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Horn shavings are one of the classic fertilizers that are often used in the home garden. An important criterion when using it is the time when you apply the crushed horn for your plants.
In a nutshell
- more natural long-term fertilizer
- the right moment: spring
- suitable for nitrogen-loving plants such as black elder or cabbage
- It can also be applied directly when planting
Apply horn shavings: Spring
Horn shavings are suitable for many types of plants due to their high nitrogen content and can be easily used together with compost or other fertilizers if timed correctly. Since horn shavings are a long-term fertilizer, two fertilizations over the entire season are sufficient in most cases. The appropriate time consists of the following:
- right after the end of winter
- later dates will be tolerated
- Rainy day is preferred
- Ground should be frost-free
This allows the chips to work immediately and slowly release the nutrients to the plants. The chips work over a period of about three months, only then is another addition necessary, which puts the second date in early to mid-summer from June to July. Depending on the weather conditions, the date may be delayed or come sooner. Horn shavings are specially used for lawns and vegetables to make them grow faster. In order to get the long-term effect, the fertilizer must be worked well into the soil, otherwise the nutrients will evaporate and the plant will not be able to make use of them.
Tip: You can also use the organic fertilizer over the summer if your plants are struggling with growth disorders. Since this is often due to a lack of nitrogen, a small amount of horn shavings is an excellent way to top up the fertilizer.
Apply horn shavings: autumn
In addition to spring, autumn is also a good time to spread horn shavings. Many gardeners wonder whether this approach makes any sense at all with a long-term fertilizer, since the shavings could hardly deliver any nutrients to the plants until winter. Don't worry, because that's exactly the goal behind fall fertilization. It is a preparation for spring when you don't want to or can't apply the fertilizer after the winter. If you decide to fertilize with horn shavings in the fall, the process will be as follows:
- When: September to mid-October
- Shavings remain in the ground
- are not decomposed due to the lack of microorganisms
- in the spring the soil “wakes up”.
- Chips are now slowly decomposed
Because of this trait, pre-winter fertilization works well for a variety of plants in your garden. Since they do not need any nitrogen during the winter months, but need a long-term fertilizer for a good nutrient supply from spring onwards, this variant is ideal. You can fertilize the following plants in autumn:
- Strawberries (Fragaria)
- Common rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum)
- shrubs
- perennials
Nitrogen-loving perennials and shrubs such as broom (Cytisus scoparius) or black elder (Sambucus nigra) can be excellently supported in spring in this way. Do not use this variant if you want to cultivate vegetables that quickly accumulate nitrates and nitrites, such as spinach, lettuce or cabbage. You can in turn ingest the substances when you eat them, which is not recommended. For such plants, only use spring fertilization with horn shavings.
Notice: The shavings are not suitable as a booster to strengthen plants before the onset of winter. They need potassium to survive the cold months.
When planting
Last but not least, you need to schedule another appointment for fertilizing with horn shavings. You can mix the shavings directly into the soil with which you fill the respective planting hole. By adding it you make it easier for the plants to establish themselves as they have enough nitrogen. Growth is supported over a long period of time. Fortunately, the time of year does not determine the use of the horn shavings, but the time at which the plants are planted. Just make sure you don't put the shavings out between the end of October and the end of February, as that wouldn't do any good.