age of Manure

[nemo]

i have a car trailer load of manure in my garden it is covered with plastic to keep rain off. the manure has no straw of hay it came from my fathers farm its just pure manure. its only in my garden since early february so the most of it is only a month or so old could i use this around my rhubarb or is it to fresh and will damage my rhubarb would it also be too fresh to use around my soft fruit trees
if it is too young could i use it anywhere in my garden
i made a manure tea from it ,its in a barrel is this use able

[Paul Wagland]

i made a manure tea from it ,its in a barrel is this useable

I'd be tempted to have more than one spoonful of sugar with that...

Seriously though, you can use your manure if you don't let it come into direct contact with your plants. Spread it around the rhubarb or fruit trees but leave a 10cm gap between poo and plant. The worms will process it and by the time it gets worked right into the soil it should be harmless.

[zziiggss]

I put some recently new horse muck on my borders during November and the birds bacc heeled it onto the drive in a search for bugs
Regards,
George

[Snadger]

As a general rule,if its lost it's pong and isn't steaming or warm to the touch, it should be ok!

[Paulottie]

As a rule I'd avoid the dung tea- truly horrid and not a bit hazardous...use comfrey or nettles instead...As Snadger points out- if it smells like sh*t it is just that and will scorch your plant roots. It will also use up the nitrogen available in the soil for decomposition before finally releasing it...plus of course the place will smell like a farmyard.

Get some blood fish and bone and feed your rhubarb with that and the comfrey tea (and i guess the dung tea now you've made it. ( dilute into the can at 1:10 then)...

Make a compost heap and add it to that with mowings, kitchen peelings, greenwaste and straw/shreded paper and perhaps a bit of lime. Turn once a month or so...within three or four months it should be fine and certainly perfect for the autumn (traditional and best manuring time)

[chuffa]

If you have on your plot a peice that you leave fallow, pile it up and cover it, you can leave it until autumn or plant courgettes into it in summer. ' Would this harm the plants folks'.

[ConstantGardener]

If you have on your plot a peice that you leave fallow, pile it up and cover it, you can leave it until autumn or plant courgettes into it in summer. ' Would this harm the plants folks'.

nope, courgettes will love it actually, though I'd dig it in pretty thoroughly before you plant on the same principle that if it touches the plants directly it may scorch them (if you put it on the ground now it'll be rotted down by end September ish)

[nemo]

thanks everybody