Subject: Re: Horse Manure

From: [email-masked] (Lrm583)
Date: 10 Mar 1995 20:20:35 -0500

>I am planning to get several pickup truck loads of horse manure this
weekend and I haven't seen it yet.  Is there any way to tell if it's
composted enough to use as mulck on berry bushes and also to till into my
garden area other than smell?

I have used manure for several years in my garden, and can tell you
several things from personal experience.  As regards the freshness, you
should get manure that is at least two years old.  Fresh manure looks like
horse droppings, lots of round, hardish pieces in the mix.  Older manure
is broken down, and looks like very black dirt.  Also, as you mentioned,
there is a strong urine smell to fresher manure, and should not be there
if it is older.  

I would warn you, though, that for all the manure I put in my garden, I
got a wonderful crop of hay, due to the seeds that pass through the
horses, and it was very difficult to keep the hay from choking out my
vegetables.  I found another cheap alternative, which is wonderful for
gardens, and that is leaf mulch, which is only $16 a truck load, at least
in Virginia.  Good luck and hope I was of help!

[email-masked]