Manure and lots of water -is this bad?

13 years ago

Hey y'all. I have been lurking these boards for a few years now as my husband and I learn gardening here in the south (Coastal SC) compared to the north (Extreme Northern NY). I have been able to answer most all of my questions just by reading other threads but not this time. So, I guess its time for me to jump in and say "hey!"

Even longer-story-short... We have a vegetable garden where there have been goats and horses for years. The horses were penned away from the garden area this past winter (not quite 6-mos before working and planting the garden).

All of the plants and (the good) seeds we planted have taken off and done great. They all look wonderfully healthy and the only issue we see with them so far is the amount of rain we have had -lead to shallow root systems that the corn is not handling well. The other issue is weeds (hello!? When they say that horse manure leaves the seeds behind, they are NOT kidding!) which we have been battling continually with Vinegar and Organic Preen.

Ok... Hopefully thats enough background. My big question right now is...

Is it ok that there has been so much manure in that area that is now mixing with the rainwater and forming puddles? The puddles do have a stank of manure/urine but there are still tadpoles and grass/weeds growing in them.

We are concerned about eating the vegetables from that section of the garden if there is a lot of bacteria there. Is there a way to tell?

Any thoughts, ideas, concerns or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!!

Here is a link that might be useful: View our garden here

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Comments (2)

linda_schreiber
13 years ago
Whew.... You couldn't ask something simple like a 15-part- question....

In no particular order:

I would be happier about it all if the area had a year and a half instead of just six months for all the old manure to decompose, even in your warm coastal area. But that doesn't necessarily make it a big problem.

The flooded/saturated soil is a big problem. Dig trenches around the beds to help the water drain. Trench out channels to get the water heading out of the garden. Get the excess water drained out of there! It is the most important part of the solution. The excess water is making worse the problems of the mostly aged animal waste.

Stop using vinegar on the weeds! Makes it worse, in your situation.

Now for the goodish news....

If the plants look healthy, and the fruits develop normally, and the excess water has been drained away, I would be fine with eating the veggies that are harvested above-ground, as long as they are washed, just as you would with grocery-store veggies. I wouldn't be happy with root vegetables from this ground for at least another year.
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Kimmsr
13 years ago
The nutrients in animal manures are fairly water soluble so when that manure is exposed to a lot of water (rains, floods, etc) the nutrients are washed out and into the water stream, whether directly to a creek, stream, lake or through the soil into the groundwater.
Fresh, uncomposted, manures are also known to be harbingers of many disease pathogens and if fresh manure is put on your garden rain, or other forms of irrigation, can cause these disease pathogens to splash onto the food growing there which is why the Center for Disease Control, The National Institute of Health, the USDA all recommend that manures be aged at least 90, preferably 120 days before being used in a vegetable garden.
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Manure and lots of water -is this bad?

Comments (2)

linda_schreiber

Kimmsr

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