VIDEO: Using horn shavings as fertilizer

Horn as fertilizer

Cattle horns and hooves are not thrown away in organic farming. Rather, horn waste is shredded and sold as organic fertilizer. Process horn chips as fertilizer for garden beds or balcony plants.

The providers sieve the horn waste after it has been shredded. Particles larger than five millimeters are sold as horn shavings (horn meal). Horngrass consists of grains that are between one and five millimeters in size. The smaller grains are horn meal.

The organic material has a nitrogen content (N) between 12 and 15 percent. Potassium is in the form of potassium oxide (K₂O) and phosphorus as phosphorus pentoxide (P₂O₅) before. The proportion of potassium and phosphorus is one percent each. So horn is an organic nitrogen fertilizer.

Horn fertilizers appreciate organic farmers and allotment gardeners because of their organic origin. The rumor of the BSE risk has now been refuted. Horn products are for your flower beds and Balcony plants completely harmless as they do not contain any nerve tissue.

Advantages and disadvantages of horn fertilizer

Horn meal, horn meal and horn meal differ only in the grain size. The smaller the grains, the faster the soil absorbs the material. Otherwise there are no differences between the products.

Advantages and disadvantages of the fertilizer

advantages	disadvantage
organic origin	low phosphate content
contains a lot of nitrogen	low potassium content
does not change the pH of the soil	Composition is different
Nutrients are not in the form of salts	Effect depends on the temperature of the soil
Over-fertilization is hardly possible	Moisture and ventilation of the floor necessary

Fertilization with horn shavings

The best time to fertilize with chips is during planting. Always dig the shavings into the planting hole. Semolina and flour are suitable for supplying the plants with nutrients during the growth phase. Please note the following:

Sprinkle horn: Bring horn semolina or flour generously into the bedding soil.

Incorporation: Work the horn into the ground. There, the numerous soil organisms break down the ingredients so that the plants feed on them for a long time.

Water: After application, pour vigorously so that the chemical and biological processes get going. Without water, the small organisms cannot split the horn.

Container plants need other fertilizers: Horn shavings are only conditionally suitable for the supply of Houseplants. Here the abundance of soil organisms is missing and the effect of the nutrient supply for your plants remains inadequate.

Apply directly to the root ball: There is an exception if you fertilize pots that have been heavily watered with horn shavings directly around the root ball. Here, the constant soil moisture guarantees a slow but effective breakdown of the material.

Warm location: The best implementation of horn shavings as fertilizer is achieved when beds or balcony bowls are moist and warm. An oversupply is excluded due to the gradual release of the nitrogen content.

Tip: Enrich the compost heap with the shavings. They encourage rotting and increase the nitrogen content of your compost. This is also ideal for fertilizing indoor plants. Horn is an excellent slow release fertilizer provided the soil is warm and moist.