Help with manure!

[gardeningnovice5]

I’m hoping to add a layer of manure to the top of my soil as a mulch, as I have a few old bags of it in my shed. I read it’s best to use manure in autumn, but really want to add a mulch now because I’m keen to start improving the soil quality. Would it be okay to add it now?

If so, do I mix it with existing soil or leave on top? If the latter, how thick should the layer be, and is it okay for it to touch plant stems or should I leave a small circle around each plant?

Does it smell and attract flies - and is it possible that it could contain weed seeds?

Finally, I have young kids and a cat - could manure be a health hazard to them?

Perhaps buying a few bags of Strulch could be better.

What sort of manure - is it a commercial product or something you’ve got from a farm?

Well rotted manure is wonderful stuff and if yours is years old it should be fine. If it’s fresh non commercial stuff you need to give it a year to rot down so leave it till autumn at least.

Spread it now by all means if it’s not fresh. Leave it on top, either worms will do their bit to or it will get mixed in as you plant stuff, or it protects the soil where it is. The advice is to not put it right up against plant stems although I’ve never had a problem. An inch or two is ideal, no point in spreading it too thin.

it might smell a bit at first but will soon stop. No flies. Fine for kids and pets.

Thank you. It’s a couple of bags from a garden centre.