Horse manure in the garden

[jalentour]

I picked up half a bucket load (500lbs) of horse manure from my neighbor yesterday.  It was entirely black with some weeds growing on top.  She had a green pile on the other side of the barn and says she turns the piles routinely.
Can I put the black manure directly into my garden to amend the soil or do I need to mix it first with soil then add to garden?

[Oblio13]

I spread it directly on top of my garden and let the worms work it in. Never had a problem except that it contains a lot of weed seeds.

[divemaster1963]

I throw lime and turn it in the pile.!kills off bad bacteria that can harm plants and humans. Let it set for 15-30 days then turn it into  garden.  That's what worked for me .

John

[GSF]

ditto, on the weed seeds.

[Rurification]

If I dump manure [chicken, horse, etc] right on top, I'm careful to mulch over the top with straw.  I just turn the square bales on end and peel an inch or 2 off at a time and lay it like tile.   Really helps with the weeds.    That manure is worth its weight in gold on the garden. 

[Kathyp]

Horse manure does tend to be weedy, but not hot.  I scrape the new stuff off my 20 year old pile each year and plant my whole garden in it.  In the fall, I rototill the newish stuff, the garden and everything together and repeat next year   

[gww]

I have used horse, goat, rabbit, chicken, sheep and mostly cow poop.  I use everything I can get my hands on and usually just spread it in the garden and even more so try to fill all my raised garden boxes with only poop.  It is all like gold when you start with clay soil.  I have had some that was a little green and some that had been piled and rained on with a lot of the good stuff leaching out.  I have did a few pickup loads and sometimes dump truck loads for the last 20 years and I still need a bunch more.  I usually get about 3 pickup loads a year and would get more but I have to shovel it and thats about all I can take a year.  The few years I could get dump truck loads, I took as much as I could get.

You can never get to much.  The weeds suck and with the cow you get lots of thistles.  If it is a bit green this year, it will be great next year but also will shrink.  My view is don't be afraid of any kinda grass eating animal poop you can get.  It is like gold.
I put it strait on the garden and till it in and try to grow things.  If I get some that is a little green, I put it on and know that area will be better next year.
Good luck
gww

[bwallace23350]

I usually put in my manure in the winter late November early December at the latest and just let it sit and break down until late March. That way it is well broken down and composted by the time you use it.