Horse manure killing plants??

R

Riz

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 December 2006
Messages
457
Visit site
Hi

A friend has asked my opinion on horse manure and whether or not wormers or any other drugs & chemicals that we feed the horses would have an adverse affect on plants when the manure is used as a fertilizer.....

I use it on my allotment with no problem at all but they have heard of someone else using it on their plots and blaming ruined crops on manure contaminated with wormers.....I've had a look online and all I can really find is that as long as the manure has matured and rotted down for a couple of years there shouldn't be any problem.....

Do any of you know differently?!

Thanks in advance!

(I'll also pop this in soapbox)
 
Not heard about wormers affecting manure but I do know that using manure from horses fed on hay sprayed with certain weedkillers passes the weedkilling effect on.
 
It may be that the person whose plants died had used fresh manure and not let it rot down. When it is too fresh (I reckon less than 6 months old) it is too 'hot' to put on your plants as it will burn the growth away.
 
I agree with Suestowford. The manure will burn the plants fresh growth if used too early. We use pig manure on our allotment but it has to have rotted down to a level where the smell is not longer piggy but earthy. I'm not sure about roses because my dad used to use fresh manure as a mulch round his and they were always healthy.
 
Apparently it was 2 years old & well rotted down.....the thing is there are so many reasons why plants would die (weather conditions etc etc) that I don't see how you could blame manure - hence why my friend was wondering about wormers etc....! Thank you for your replies :-)
 
It could be the ground was too dry/wet when it was applied as it acts to prevent evaporation too so if applied on dry ground prevents enough water to the roots or too wet prevents the soil drying out and the plants die due to water logging the soil if applied too close to the stem without being dug in it may well burn the plants it is best used in the ground while double digging it
 
Manure if it contains wee, needs to rot down as its the ammonia in it that kills the plants..

I pick manure off my paddock (horse live out so no wee in it).... put it in my raised beds/pots .. and put plants straight in it (this year, tomatoes, beans, peppers, chillis, onions, sweetcorn, potatoes, broccoli ) ... and my veg plants grow like triffids!!..

horses are wormed, so no idea about that killing them....
 
Won't affect plants but does affect the bug biodiversity if dung ;) ... Making fake cow pats and counting bugs proves it :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top