding some bagged topsoil and less manure? Thanks for any input.

[TomatoNut95]

Hello! I am using Scotts topsoil for potting soil for tomatoes right now and no problems! Also, I think 2yr old horse manure is safe to use by now.

[TomatoNut95]

Hello! I am using Scotts topsoil for potting soil for tomatoes right now and no problems! Also, I think 2yr old horse manure is safe to use by now.

[rainbowgardener]

Two years old is plenty safe. It will not add much in the way of nutrients; being so old, most of the nutrients will have broken down already.

[dveg]

One thing to be careful of is if the horse manure had dried completely. If it's been sitting dry for two years, and you've just moistened it, it will not be safe. The urea will not have broken down.

[imafan26]

Manures also contain salts and horse manure may even have seeds, although at 2 years old, it may be o.k. I don't have luck using any manures in pots. I have used vermicast without a problem, but I only use a couple of handfuls in a 5 gallon bucket of mix.

Whenever, I have used manure in pots before, the plants all died.

[TomatoNut95]

When using manure in pots, you must be careful not to use much or plants can burn. I added only a little Scotts Humus and Manure to my potted tomatoes.