Horn shavings are popular with many hobby gardeners, but there are also some question marks about their use and effect. To understand how the material affects plant growth, knowledge of ingredients, usage and dosage is important.
How do you properly fertilize with horn shavings?
Horn shavings are a popular fertilizer. They consist of 85% animal protein and 12-15% nitrogen. Bring the horn shavings into the garden during the growing phase. They meet the requirements of outdoor crops and ornamental plants. Horn shavings are not suitable for houseplants.
Buy horn shavings – products in comparison
The horns for horn shavings mostly come from South America
Horn shavings are an ideal fertilizer. The raw materials are largely imported from South America. Here the cattle graze on large pastures so that the animals can move around freely. In Germany, calves must be dehorned early so that they do not injure themselves later in the stables.
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 hardware and speci alty stores. If you have a large need, you can buy horn shavings in 25 kg bags. Smaller quantities are sufficient for private use.
| Horn shavings from | Content | Organic | Price per kilogram | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldi | 2, 5kg | no | 1, 52 euros | not permanently available |
| Obi | 2, 5kg | yes | 2, 60 euros | Private brand |
| Hornbach | 5kg | no | 1, 99 euros | unbranded |
How much horn shavings do I need?
How high your needs are depends on various factors. Every plant has different nutrient requirements. Heavy-feeding vegetable plants require more nitrogen than flowering ornamental shrubs. The size of the area has a decisive influence on the quantity 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 cover an area of 100 square meters, a 2.5 kilogram bag is enough for just over one season. You should have larger quantities on hand if you need to fertilize.
This is what you should pay attention to when buying
Basically there are no major differences between the individual products from different manufacturers. Mixed products are rarely offered in which castor meal has been mixed into the horn shavings. It is not known how often the substance, which is toxic to pets, is found in horn fertilizers. Therefore, always pay attention to the contents and avoid the treacherous complete fertilizers.
Which plants are horn shavings suitable for?
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 at the edge of the property also enjoys horn shavings fertilization.
Background
Horn shavings as a universal fertilizer?
Although the organic substrate primarily provides nitrogen, it can be used as a general purpose fertilizer in most gardens. According to soil analyses, more than half of all private gardens have an adequate supply of phosphate and potassium, although these main nutrients are often present in excessive amounts. The use of complex fertilizers causes these over-supplied soils to become increasingly unbalanced. The result is stunted growth of the cultivated crops and ornamental plants.
Are horn shavings suitable for the lawn?
Horn shavings can be used as a long-term lawn fertilizer if you take the delayed effect into account in your fertilization. You should start well before 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 administer horn meal.
Lawn fertilization schedule:
- regular nitrogen supply necessary
- first fertilization between March and April
- then fertilize every six weeks
- From July onwards, avoid horn shavings and fertilize with a high potassium content
Fertilizing roses – horn shavings for ornamental plants
Roses, like many flowering shrubs, have a high phosphate requirement. The substance promotes flower development and supports energy metabolism. If you have found out through a soil analysis that the phosphate and potassium content is sufficiently high, you can also provide peonies, oleanders or thuja with horn fertilizer.
- Administer horn shavings directly when planting hydrangeas etc.
- then work into the soil at the beginning of each vegetation phase
- Subsequent fertilization takes place three months later
- Sprinkle horn meal additionally if deficiency symptoms occur
Horn shavings for tomatoes and vegetables
Tomatoes are heavy feeders that require a high level of nutrients throughout their entire growth phase. Nitrogen, along with phosphate, potassium and magnesium, is essential for he althy growth and a rich harvest. In spring, nitrogen-rich fertilization with horn shavings proves to be useful. If necessary, you can fertilize after three months.
Ideally, you should enrich the soil with the organic slow-release fertilizer before planting your tomato seedlings. 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 long-term fertilizer. However, horn shavings are not sufficient as a 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 fertilizer and compost in the spring. Horn shavings are generally well suited for the olive tree. If the plant pot 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 further intensified when watered. The entire apartment can quickly smell unpleasant. Flowering plants that thrive in pots on balconies and terraces can be supplied with horn fertilizer. However, you must mix the substrate with compost. Horn shavings are decomposed by microorganisms in the soil and cannot have a fertilizing effect in leached potting soil.
What are horn shavings made of?
