Is it safe to plant in a plot with horse manure

[Penge Gardener]

Hello, I'm a newbe here! (recommended by Roitelet)

I have a plot on an allotment, which I covered in a thin layer of horse manure and straw in January. I've been working it into the ground since then, so it's relatively well broken down. BUT.... was told recently that it's unsafe to grow vegetables on ground with uncomposted manure on.

Is that true?!?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

[Thelma Sanders]

If it's no longer smelly, then it will be fine to grow in

[muddled]

Hello Penge gardener!
Welcome to the Vine

I was in Penge this morning...traffic was awful!

Horse manure is fine once its rotted as Thelma said but personally, I wouldn't want my lettuce in it.
I have a little rule that 'if I'm eating it raw, it don't get manure'
(well, at least...the manure would go on the season before and have other stuff grown in it first)

[snakeshack]

if its reasonably well broken down you will be ok, but planting carrots and parsnips into it may cause a lot of top growth and forked roots. Squashes courgettes and the like will love it. Brassicas will be ok because by cropping time it should have rotted completely

[ESBkevin]

The biggest problem you might face is one of weeds. Horses don't digest the seeds in hay like say a Cow would. Composting in piles greater than 3ft thick for months/years builds up tempreture which eventually kills all the seeds off rather than replanting them. If you get more 'green' horsemuck pile it up with woodchip, cardboard, hedgetrimmings in it (to get a mix of green and brown types) and leave for a long summer and better still more than 12 months. That way the composted muck will be suitable for use just as it is.
The only one to really worry about uncomposted is pig muck, that really is less suitable for vegitables untill well rotted down because of the pathogeons.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Hello and welcome.

One more thing for you to worry about 'aminopyralid' this is a selective weed killer widely used on pasture land. It will pass through the digestive system of a horse and remain active and distort/destroy your plants.

[Spunky]

Everyone manures there plot, if it's too fresh it can burn the roots of plants Id crack on and not worry about the weedkiller story it probably happened once and everyone remembered and weeds are always a problem

[WendyC]

not worry about the weedkiller story it probably happened once and everyone remembered

Unfortunately it isn't just a story and has happened lots of times. It also needs many years to break down and allow vegetables to be grown again.

[Alison]

Everyone manures there plot, if it's too fresh it can burn the roots of plants Id crack on and not worry about the weedkiller story it probably happened once and everyone remembered and weeds are always a problem

Everybody doesn't manure their plots, lots of us don't although it is one way of doing things. However the risk of problems with weed killer in manure is very real. I know a lot of people who have had very real problems as a result of contaminated manure. Caused issues for many years unfortunately and FAR more difficult to eradicate than weeds

[veggiechicken]

Everyone manures there plot, if it's too fresh it can burn the roots of plants Id crack on and not worry about the weedkiller story it probably happened once and everyone remembered and weeds are always a problem

Spunky, here's one thread http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...lid_80235.html that you might like to read. Its not a myth or a one-off event. You're having tomato problems aren't you?

[Snadger]

I have just planted my spuds in holes dug then filled up with fresh manure. Did the same last year and had a decent crop. Added a bit slow release balanced fertiliser to each planting hole to counteract any nitrogen depletion caused by the manure break down!

Beggars can't be choosers and the manure on our site is supplied FOC straight from the horses backside. The horsey man has been dumping manure at the plot for a number of years without any problems so as long as he doesn't change his hay supplier I should be ok!

The manure does generate a host of weed seedlings but the good the organic matter addition does for the soi far outweighs the hassle of extra weeding.

[Spunky]

Spunky, here's one thread http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...lid_80235.html that you might like to read. Its not a myth or a one-off event. You're having tomato problems aren't you?

In pots with compost and the other varieties are fine why do you ask?

[veggiechicken]

because there are links in that thread to tomato problems!

[Potstubsdustbins]

Judging by the experience of some of our members I would be very care of playing down the effects of the 'myth' weed killer.

[PyreneesPlot]

I'll be planting my spare squash plants on the top of the muck heap this year, just to see what happens.
It was fresh in December but is still very wet and largely unbroken down and much to green and grassy to add to the veg beds at the moment, so this seems like a good experiment. Most of the muck heaps in these parts have pumpkins growing out of them!