Manure / Compost Question

[baltic_ballet]

My niece has just got a pony and my sister has offered me manure for the garden, I have a couple of questions:

1. Dose the manure need to age awhile before I can use it or can I use it straight away?
2. Can it go straight onto our veggie garden and what amount should I use?
3. Can I / should I add it to my compost to help break it down?

I've used dynamic lifter (chicken poo pellets) on the garden but not fresh manure before.

Thanks

[greenmulberry]

It's best if you compost it. Is it straight manure? Or mixed with shavings/straw?

If it has shavings or straw, you can just pile it up and compost as is, if it is only manure, you will want to add a source of carbon, like dried leaves, to help it compost (although it will compost eventually either way)

You can add it to your compost, that would be my preferred method, just because you get the fastest composting when you have the most volume, it heats up better.

[jee'smom]

i heard that it's suppose to age and that you cannot put fresh manure on your garden. if i were you, i'd pile it all up in your compost pile, and let it mature overwinter, and maybe it'll be done in the spring. or could you spread it on your garden for overwintering and then by spring it'll be good?

[Alyantavid]

Originally Posted by jee'smom

i heard that it's suppose to age and that you cannot put fresh manure on your garden. if i were you, i'd pile it all up in your compost pile, and let it mature overwinter, and maybe it'll be done in the spring. or could you spread it on your garden for overwintering and then by spring it'll be good?

That's what we do. It works much better than if you just dump it fresh on your garden.

[Mamato2and2]

We use horse manure in all kinds of ways! Sometimes I just dig a hole in the garden and shovel a couple of scoop in, then cover with dirt/compost. Sometimes I throw it in our compost bin which works well. I have put a layer down in the bottom of a raised bed and watered/turned it for a couple of weeks then put my soil and compost on top of that and planted.

I have found that with horse manure you won't see results immediately BUT by the next season your plants will be flourishing like crazy!

[jee'smom]

cool, thanks!!!