First time growing? You said nothing was going to get in your way of your dream. If your growing with another friend who loves bud as much as you do, Come fall when you end up having more plants then he does, He might think he deserves more plants, and him knowing the location, plants sitting there defenseless all fall might get taken. I'm not calling your grow partner a thief by any means, But I see it happen year after year, People get their plants stolen, and A LOT of of the time because its new growers who get to excited and tell and show their friends. Its like, Imagine if your friend knew where there was these plants with twenty dollar bills all over them, Why bring you and split it when it could have it all and know he could get away with it. Ive grown with a lot of people over the years, and trust is a very big issue when it comes to marijuana plants. Its better to trust no one with your plants, you already hauled all that soil in there, why do you need extra help now.
Nature guy, Cow manure can work excellent if its well composted. Its its still in shit form, its not a good idea, it will burn the plants, It should look more like dark rich soil, being 1-2 years old. Cow manure has lots of nutrients to sustain a marijuana plant.