How to properly apply the fertilizer

the essentials in brief

• Horn shavings(€ 32.93 at Amazon *) are offered in discounters and hardware stores in bags of 2.5 or 5 kg. Usually the smaller variant is sufficient for one gardening season. There are seldom mixed fertilizers with castor meal.
• The horn fertilizer is suitable for most ornamental and useful plants in the garden. However, these require additional nutrients. Horn shavings are not suitable for indoor plants.
• Horn fertilizer in Horn meal, semolina and shavings are made up of around 85 percent animal proteins. The nitrogen content is between twelve and 15 percent. Other nutrients are negligible.
• Horn shavings are applied in the growing season until autumn. A good preparation and dosage is essential for an optimal effect. This is influenced, among other things, by the weather and the condition of the soil.

Buy horn shavings - products in comparison

The horns for horn shavings mostly come from South America

Horn shavings are an ideal fertilizer. Most of the raw materials are imported from South America. Here the cattle graze on large pastures so that the animals can move around without restriction. In Germany, calves have to be dehorned at an early stage so that they do not injure themselves later in the stalls.

Offer in Germany

The manufacturer Oscorna operates a horn mill near Ulm and has made a name for itself as a producer of organic fertilizers. Horn shavings are available in numerous DIY and specialty stores. If you have a large need, you can buy horn shavings in 25 kg sacks. Smaller amounts are sufficient for private use.

How much horn shavings do I need?

How high your need is depends on various factors. Each plant has a different need for nutrients. Heavily consuming vegetables require more nitrogen than flowering ornamental shrubs. The size of the area has a decisive influence on the amount purchased, because the fertilizer requirement is often calculated per square meter.

Quantities for private use

Usually 60 to 120 grams, about two handfuls, are sufficient on an area of ​​100 x 100 centimeters. If you want to supply an area of ​​100 square meters, a 2.5 kilogram sack is enough for a little more than one season. You should have larger quantities in stock if you can re-fertilize have to.

You should pay attention to this when buying

Basically, there are no major differences between the individual products from different manufacturers. Mixed products are rarely offered with which the Horn shavings(€ 32.93 at Amazon *) Castor meal was mixed in. It is not known how common the substance toxic to pets is found in horn fertilizers. Therefore, always pay attention to the contents and avoid the treacherous Complete fertilizer.

For which plants are horn shavings suitable?

All plants can be fertilized with horn shavings

Horn fertilizer proves to be versatile and can be used in the garden to fertilize almost all plants. The substrate has no influence on the pH value of the soil, so you can also supply lime-sensitive plants such as blueberries or rhododendrons with the nitrogen supplier. The hedge on the edge of the property also enjoys horn shavings fertilization.

background

Horn shavings as a universal fertilizer?

Are horn chips suitable for the lawn?

Horn shavings can be more long-term Lawn fertilizer be used if you take into account the delayed effect in your fertilization. You should start well in advance of the new growing season so that the lawn gets a good start to the season. If the grass shows signs of deficiency and the lawn is not growing well, you can give horn meal.

Lawn fertilization schedule:

• regular nitrogen supply necessary
• first fertilization between March and April
• then re-fertilize every six weeks
• From July onwards, do without horn shavings and fertilize with a high concentration of potassium

Fertilize roses - horn shavings for ornamental plants

Like many flowering shrubs, roses have a high need for phosphate. The substance promotes flower development and supports the energy metabolism. If you are using a Soil analysis have found out that the phosphate and potassium content are high enough, you can add horn fertilizer to peonies, oleander or thuja.

• Horn shavings directly when planting Hydrangeas and Co. administer
• then work into the soil at the beginning of each vegetation phase
• Re-fertilization takes place three months later
• Sprinkle horn meal in addition if deficiency symptoms occur

Horn shavings for tomatoes and vegetables

Tomatoes are heavy eaters who have a high need for nutrients throughout their growth phase. In addition to phosphate, potassium and magnesium, nitrogen is essential for healthy growth and a rich harvest. In spring, nitrogen-rich fertilization with horn shavings proves to be useful. If necessary, you can re-fertilize after three months.

Ideally, enrich the soil with the organic before planting your tomato seedlings Slow release fertilizer at. All crops with high nutrient requirements, like cucumbers, can be supplied with nitrogen in this way.

Nitrogen fertilizer for fruit bushes and perennials?

Fruit trees are grateful for an organic slow release fertilizer. However, horn shavings are not enough as the sole fertilizer for many shrubs and perennials such as strawberries or currants. These plants have a high need for potassium. Provide these plants with a combination of horn manure and compost in the spring. Horn shavings are generally well suited for the olive tree. If the planter is in the living room, the substrate can cause unpleasant odors.

Unsuitable for indoor plants

Ornamental plants in the kitchen, bathroom and living room should not be fertilized with horn shavings. The material develops an intense smell, which is intensified by adding water. It can quickly smell unpleasant in the entire home. Flowering plants that thrive in pots on balconies and patios can be supplied with horn fertilizer. However, you need to mix the substrate with compost. Horn shavings are broken down by microorganisms in the soil and can be leached out Potting soil achieve no fertilizing effect.

