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I am new to veg gardening and I am following a No Dig approach. I purchased an 8 ton load of well rotted horse manure which was an awful lot of hard work to barrow to the end of my garden. My first question to the supplier was "does it contain wood chip" and I was told no.
I have created raised beds of manure applied 6" deep.
I sowed into modules and planted out healthy seedlings, but results are very dissapointing.
Peas - died,
Onions, Shallots, both yellowing extensively
Coriander, died
Dill, looking poorly.
Beetroot, extensive yellowing
Rocket, yellowing and some red in the leaves.
Spinach, maintained green and grew well initially but new growth stunted badly.
Broad Beans, grew ok first of all but new growth curling and bottom leaves yellowing.
Lettuce, some very good and some stunted.
Parsnips looking ok ish but one or two starting to yellow.
Celeriac looking OK.
Potatoes looking OK
Flower Sprouts looking OK.
The manure is collected from various livery stables and mixed together so there will not be consistency.
My first research suggested Aminopyralid Herbicide present in the Manure. I have been in contact with Dow Chemicals (who produce AP herbicide) and sent them extensive images of the damaged plants, and they say that this is not the problem.
I now realise that there is Wood Chip in the manure. Research tells me that Wood Chip can deplete Nitrogen significantly, so one solution which I am considering before undertaking the demoralising task of replacing 8 tons of manure, is adding Nitrogen while the wood chip continues to rot away, but I guess there is also the possibility that there may be toxins in the wood chip?
If anyone has successfully used manure containing wood chip in a similar way I would be most interested to hear about it.
I have created raised beds of manure applied 6" deep.
I sowed into modules and planted out healthy seedlings, but results are very dissapointing.
Peas - died,
Onions, Shallots, both yellowing extensively
Coriander, died
Dill, looking poorly.
Beetroot, extensive yellowing
Rocket, yellowing and some red in the leaves.
Spinach, maintained green and grew well initially but new growth stunted badly.
Broad Beans, grew ok first of all but new growth curling and bottom leaves yellowing.
Lettuce, some very good and some stunted.
Parsnips looking ok ish but one or two starting to yellow.
Celeriac looking OK.
Potatoes looking OK
Flower Sprouts looking OK.
The manure is collected from various livery stables and mixed together so there will not be consistency.
My first research suggested Aminopyralid Herbicide present in the Manure. I have been in contact with Dow Chemicals (who produce AP herbicide) and sent them extensive images of the damaged plants, and they say that this is not the problem.
I now realise that there is Wood Chip in the manure. Research tells me that Wood Chip can deplete Nitrogen significantly, so one solution which I am considering before undertaking the demoralising task of replacing 8 tons of manure, is adding Nitrogen while the wood chip continues to rot away, but I guess there is also the possibility that there may be toxins in the wood chip?
If anyone has successfully used manure containing wood chip in a similar way I would be most interested to hear about it.
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