Horse Manure and then what Fertilizer?

Hi there,

My wife and I got an allotment mid way through last year which had not been used in a while, the ground had been covered which made digging it over quite easy. 

We spent a number of days carting well rotted horse manure and spreading it over the whole allotment (its only half a plot).

When spring comes and we want to start planting, should be be adding any additional fertilizer to the ground to help ie Lime, blood and bone etc??

thanks
Nick

I tend to use blood, fish and bonemeal in the planting holes for quick access to good stuff. My personal preference lately has also been to add greensand, which I don't believe you can get in the UK as well as mycorrhizal bacteria for root stimulation. For general veg crops, even though I add masses of manure every year I find a light sprinkle with an organic veg fertilizer helps a lot to cover any possible nutrient deficiencies. And if you have a wood burner, a very light sprinkle of ashes aids root growth.

You're right, Solway, greensand is primarily a commercial product but of late a lot of organic home gardeners here are also using it now that we know the benefits.

Yes, the bacteria is expensive here too, Kristen. But I stock up on fall sales. The containers say good for one year, but I've not found that so. I've had a huge commercial container I got for $1 (I'll never find that kind of deal again  ) and it lasted 3 years until empty. I can always tell in the season which plants I've missed adding it to.

And yes, it does need close root contact for best results. When I pop a plant out of a pot, I rough up the roots to avoid circling, then dust all around with the bacteria. I hold the plant sideways in one hand, turning it slowly as I sprinkle on the bacteria. Trees get the same treatment plus a bit more in the hole right where the root ball will sit.
Veg plants get a sprinkle as they're separated from the container.

Wouldn't do without it now.

we have spread horse manure on the lottie to overwinter covering about half of the lottie
when we start cultivating in the spring i have noted your advise about using lime and will be using it especially on the brassicas and root crop plots 

i also have a couple of bags of last years wood ash that i am going to spread on the onion bed ime just a bit unsure about manuring the onion bed i havent used horse manure on my onion bed before