What are horn chips made of?

Horn shavings are literally made of horn

Horn shavings are one of the organic fertilizers that, unlike artificially produced mineral fertilizers, have no negative environmental impact. The material is considered a secondary raw material fertilizer because it consists of animal waste products such as horn and hooves from slaughtered animals.

Digression

Origin and problems of mineral fertilizers

ingredients

Horn shavings are considered to be a source of nitrogen, since other nutrients are negligible. Animal proteins make up the bulk of the material. The content of these organic products is around 85 percent. Horn fertilization, however, cannot be used to build up humus in the soil. The protein compounds in which the nitrogen is bound are easily degradable. Hardly any fiber remains and the amounts administered are too small to bring about a significant increase in the organic content.

Horn shavings includes:

• nitrogen: depending on the starting material between twelve and 15 percent
• potassium: less than one percent
• phosphorus: under one percent
• miscellaneous: small amounts of sulfur

Difference between horn meal, horn shavings and horn semolina

Horn fertilizer is available in different grain sizes. Horn meal is the smallest in size. The particles are less than a millimeter in diameter and therefore decompose the fastest, so that the plants can use the nitrogen within a short period of time. Horngries is somewhat coarser with a grain size between one and five millimeters. Both products are preferred by hobby gardeners because they develop their fertilizing effect over several weeks.

Horn meal - an intermediate form

There is another intermediate variant between horn semolina and horn shavings. The horn meal contains grains with a size of about five millimeters. Substrates whose particles are larger than five millimeters are referred to as horn chips. Shot as well as chips develop a long-term effect of up to three months, since it takes the longest to decompose.

Use horn meal or horn shavings?

Which substrate you use for fertilization depends on the desired speed of action. The finer horn meal is better suited for lawns, as the particles with the irrigation and rainwater get into the ground more quickly and can be broken down there. Horn shavings, on the other hand, remain on the lawn for a long time and disrupt the overall picture. If you are creating a fresh lawn or planting shrubs, perennials and vegetables, horn meal is an ideal long-term fertilizer.

Use horn shavings correctly

In principle, the use of horn chips is simple and involves no major risks. However, there are a few things that you should be aware of. Various factors influence the effect of the fertilizer. With the right preparation and a well thought-out approach, you can have a positive influence on the success of fertilization.

When to apply horn shavings

The first fertilization takes place in early spring

The horn fertilizer can be applied between March and October. The earlier you fertilize, the sooner your plants will benefit from the nutrients available. If you use horn shavings in the autumn after the beds have been harvested, the microorganisms can work until the next spring. In this way, the freshly set plants benefit from available nutrients.

When to fertilize

• first fertilization between March and April
• alternatively, put horn shavings into the planting hole
• Top up in early June

Preparations

Remove all weeds from the area before applying the fertilizing substrate. Horn shavings are not only an ideal source of nitrogen for useful and ornamental plants, they also provide nutrients for unwanted weeds. Above all, nitrogen-loving plants such as nettles spread uncontrollably after organic fertilization. If you have flower beds mulch, you should mix the material with horn shavings. This way you will prevent too much nitrogen from being drawn out of the soil.

dosage

You can spread horn shavings without the risk of over-fertilization. Unlike chemical fertilizers, there is no risk of burning the roots of your plants. This phenomenon often happens when excessive amounts of salts accumulate in the soil due to a lack of water. Horn shavings are a safe form of fertilizer that is dosed differently in different areas of the garden.

Top dressing of heavy eaters

This variant is a fertilization with easily soluble and thus quickly effective nitrogen. Since this is bound by other living beings or plants and can also be washed away by rain, top dressing is recommended as top dressing for heavily consuming plants such as tomatoes. Projected over the year, this group of plants can handle five grams of nitrogen per square meter. This amount corresponds to about a tablespoon full of horn meal and is given over four doses.

What you should be aware of:

• horn meal prevents fertilizer from remaining on the leaves
• this will prevent burns
• The first top dressing should be done as soon as the young plants have grown a few centimeters high
• Horn shavings, on the other hand, can be added to the planting hole as a long-term fertilizer
• stop top dressing in good time before the fruits ripen
• Vegetables for storage should not be fertilized for a long time before harvest

mission

Sprinkle the substrate evenly over the surface by hand or spread the horn fertilizer around the base of the plant. Before the sowing you can sprinkle the substrate on the earth. As with all organic fertilizers, shallow incorporation into the soil is also important for horn shavings. In this way, the microorganisms can optimally decompose the substrate. This is necessary to make the bound nitrogen available to plants.

