Transplant Growth Curly!

[gflynn]

So I got a bunch of Horse Manure for free and added it liberally into my gardens. It was full of worms so I assumed the PH would be good.

The transplants growth seems to have become radically curly. I am wondering if this is a sign of overfertilization or a disease?

What do you folks think?

Greg

[Blueaussi]

How curly is curly? Is the growth normal otherwise?

[gflynn]

I really need to send a picture but don't have one right now. It's a littler curly on some but more major distortion on others.

I will get a pic

[dice]

I have not seen that in beds with liberal amounts of horse
manure (like a foot of horse manure in a 2' deep raised bed,
where the rest of it was leaves, compost, and a couple inches
of clayey loam soil on top).

Could be bugs.

[gflynn]

I have heard rumor that herbacide could be eaten by the horses and contaminate the manure.

That would be bad.

[Blueaussi]

If the herbicide was in the manure, the roots would be the first thing to show damage.

[gflynn]

Last night I test the PH and found it to be 7.5 also the N was low and the K and P were high. Here are some pics:

DSC_0463.JPG

DSC_0466.JPG

DSC_0468.JPG

I have since dug them up washed off the roots and planted them in pots with clean potting soil. I will see if they recover over the next week. I assume this is some sort of transplant shock but I really have no idea

Greg

[eddie46]

Fresh horse manure is too hot. I have used it in the past and it turned my plants yellow, but they did recover and grew like all get out.

Ed

[dice]

It does look like something in the soil. After they recover,
you might try mixing some of the horse manure into one
pot and see if that plant curls up (but the others do not).

pH 7.5 is a little high, but not extreme. That matches a lot
of people's native soil pH in Oklahoma, parts of Texas, New
Mexico, Colorado, etc.

[gflynn]

Dice,

I was thinking the same thing. I sent some pics and a description to the Maryland Extention Service.

I may try diging out a portion of the soil and putting in some potting soil in a hole on the top. Maybe the plants will do better after they have an established root system and can grow into what they prefer at the rate they like.

Greg

[Barbee]

Did you put the manure directly into the planting hole or distribute it thru the garden?
And how did the root ball look when you pulled the plant?

[gflynn]

Barbee,

First off my kids love you. I have 4 girls and they have seen all of your movies and have a entire area of our home dedicated to your stuff. Unfortunately they dress up my son and I am worried about that. Anyway....

I tried to mix the manure in but there is a nearly 50/50 ratio of Manure and regular dirt. Also, the roots didn't seem different when I looked at them but I didn't really look closely. There didn't seem to be much additional growth but that is hard to gage. The roots were white for the most part.

I can pull one and look more closely at the roots if you have a suggestion of something to look for. I have nothing to lose.
Greg

[Barbee]

LoLoL, smarty pants!

I'm asking because my transplants did the same thing as yours Very twisted foliage and obvious distress.
Mine have come out of it for the most part. Once the weather warmed up and dried out, they looked good. I was convinced it was due to the cold wet weather.

We have been hammered with rain for the last couple of days and I sank out there this afternoon to check the tomatoes and sure enough, they are starting to twist again.

I also used horse manure.

[gflynn]

Barbee,

I have to believe you are right. I am going lighten up the soil on top and replant, then hope that they recover.

The Maryland Extension service came up empty. The folks here seem to have more practical experience with the subject at hand.

Also, if you are ever around MD let us know, my girls would love to get an autograph!

Thanks
Greg

[Barbee]

OK I just remembered something. Actually, my hubby reminded me of it when we were discussing this thread. The first 5 plants I got in the ground really early. I used my regular tomato ferts (didn't have any manure) on those 5 so that pretty much shoots the horse manure theory from my end.

So that just leaves cold and wet. The cold spell is past in my zone so that leaves wet.