Horse Manure - during growing season

nxdmsandkaskdjaqd

I have been growing runner beans in the same vegetable patch for some years. This year they were not doing well, so I have been adding some horse manure to the ground during the growing season to improve the soil condition (seams to have worked well). I just wondered if this was OK to do? (i.e no health implications).

Grenage

I can't imagine so, especially as the beans are going to be well away from the manure.

Dizzy_Ditzy

You may find that your beans are struggling this year because of the weather - everyone i know who has grown runner beans this year has struggled

greyteam1959

My runner & climbing beans are doing very well but I have them on an automatic irrigation system.
Horse manure........never ever again using it in my garden.
I dug it into my outdoor beds about 10 years ago, lovely stuff it was.
But then the nettles started growing !!!
They are still germination now after all that time......grrrrrrrrr.

Blackjack_Davy

They need plenty of muck dug in before they're planted and give them a feed afterwards they have a high need for moisture and nitrogen

Its been a fantastic year for climbing beans (french beans) but the runners need very regular watering, even the climbing beans have been suffering from red spider mite though (very dry air).

Got almost half a freezer full of runners so far, goodness knows what the water bill will be like though...

Primrose

I think your beans are more likely to have suffered from the heat and lack of rain than any manure. Hopefully though manure was old and mature and not fresh as that wouldn't have done the beans any good at all

crv1963

I generally put six inches of well rotted horse manure over my flower borders in the autumn, after I've trimmed plants back, giving the winter to let it get into the soil, the plants love it, although I do agree you get a few nettles but I haven't found that a problem yet! The bulbs just come through it.


I read somewhere about feed the soil, stop worrying about the plants they'll just reap the rewards. Many plants have suffered in the nice weather- hungry and thirsty plants more so. I think the answer might be dig a lot maybe a sack full of manure per square yard/ metre where you intend to put the runners, or as someone I know does cut this years down to 6 inches and cover with a foot of manure- they survive and thrive most winters and if they don't the bed is ready for the next lot! He never rotates his runner bean bed!