Be careful when fertilizing shrubs

When planting shrubs and trees, horn shavings are best mixed with compost and placed in the planting hole

In principle, it is advisable to put the slow release fertilizer into the hole before planting. With shrubs, there is a risk that the material will get too deep into the earth. Due to the lack of oxygen, there is less biological activity and the chips are only insufficiently decomposed. To provide hedges and trees with nutrients, you should mix the horn fertilizer with compost and work the substrate into the soil. The compost accelerates the release of nitrogen and provides other important nutrients and trace elements.

effect

Since horn shavings are comparatively large, they decompose slowly over a longer period of time. After three months, nitrogen and other nutrients are usually completely released so that they can be absorbed by the plant roots via the soil solution. Over-fertilization is not possible because of the slow effect and the consistently high dosage. The finely ground horn meal, on the other hand, works faster. These organic fertilizers have a neutral pH, which is 7.0.

What influences the fertilizer effect

As an organic fertilizer variant, horn shavings depend on the activity of the microorganisms in the substrate. Soil condition and weather have a decisive influence on the fertilizer effect. If the soil dries out too much, not only the plants but also the soil organisms suffer. Temperature and ventilation also play a role. During the vegetation phase, the microorganisms in the earth are more active than in winter. They depend on a good soil structure that is adequately ventilated.

Important for high efficiency:

• Loosen the soil well before fertilizing so that aerobic microorganisms can work
• distribute very evenly, use spreading aid for large areas
• Water the substrate well and keep it moderately moist

Due to the factors mentioned, the decomposition takes place over a different period of time, so that an immediate effect is not to be expected. On the other hand, this fertilization is much more sustainable than the input of chemical artificial fertilizers.

Advantages, disadvantages and possibilities

Mineral fertilizers add more and more of the substance to the natural nitrogen cycle. Horn shavings, on the other hand, represent a sustainable and ecological fertilizer variant. The nitrogen resources are recycled and brought back into the natural cycle on the way to the nutrient supply. This optimal recycling of biodegradable substances prevents the nitrate content from increasing too much in drinking water or that algae growth in ponds is uncontrollable expires.

Horn shavings have these disadvantages:

• Origin of the animals for slaughter often unclear
• The addition of "organic" does not guarantee that animals come from organic farming
• cattle often come from factory farming and are supplied with large amounts of antibiotics
• Unilateral supply of nutrients to the plants if only horn shavings are used

Make liquid fertilizer

You can dissolve horn shavings in water to provide indoor plants with nitrogen. This method is also suitable for lawns where it is not possible to incorporate the coarse material without damaging the dense vegetation. The liquid fertilizer can be quickly absorbed by the plants.

Preparation:

• Pour a liter of lukewarm water over a handful of shavings
• Let the brew stand in a warm place for about four days
• Sieve and fill into a bottle
• dilute with water before use

frequently asked Questions

Can I drive rabbits away with horn shavings?

Wild rabbits have a fine nose and are deterred by intense smelling scents. Many hobby gardeners swear by horn meal or shavings. The substrate is distributed on the frequently visited areas or directly in the entrances to the rodents' burrows. A good irrigation is necessary, because when wet the substrate gives off a strong aroma.

Do horn shavings help against deer?

For a short time, the intense smell of horn shavings also drives away deer that tamper with the plants in the garden. However, the animals quickly get used to the source of the interference and return to the scene of the crime after a while. In winter, hunger is usually greater than fear anyway, so the deer test how far they can go. You should therefore use different deterrence measures alternately. For example, you can spray flowers and plants with buttermilk.

Are horn shavings useful against clover?

White clover has a big advantage over other plants. The species lives in symbiosis with so-called nodule bacteria, which bind nitrogen from the air and make it available to the plant. This allows clover to prevail over grasses on unfertilized areas. So that the unwanted weeds are slowly pushed back, you have to promote the growth of the grasses:

• Long-term fertilizers such as horn shavings are unsuitable as an immediate measure
• better to use a direct acting nitrogen fertilizer
• Ideally, fertilize the lawn regularly in March, June and September

Another reason for excessive clover growth can be an increased pH value, at which grasses no longer thrive. Lawn needs a pH between 6.0 and 6.5. With the help of a soil analysis, you can determine in which area the value of your lawn lies.

Are horn shavings poisonous?

In principle, horn fertilizer is not toxic to dogs, cats or children. Dogs like the special smell given off by the protein-rich granules. They like to dig in the fertilized beds and eat the crumbs. However, the substrate is not popular with some dog owners. The reason for this are admixtures that are found in some horn chip products. In order to turn the one-sided nutrient supplier into a complete fertilizer, castor meal is occasionally added. This can cause vomiting and bloody diarrhea in dogs.

Can horn shavings transmit BSE?

Plants are not able to absorb whole proteins like the BSE pathogen. For this to get into the human organism, the protein would have to survive for months and pass into the diet with crumbs of earth adhering to the plants. This case is extremely unlikely. In addition, according to statements by the EU Commission, horn shavings are considered harmless with regard to BSE. The horn and hooves from which the fertilizer is obtained do not contain any nerve tissue and are therefore not suspicious sources of transmission.

Can I fertilize wine with horn shavings?

Nitrogen is of central importance in the metabolism of the grapevine and has a major influence on growth and fruit development. The nutrient is found in the soil in various forms. Since only one to four percent of the bound nitrogen is released annually by microorganisms, an additional supply of horn shavings is recommended.