Horse Manure

[tezmac]

Hi all,
I can get hold of some horse manure for the garden but how do i use it on my pattio tubs your help please

[Lesley Jay]

Tezmac there have been alot of problems this year across the country with contaminated horse manure. I wouldn't recommend using it. There's more information on this thread.

Problems on manured land?

[tezmac]

Thanks for the info i will give the manure a miss ....but what can i use to fertilise my plants

[Lesley Jay]

For growing veg in patio tubs I use a good quality multi compost and feed with a liquid organic seaweed feed.

[DunDiggin]

Depends on where you get your horse manure. If the horses are not on straw and there's little hay contamination you should be ok.
As an alternative try making your own liquid feed from either nettles or comfrey.

[malcolmx]

as a rule i use spent mushroom compost to enrich the soil i would not go near any compost from local authorities as i suspect the main ingredient is grass cuttings which have all kinds of chemicals added just for the record i do not garden organically and i will use chemicals if they will cure my problem. i will however try not to get a problem in the first place as an example i grow lots of tubs of plants and i use potting compost mixed with ji3 plus a slow release fertiliser .
to go back to the mushroom compost i buy it from a local supplier who supplies landscape gardeners with turf and soil and as yet i have had no problems with growing plants

[malcolmx]

another point re horse manure horses are kept on straw ,shavings, or rubbermats . if you can find out which then you can deal with it accordingly/ all hot manure needs stacking and turning so straw and shavings will take longer to break down . i treat all 3 differently straw abased i put thru my garden shredder and stack for a year and turn twice
wood chips i stack for 2 years
from rubber mats i add it to my normal compost as this is neat digested grass
try to get it from riding stables direct then you can see what is happening