Hello from NYC. I'm new to the forum world. I love gardening & cooking (and you probably guessed from my name, I really love kale). I usually plant veggies and herbs in my yard. I was hoping to throw out a question to you all.. I just finished weeding a small personal plot and have not sown any seeds yet. I got advice from a gardener to put down a thin layer of horse manure BEFORE planting (there is no compost ready to use at that site). I put some down before the rain yesterday but then I read that adding horse manure is not the best option. I want to start planting seeds this weekend; mostly veggies and some flowers. Was adding the manure a bad idea or will it not affect the seeds since it is only a thin layer? I appreciate any and all answers!
Hi there and welcome to the group ! It kind if depends on where the manure came from and what the horse was fed. I have 6 horses and I use a lot of manure because its safe for veggies as long as its well dried. I have planted directly in dried manure if I am out of potting soil. Problem is not all seeds are killed in a horses digestive tract. I would just plan on pulling a few weeds including grass and oats if that is included in their food. Since you only put down a thin layer it should not be too big a problem. Just pull the weeds as they come up and do not let them go to seed. Next time you can compost or solarize the manure before adding it to your garden. That should fix the problem,,or at least most of it. It will not hurt whatever you plant there,,its a great fertilizer. One way to take advantage of the free fertilizer without having to worry about weeds is to dig a hole beside your plant then put a soda bottle cap removed and bottom cut out into the hole,big end up. Then add the manure to the bottle and fill it with water to the top. The water will filter down and feed as well as water your plants. Just takes a cup or two.
Welcome to the Stew! We are in Texas, and use a lot of manure in our gardens--both chicken and steer. We compost the manure and it really benefits the soil. Bet you'll have a lovely garden this year!
Hi Kalegal, and welcome to GardenStew! I use horse manure without problems too. As Mart mentioned, you will need to pull any weeds as they sprout.
Welcome from a fellow greenhorn, kalegal! Central Texas, and I don't do much fertilizing ~~ just some occasional LadyBug pretty-much all-purpose concentrate. Thanks for reminding me! And, Islandlife, West or east? My husband and I were just up in British Columbia in April, breathing in all the natural beauty we could!
