Horse manure

[Pat GParticipant]

Thanks for the tip about testing horse manure for herbicidal residue. I was badly affected by this 10 years ago. If the manure is OK would you mix it with your general compost to rot down fully or would you keep and use it separately?

I have just joined your forum after exploring your website. I have grown veg and made compost for 30 years. I can see there is still a lot to learn!

[charlesModerator]

Thanks Pat, nice comment, yes one is always learning.

If I had access to just small amounts of manure and it was not well decomposed, I would add it to the compost heap.
If its a large amount, best left in its own heap to become ‘horse manure compost’, otherwise it may serve to slow decomposition in the general compost heap.

[BethParticipant]

My neighbor has offered me some of her horse manure (which I know isn’t contaminated with herbicide). She warned that there may be a few rocks though. I usually sift my finished compost with a sieve and I am now doing slightly raised beds (trying to put logs on them for sides). I can’t really sieve this year-old horse manure and am wondering if a few rocks in raised beds is worth the manure. I would love to have it as there is never enough finished compost! How big an issue are some rocks in raised beds?

[charlesModerator]

Its a great offer Beth and I would accept it. You can pick out the rocks while spreading, I do that all the time.
A few stones in beds does not make a huge difference but they are wasted space compared to compost; I am often pulling gravel and stones that I see on my beds, throw them into the hedge.

Also I never sieve (love the language difference) my compost, just break it with a fork, but that is just my preference.

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