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fresh manure

holsdad1holsdad1 Posts: 41
in Fruit & veg
Hi, Newbie here, I've only gone and planted my potatoes with fresh horse manure, will I be unable to eat them safely?
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Posts

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,178
    Looking at @BobTheGardener 's reply to this old thread, maybe he can confirm one way or the other 
    https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1031494/can-i-grow-potatoes-in-manure
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,997
    edited March 2022
    How fresh is fresh?  Fresh from the farm, or fresh from the garden centre in a bag, or ….?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • holsdad1holsdad1 Posts: 41
    fresh from the farm.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,997
    When did you plant them?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • holsdad1holsdad1 Posts: 41
    today
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,997
    Ok … I would carefully dig them up, (be careful not to break any shoots) then, if you can’t remove all the manure mix it into the bottom of the trench .. put a thin layer of soil on top and replant your potatoes.  The danger from the fresh manure is that it’s very strong and can burn the shoots and roots, but if you remove what you can and mix the rest in as I’ve described it should be fine. 
    The resulting crop will be perfectly edible. It’s a bit of a faff this year but we all make mistakes … enjoy your spuds. 🍽 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • holsdad1holsdad1 Posts: 41
    Thank you very much, I placed the manure near not on the potatoes then applied a layer of soil then more manure, I was concerned pathogens would spoil the potatoes but would cooking them destroy them?
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,743
    holsdad1 said:
    Thank you very much, I placed the manure near not on the potatoes then applied a layer of soil then more manure, I was concerned pathogens would spoil the potatoes but would cooking them destroy them?
    In which case, IMHO, they'll be just fine. 
    Devon.
  • holsdad1holsdad1 Posts: 41
    Great thank you, would it best to not put fresh manure in with uncooked veg varieties for pathogens like tomatoes, cucumbers?
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,997
    holsdad1 said:
    Thank you very much, I placed the manure near not on the potatoes then applied a layer of soil then more manure, I was concerned pathogens would spoil the potatoes but would cooking them destroy them?
    I agree with @Hostafan1 … in that case they’ll be fine. 
    I would not be at all concerned … the manure will have been in the soil and being acted on by all the microbes and bacteria in the soil for around 3 months by the time you’re harvesting your potatoes. Perfectly fine. 😊

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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