please help with tomatoes in cow manure

[marathon]

On advice from another plot holder I've planted my tomatoe plants in holes filled with groiw bag compost which are located in a bed of organic cow manure in my polytunnel.

Is this going to be a mistake, am I just going to end up with just a load of leaves rather than fruit. The plants have just started to form flowers.

I have posted this question on another forum but haven't had much of a response so really hoping you can all help me. OH is about to loose his job so so don't want to blow my chances of a bumper crop. Have 36 plants in all but only planted 18 so far.

[Capsid]

Sounds fine to me. You can remove the lower leaves anyway.

[SlugLobber]

Mine are potted in horse manure on top of home made compost. They seem to be doing great - lots of flowers forming, which is a good sign!

[marathon]

Thanks so much for the fast replies

Guess I can relax now then and plant the rest.

I have befriended an organic dairy farmer so have an endless supply of organic manure. I still have about 4 tonnes left at the front of my plot so i washoping to have a great harvest of winter squashes,courgettes cabbages. Is there anything else that would thrive in the stuff. Oh and I've filled my 30ft long bean trench with the stuff too.

[JimmerG]

Marathon,

I think tomatoes have been grown in manure for years and years. Potassium is what tomatoes like - so a bit of comfrey tea, or indeed a sprinkling of wood ash will certinly help.

As far as growing things in manure - pretty much anything will like it - just not root crops. Its one of the most useful resources available to gardeners and an unlimited supply of free stuff is to be cherished. Well rotted manure is more of a soil conditioner than anything - its actual nutrients, although vital, are fairly low - maybe a 10th of the nutrients of shop bought general purpose fertlizers (but then one does use only a sprinkling of shop bought fertilizer - not 4 tonnes of the stuff!)

Just make sure your cow poo is well rotted, otherwise you'll scorch your young plants.

J

[marathon]

Marathon,

I think tomatoes have been grown in manure for years and years. Potassium is what tomatoes like - so a bit of comfrey tea, or indeed a sprinkling of wood ash will certinly help.

As far as growing things in manure - pretty much anything will like it - just not root crops. Its one of the most useful resources available to gardeners and an unlimited supply of free stuff is to be cherished. Well rotted manure is more of a soil conditioner than anything - its actual nutrients, although vital, are fairly low - maybe a 10th of the nutrients of shop bought general purpose fertlizers (but then one does use only a sprinkling of shop bought fertilizer - not 4 tonnes of the stuff!)

Just make sure your cow poo is well rotted, otherwise you'll scorch your young plants.

J

Thankyou for the info. I'm so pleased that I've now got a good supply of the stuff and being organic, what luck

The manure is 18 months old and in October I'm getting another 6 tonnes but most of that will be covered and left for use the following May.

Off to the plot now to plant up the rest of the toms' I've got my fingers crossed that as the plants are forming flowers that I'll get a good crop of early tomatoes.