Horn shavings are literally made of horn
Horn shavings are organic fertilizers that, unlike artificially produced mineral fertilizers, do not have any negative environmental impacts. The material is considered a secondary raw material fertilizer because it consists of animal waste products such as horn and hooves from slaughtered animals.
Excursus
Origin and problems of mineral fertilizers
At the beginning of the 20th century, the chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch developed a process in which large amounts of atmospheric nitrogen were converted into ammonia for the first time using heat and pressure. This gaseous substance can then be easily converted into nitrogen compounds such as nitrate or urea. This so-called Haber-Bosch process is considered to be the birth of mineral nitrogen fertilizers.
Haber-Bosch process as a blessing and a curse:
- ensures nutrition for the global population
- Enrichment of nitrogen in nature
- due to nitrate pollution in drinking water
- increased algae blooms, eutrophication and decline of plant species
Ingredients
Horn shavings are considered to be sources of nitrogen since other nutrients are negligible. Animal proteins make up the majority of the material. The content of these organic products is around 85 percent. However, horn fertilization cannot be used to build 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: less than one percent
- Other: small amounts of sulfur
One kilogram of horn shavings contains between 100 and 150 grams of nitrogen.
Difference between horn meal, horn shavings and horn semolina
Horn fertilizer is available in different grain levels. Horn meal is the smallest in size. The particles are less than a millimeter in diameter and therefore decompose the fastest, allowing plants to use the nitrogen within a short period of time. Horn semolina is somewhat coarser with a grain size of between one and five millimeters. Both products are preferred by hobby gardeners as they develop their fertilizing effect over several weeks.
Horn shot – an intermediate form
There is another intermediate variant between horn semolina and horn shavings. The horn meal contains grains with a size of around five millimeters. Substrates whose particles are larger than five millimeters are called horn shavings. Shot and shavings develop a long-term effect of up to three months as they take 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 more suitable for lawns because the particles get into the soil more quickly with irrigation and rain water and can be decomposed there. Horn shavings, on the other hand, remain on the lawn for a long time and disrupt the overall appearance. If you are freshly laying a 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 shavings is simple and does not involve any major risks. However, there are some aspects that you should consider. Various factors influence the effectiveness 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 sooner you fertilize, the sooner your plants will benefit from the available nutrients. If you use horn shavings in the fall after the beds have been harvested, the microorganisms can work until next spring. In this way, the freshly planted plants benefit from available nutrients.
When to fertilize?
- first fertilization between March and April
- alternatively add horn shavings to the planting hole
- Top dressing at the beginning of June
Preparations
Remove all weeds from the area before applying the fertilizing substrate. Horn shavings are not only an ideal source of nitrogen for crops and ornamental plants, but also provide unwanted weeds with nutrients. Nitrogen-loving plants such as nettles in particular spread uncontrollably after organic fertilization. When mulching beds, you should mix the material with horn shavings. In this way you prevent too much nitrogen from being removed from the soil.
Dosage
You can spread horn shavings without having to run the risk of over-fertilization. Unlike chemical fertilizers, there is no risk of your plants' roots burning. This phenomenon often happens when excessive s alts accumulate in the soil due to a lack of water. Horn shavings are a safe fertilizer option that is dosed differently in different areas of the garden.
| Species | How many horn shavings per m2? | Administration with | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ornamental plants | Hydrangeas, roses and other flowering plants | 30 to 60 grams | sprinkle on the substrate |
| medium consuming crops | Endive, chard, beetroot | 30 to 60 grams | a bucket of compost |
| heavy-consuming crops | Tomatoes, cabbage, beets | 80 to 100 grams | two buckets of compost |
| Lawns | Sports or ornamental lawn | 30 to 50 grams | sprinkle on the surface |
| Pome fruit | Apples, quinces, pears | 70 to 100 grams | 100 grams of algae lime and three liters of compost |
| stone fruit | Cherries, peaches, plums | 100 to 130 grams | 100 grams of algae lime and four liters of compost |
| potted plants | all balcony plants | 10 to 20 grams | one liter of soil |
Top dressing of heavy feeders
This variant involves fertilization with easily soluble and therefore quickly effective nitrogen. Since this is bound by other living beings or plants and can also be washed away by the rain, top dressing is recommended as a follow-up fertilizer for heavily consuming plants such as tomatoes. Extrapolated over the year, this group of plants can tolerate five grams of nitrogen per square meter. This amount corresponds to approximately one tablespoon full of horn meal and is administered over four doses.
