The "salts" refered to are the nutrients, but yes too much manure can cause the same problems as too much "fertilizer" and that is another reason why manures should be composted before being spread on the garden and composted with 3 parts vegetative waste to 1 part manure. Then there will not be a problem with over "fertilization".

Manure contributes a goodly amount of potassium nitrate. In the old days that's where they collected it to make gunpowder. What an awful job that must have been. As you know, too much nitrogen isn't good for your plants. It is soluble though and can be rinsed out with plain water. Not too good for the water table though.

Thanks for the replies.

I got to thinking would sheet composting really be different than the compost from my piles. It has the same vegetative waste plus the manure too.

So I am assuming that the method of layering amendments right on the bed can't really be blamed as long as you give it enough time to compost. I do have 'regular' compost from piles too but the layers straight on the bed add even more organic matter and prevent weeds until the beds are planted out.

And again nothing else grew poorly only the beans. Beans produce their own nitrogen so maybe they were just fertilized with too much of a good thing as you all suggest.

The nitrogen-fixing property of legumes is derived from a symbiotic relationship between the plant and bacteria that will live along with / in the roots of the plant. Sometimes, the soil does not contain the specific bacteria that the specific legume needs, and the bean / pea will barely grow.

You can purchase the necessary inoculate from many sources, and once its been added to the soil once, its there. Alternatively, if you have a garden plot where beans have grown well before, a few shovel fulls of dirt from that part of the garden will be plenty to spread the bacteria into the new bed.

David, thanks for that tip but I always innoculate the soil with purchased innoculates. As a matter of fact I have bought about 3 different types in the past that go with various cover crops too.

Oops, wait a minute. My husband planted those beans and I don't know if he used any or not and he doesn't remember now.

Some people don't even bother but that is not me--so I will make sure that any new beds have coated bean seeds prior to planting.