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Author:  jc4u [ Tue Oct 14, 2008 8:37 pm ]
Post subject:  New to composting

I have 3 piles working (3x3x3) and using everything HG's book says is OK in the piles. I'm using horse manure from the farm next door (hay and sawdust) in it too. Question: Horse apples from Bois D' arc tree are falling, can I chop 'em up and toss them in too?

Author:  Tricky Grama [ Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:24 am ]
Post subject: 

I built a HUGE compost bin out of fallen bois d'arc trees & limbs. I've tossed in a ton of horse apples so I hope this is OK!

Patty

Author:  CaptainCompostAL [ Thu Oct 16, 2008 9:17 am ]
Post subject: 

Horse manure is best composted in an hot active aerobic method, mixed with good carbon materials like leaves, hay, straw, or sawdust bedding from barns.

I use horse manure and bedding a lot in my active compost piles on my organic farm. I also apply dry molasses tea as a biostimulant to speed up decomposition and speed up break down of weed seeds in the horse manure. After 1-2 months, I use my compost in my no-till garden beds or my lawn, or I sell it to customers.

Happy Gardening!

Author:  user_48634 [ Sun Nov 23, 2008 10:09 pm ]
Post subject: 

Captain Compost is not from around here. This is a picture of the "horse apples" that drop from the "bowdark" tree.

Image

Author:  CaptainCompostAL [ Mon Dec 01, 2008 8:26 am ]
Post subject: 

That's a cool photo!
I've never seen those before.

Happy Gardening!

Author:  Soilguy [ Mon Dec 01, 2008 11:45 am ]
Post subject:  Composting Horse Apples

Horse Apple - also called Osage Orange, Bois d'arc and Hedge Apple.
Maclura pomifera - member of the Mulberry family.
A deciduous native in Texas too, which I composted successfully in Florida,
but don't have any here in Rockport.
As I remember, the hard fruits didn't compost well at all, unless they
were split open, but decomposed fine in smaller chips. But the juice
inside the fruit made a sticky mess in my hammermill - and the juice is
poisonous.
Huge roaches were a problem in my Florida compost piles until adding
horse apple. Afterward, almost no roaches to be seen in the vicinity.
I found it best to just pile the fruit until they begin to rot down well,
then add them to the CENTER of the pile machete-chopped on the
layer, to ensure good heating. Saved a lot of effort and cleanup.
If you don't screen a pile while turning it (to find sprouts), you can
expend considerable effort extracting tough roots out of your pile later.
A compost containment made from this wood is TOUGH and will last a LONG time.
Quite a history of early-year U.S. settling, regarding this tree.
If you tossed in a large quantity of 'apples', and notice a lot of seedlings
coming up (not likely heat will be sufficient to sterilize all the seeds if
they were piled together and just covered) suggest you dismantle the pile
before the roots intertwine. Tough thorns on even small plants.

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