[lorideane]

My husband and I started my first vegetable garden, he says he has done this before. We rototilled aged horse manure into it and then planted. Well needless to say my vegetables are not growing and they are not a healthy green. I live in the pines and the area we planted had pine and oak trees dropping there needles and leaves in the area. The nice man at the hardware store said this area (California Sierras) has a lot of acid in the soil. We did a soil test and the nitrogen test didnt even register a color, so I am assuming I need nitrogen. Here is my dilemma how do I add nitrogen when my garden is already started? Do I need lime to bring the ph level up?
Thanks Lori

 

[stephanie]

urine will bring the nitrogen level up, and lime will bring the ph level up. it takes time for plants to break down the manure and be able to absorb the nitrogen from the aged horse manure. don't give up just be patient and you can bet next years garden will improve and each year you add manure,wood chips,lawn clippings as long as you don't use any herbicides on your lawn. The herbicides stay in the grass clippings and can make your garden wilt or be puny over all and just not produce. The same goes for where you get the manure if the hay the horses ate was sprayed it will affect the garden in a negative way.

 

[Shannon]

Learn something new everyday! Urine? Who knew? I had to hurry and look it up. Thanks Stephanie. Now I've got to get pass the grossness and figure out how to collect and use it.

 

[stephanie]

have the other half pee in a jar and put a lid on it then just pour it into a sprayer and spritz the ground around the plants but not on the leaves.

 

[Shannon]

easy peasy -thanks!

 

[Madonna35]

I agree with you.

 

[stephanie]

ok a composting toilet also works. or in my case shoveling up the horses pee spot and mixing it into the compost bin.