Filling large containers for veg planting

themongers

Hi new to veg growing so forgive if silly question. I,m filling lots of very large containers to have a go at growing veg and have access to large amounts of very well rotted horse manure 2 years plus old (wood shavings), can i fill containers just with this ? i dont have access to topsoil at this time so i hope so .
 I have a greenhouse was going to put tomatoes and chilli in the borders any other veg ideal for greenhouse working out where to put everything loving my new found love for this during lockdown. 
Thanks in advance Amanda stay safe everyone 

pinut

Yes, you can but you must make sure that the manure contains no persistent pesticide/herbicide contaminants used in the production of hay which is fed to the horses.

If you know that the source is "clean" then shovel away, otherwise, test by potting up some plants and leave for a few weeks to see if they survive. This will save you a lot of hassle if it turns out to be the worst case scenario.

nick615

Amanda -  are you in a country area?  If so, as I've found to my benefit, you'll often find ditches that have partially silted up over time as rain falls and water drains off the fields.  I have one such outside our place and, every couple of years or so, I dig the silt out (probably with some of the farmer's precious fertiliser in it) and get4-5 barrow loads to use on my plot.

themongers

pinut said:

Yes, you can but you must make sure that the manure contains no persistent pesticide/herbicide contaminants used in the production of hay which is fed to the horses.

If you know that the source is "clean" then shovel away, otherwise, test by potting up some plants and leave for a few weeks to see if they survive. This will save you a lot of hassle if it turns out to be the worst case scenario.

Thank you not 100% sure if farmer sprayed his hay fields , ive planted a test plant so i,ll see what happens before i plant my precious veg seedlings fingers crossed thanks for help.

cowslip2

I strongly recommend J I NO 2 COMPOST for vegetables in containers. Years and years of following this practice with total success.

Beartricks

I've been doing a mix of cheap and nasty 3 for £10 supermarket compost with some good quality compost like J I No 2 chucked in for a few years and never had any issues growing bog standard stuff like peas, beans, carrots, tomatoes etc in containers, along with my flowers.

I'll add sand/grit/perlite etc if the plants need specific conditions. Or regular soil if compost is too rich.