Hi! I added hot chicken manure to a patch of dirt

[Alaura]

and I had intended to start my watermelons and or pumpkins there relatively soon I now see that that may not be wise... Is there anyway I can salvage it? It's just a couple pints on a 6x6' plot. This is my first attempt at a garden that isn't just a few different things in rows, and I do have space for the melons and pumpkins elsewhere, should I just save the plot for the fall garden ?

 

[marlingardener]

A couple of pints on a 6' square plot ought to be safe, if the manure is well distributed and dug in. Chicken manure is high in nitrogen, which will encourage the leaf growth of your melons and pumpkins. Can you switch out the melons and pumpkins to another area, and plant something in the 6' plot that requires more nitrogen, like lettuces or any leafy vegetable?

 

[Alaura]

A couple of pints on a 6' square plot ought to be safe, if the manure is well distributed and dug in. Chicken manure is high in nitrogen, which will encourage the leaf growth of your melons and pumpkins. Can you switch out the melons and pumpkins to another area, and plant something in the 6' plot that requires more nitrogen, like lettuces or any leafy vegetable?

Hmm I'm in northeast Texas, and I think the ship has sailed for getting those sorts going, I do have kale and spinach already going and I was debating doing lettuce also. Also any helpful random general tips would be amazing!

 

[MaryMary]

Also any helpful random general tips would be amazing!

Welcome to the forum, Alaura! I don't know how helpful this will be, but my favorite random Texas tip is that you can plants trees in February.

A couple of pints on a 6' square plot ought to be safe, if the manure is well distributed and dug in.

How hot is hot chicken manure??


It's the !!

 

[Alaura]

How hot is hot chicken manure??


It's the !!

It's preeeetty hot. I haven't been turning it and it was fresh, but had been in a pile for 2 months, so I jabbed two shovels worth into the plot out of madness before reading anything about it.

 

[marlingardener]

Alaura, I consulted my spring planting guide from Texas A&M, and for NE Texas, you can plant lettuce until May 15. If you decide to put some in, I'd suggest Black Seeded Simpson or Simpson's Elite, Midnight Ruffles, and an Oak Leaf type (comes in either green or red tinged).
Here is a link to the planting guides, spring and fall:
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/earthkind/ekgarden14.html
Random hint--this year's weather has been very strange, so take that into consideration when planting. Here we have had too much rain (weird!) and unseasonable warmth. Our roses are blooming their fool heads off, but it took the carrots forever to germinate.

 

[headfullofbees]

Dig in two barrowloads of woodchips.
It'll start to break down and sequester much of the excess nitrogen as it does so.
Leave planting as long as you reasonably can.