Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: gunner on January 20, 2023, 16:27
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I've been offered a supply of well rotted horse manure for my veg garden. Having read several books and googled the subject I'm getting more and more confused. Some sources say don't use it on potatoes, while others say its great for spuds, same with tomatoes, some people say its great for them others say dont use it on your tomatoes. As I said at the beginning it is very well rotted, I originally planned to spread a good layer over the plot and dig it in, so what do people think, is it good/safe for spuds and tomatoes ?
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I grow all my potatoes in containers and towers now (due to slug damage direct in ground) but have always grown them in horse manure anyware from 50/50 manure/homemade compost upto 100% manure. I also sieve all my manure/compost as I've found lot's of rubbish (bricks etc)
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I would say yes to both.
Only concern would be to check that the horses hadn’t eaten grass contaminated with pesticides. That aside you are lucky to have well rotted manure available.
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I would say yes to both.
Only concern would be to check that the horses hadn’t eaten grass contaminated with pesticides. That aside you are lucky to have well rotted manure available.
I'm assuming you mean aminopyralid herbicides?
Nasty stuff & cost me a whole planting of broad beans & peas in the past.
It's not supposed to be used on grassland intended for horse fodder but certain 'custodians of the countryside' put profit before rules & regulations...
Because of this, I compost any stable muck I acquire mixed with a significant amount of soil & other material for at least 18 months, as this appears to neutralise any residual herbicide.
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To check your muck supply is not contaminated with pesticides,plant a broad bean in a mixture of compost and the manure. If it grows with distorted leaves do not use unless it’s been clamped for at least 2 years,and then check again.
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Yep that's the practice of plot holders round here Bernie.
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we have a monthly supply of horse manure and its absolutely write what's been said about about herbicides in the horse poo we usually stack ours for over 12 months before using although we have been told the supplier of the horse hay doesn't use herbicides its not worth the risk
I can understand why farmers use herbicides because horse hay needs to be top quality that's what you pay for when you buy good quality hay and although us gardeners love to get our hands on horse manure especially when its free the stables buy the hay for feeding there horses not for the manure
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we have a monthly supply of horse manure and its absolutely write what's been said about about herbicides in the horse poo we usually stack ours for over 12 months before using although we have been told the supplier of the horse hay doesn't use herbicides its not worth the risk
I can understand why farmers use herbicides because horse hay needs to be top quality that's what you pay for when you buy good quality hay and although us gardeners love to get our hands on horse manure especially when its free the stables buy the hay for feeding there horses not for the manure
Thing is, aminopyralids aren't authorised for use on fields intended to produce either hay or silage & specifically prohibited on fields grazed by horses:
Products may only be used on grassland for grazing (not for forage) or amenity grassland;
product labels must state that manure derived from animals that grazed on grassland treated with aminopyralid should be returned directly to the grassland ie keeping it on farm;
Only grassland grazed by cattle and sheep may be treated – not that grazed by horses; and
products are labelled with a warning that animal waste or plant material suspected of containing aminopyralid must not be used for composting or mulching.
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What should happen, isn't always what actually happens, and too many people have been caught out spreading manure without testing it, though, that's the problem!
IMO it's not worth risking it but each to their own...
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Must admit l agree. I stopped using well rotted manure five years ago , after loosing my entire tomato crop .
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Going back to Gunners question, I follow the rule of 6 months if it touches the crop and 3 months if it doesn't. So with potatoes its 6 months and tomatoes 3 months. With regards to herbicides I ask the supplier.