JACKSON,Ohio-A soil amendment made from
steam-sterilized horse manure is drawing praise from landscapers.
Known as Nea's Organic Compost or Nea's Posy Power (depending on the
packaging), the manure first decomposes outdoors for 30 days. Weed
seeds are then eliminated by steam sterilization. Additives include
brewer's grain, gypsum, peat moss and lime.
The 80-day composting process is monitored by state-of-the-art
computerized controls, according to Nea Henry, who is the president
of the southeastern Ohio firm.
"We came up with our own entire process, and it worked," she
recalls. "The procedures are very exact."
• It rebuilds worn out soil;
• acts as a fertilizer;
• holds moisture during drought conditions;
• adds micro-organisms;
• breaks down clay soil;
• Adds organic humus and
builds up sandy soil
At Ohio University in Athens, it was used to rebuild the athletic
fields and golf greens. The product also was applied as a
topdressing for new and established lawns and flower beds, plus it
was used as a mulch around shrubs in the spring. |
"We
would highly recommend Nea's Organic Compost to anyone in this
field," says Daniel H. Stright, OU's director of grounds
maintenance.
Nea's "improves the structure of the soil remarkably and allows for
better water-holding capacity and better air penetration in the clay
soils we have in this area," he notes.
"This organic compost has the added value of being weed-free, and it
is much cheaper than oak bark mulch," says Stright. He added that
the product is neutral as opposed to the bark's acid qualities.
"We have had many favorable comments on the fields, lawns, and
flower beds where the material has been added," Stright notes.
"Another great feature is the moisture-holding capacity," says Dave
Junka, curator of the Franklin Park Conservatory and Garden Center
in Columbus. "The same plants in beds without the compost require
much more frequent waterings," he reports.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources uses the mixture for its
wildflower program and for reclaiming old strip mines. The
AmeriFlora exhibit in Columbus added Nea's to its blended soils.
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Pricing
varies according to marketplace. (A top- dressing spreader
customer-designed for the product sells for $299.) Henry will
deliver via dump-truck and semi-load within 400 miles. Otherwise its
shipped in 30-pound bags.
Nea's compost was born in the mushroom industry.
When she used the product on her father's crop, the yield was 6
lbs./sq. ft. when the national average for mushroom growing was just
1.79 lbs./sq. ft. Campbell's Soup was so impressed that it bought
the company, but Henry kept the "super mix" patent.
It's hard to think of horse manure as high tech, but the conversion
process also reduces the smell. The air used during processing is
filtered just like in hospitals. The humidity, barometric pressure
and temperature is continuously controlled. |