Horse manure - how 'well rotted' does it need to be to be of any use in the garden?

[PacificDogwod]

Fascinating question, I know

I walk the dog over a field frequented by horses and could easily bring horse manure home, for the roses, dontcha know
But is there any point?? Will it do them harm if it is fresh and fairly straight from the horse's bum??

[SmallGreenBouncyBall]

horse manure is one of the few you can use fresh.

[PacificDogwod]

Ah, goody!

I shall add to my reputation as Local Mad Lady by taking a bucket with me on my dog walks

[SmallGreenBouncyBall]

I'm the mad one running after the riot police horses on match days :o

[shovetheholly]

What are you growing - flowers or veg? It's best to rot it down, and essential if you are growing veg because you don't want pathogens from the fresh stuff in your food! Even for flowers, it's also recommended to rot it down because fresh stuff can cause scorch (too much nitrogen - the same problem as when dogs pee on a lawn and it goes yellow), or give you loads of leafy growth without many blooms.

That doesn't mean it's not a great resource - just that it needs a bit of time to rot down. For a garden, pile it up in an old compost bag and leave it for a bit. For an allotment, you can often just spread it over the soil in the autumn and then it'll be broken down by the time it comes to planting the next spring.

[PacificDogwod]

Ah, shove that makes perfect sense - thank you

It's mainly for the roses I inherited when we bought this house - I don't really love them, but they are here and are nice when in flower, so might as well make the best of them (they are quite elderly).

I do have ambitions to grow veg, but have never actually managed...

[SmallGreenBouncyBall]

I put the fresh 'apples' close to the roses but not touching the stem/leaves.
on the vegpatch I start piling up from sept until chritmas so that it's 'processed' by the worms etc by the time I get the tomatoes in.

[PacificDogwod]

Gawd, you are all so organised

I think I'll get some round the roses, and add some to the so-called vegetable bed (has never actually seen any veggies in 10+ years…), and then wait for winter here to end in about May.

It'll be well rotted by next year, won't it?!

[shovetheholly]

I can't speak for the others, but in my case it's long-term laziness rather than organization. I know that if I spread rotted manure on my veg beds early, I don't have to dig it in - the worms will do it for me!! It may look very planned, but it's only because doing it later is more work!!

If you get some well-rotted stuff from the garden centre to start you off, there's no reason why you couldn't have amazing veggies this summer with minimal effort. What about doing a few of the easier things you can sow directly like peas, beans, broad beans (all of which will fix nitrogen for you without your lifting a finger), potatoes (will turn the soil for you), maybe a couple of courgette plants, some chard etc.

The fresh stuff will definitely be good by next year, by which time you will be vying to win the longest marrow competition at the local show!!

[StubbleTurnips]

We have a stables at the end of our road, DH is always on poo watch. There's now a shovel by the front door so he can run out and chuck it on the front garden. Our neighbours are >>

I widely ignore this eccentricity.