What you should consider:
- horn meal prevents fertilizer from remaining on the leaves
- this prevents burns
- First top dressing should be carried out as soon as 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
- Adjust top dressing in good time before the fruits ripen
- Vegetables for storage should not be fertilized for a long time before harvesting
Operation
Sprinkle the substrate evenly over the area by hand, or spread the horn fertilizer around the base of the plant. Before sowing, you can sprinkle the substrate on the soil. As with all organic fertilizers, it is important to incorporate horn shavings shallowly into the soil. This allows the microorganisms to 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, it is best to add horn shavings mixed with compost into the planting hole
In principle, it is recommended to add the slow-release fertilizer to the hole before planting. With bushes there is a risk that the material will get too deep into the ground. Due to the lack of oxygen, there is less biological activity and the chips are not sufficiently decomposed. To supply 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.
Tip
Rake the horn fertilizer about five centimeters deep into the soil. This way you get the most efficient fertilization effect possible.
Effect
Since horn shavings particles are comparatively large, decomposition occurs 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 due to 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 value, which is 7.0.
Tip
Horn shavings promote linear growth and are not suitable for Mediterranean herbs such as lavender.
What influences the fertilizer effect
As an organic fertilizer variant, horn shavings depend on the activity of the microorganisms in the substrate. Soil conditions and weather have decisive influences 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 soil are more active than in winter. They depend on a good soil structure that is sufficiently 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, decomposition takes place over a varying period of time, so an immediate effect is not to be expected. This fertilization is much more sustainable than the addition of chemical fertilizers.
Advantages, disadvantages and opportunities
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 option. The nitrogen resources are recycled and reintroduced into the natural cycle through the supply of nutrients. This optimal recycling of biodegradable substances prevents the nitrate content in drinking water from increasing too much or algae growth in ponds from reaching an uncontrollable level.
Horn shavings have these disadvantages:
- Origin of slaughter animals often unclear
- The addition “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 nutrient supply to the plants if only horn shavings are used
Make liquid fertilizer
You can dissolve horn shavings in water to provide nitrogen to houseplants. 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 chips
- Let the brew steep in a warm place for about four days
- strain and fill into a bottle
- dilute with water before use
Düngen mit Hornspäne Sud
Frequently asked questions
Can I use horn shavings to scare away rabbits?
Wild rabbits have a sensitive nose and are put off by intensely smelling scents. Many hobby gardeners swear by horn meal or shavings. The substrate is distributed on frequently visited areas or directly in the entrances to the rodents' burrows. Good watering is necessary because when moist the substrate exudes a strong aroma.
Do horn shavings help against deer?
In the short term, the intense smell of horn shavings also scares away deer that are messing with the plants in the garden. However, the animals quickly get used to the source of the disturbance and return to the scene of the crime after a while. In winter, hunger is usually greater than fear, so the deer test how far they can go. Therefore, use different deterrent 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 in unfertilized areas. So that the unwanted weeds are slowly pushed back, you have to promote the growth of the grass:
- 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. Lawns need a pH value between 6.0 and 6.5. With the help of a soil analysis you can determine in which range the value of your lawn lies.
Are horn shavings poisonous?
Horn fertilizer is generally not toxic to dogs, cats or children. Dogs like the special smell that the protein-rich granules give off. 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 shavings products. In order to turn the one-sided nutrient supplier into a complete fertilizer, castor bean meal is occasionally added. This can lead to vomiting and bloody diarrhea in dogs.
Can horn shavings transmit BSE?
Plants are not able to absorb whole proteins like the BSE pathogen. In order for it to enter the human organism, the protein would have to survive for months and pass into the food with soil crumbs that adhere to the plants. This case is extremely unlikely. In addition, according to statements from the EU Commission, horn shavings are considered harmless with regard to BSE. 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 has a central importance in the metabolism of the grapevine and has a major influence on growth and fruit development. The nutrient is present in various forms in the soil. Since only one to four percent of the bound nitrogen is released annually by microorganisms, an additional supply of horn shavings is recommended.
