Horse/Cow Manure

[Dustin]

I have a friend that has a horse and cow, so I can get manure by the truck load. This manure has not been composted in a pile...just laying in the pasture. It’s pretty obvious which manure is aged. Can I just scoop this up and use it or do I need to find manure that has been composted correctly? If this manure is okay how do i know which patty is aged enough...can it be too old?

 

[TomatoTango]

In my experience the older manure gets the better. Horse manure is less likely to nitrogen burn than cow manure if its super fresh, although I’ve never burned a plant with manure. Just mix it into your planting area a month or two before starting and it should be fine. I suggest getting a truckload and letting it age somewhere also. Maybe put a tarp over it or mix it into your compost. It’s pretty much the best and cheapest garden additive.

 

[alp]

Some people actually use fresh manure to grow melon or veg using hay or straws. You could google. It's very good when it's so cold and yet you have fresh manure to generate heat underneath the straw ..

 

[DirtMechanic]

I would imagine it is no issue on a small farm but you probably want to verify no long term herbicides were used in the grazing fields. The chemistry passes through the animals and will take your plants out.