[snow white]

We have some fresh horse manure and straw bedding.  Should I let it rot for a year or can I dig it in now for crops next April/May.  We have a clay soil so I am thinking the straw will do it good in adding fibrous matter.

[BussinSpain]

Personally I would dig in now/early autumn seeing as you are not planting until next April/May.  Otherwise leave it to rot down or it may burn any roots.

[mumofstig]

Spread it on the surface now, either leave for the worms to take down, or dig it in in winter.

[Nobbie]

I'd stack it now while it's warm so that it starts to rot down a bit and then spread it over the ground once the weather cools down and let the worms take it down. If you spread it now and the weather drys up then it may just sit there doing nothing much until autumn as the worms aren't very active at this time of year. Maybe turn it in early in the new year if you want the frost (if there is any this year) to breakdown the clay a bit for spring planting.

[ghost61]

I spread it on now and then cover with black plastic so it heats up nicely and stays moist.

Dig in in the spring.  Hasn't failed us yet!

I do avoid straw as it takes years and years to rot down.   

[Nobbie]

I do avoid straw as it takes years and years to rot down.

If you give it the right conditions, it rots down very quickly, hence the suggestions of stacking it first before spreading, but make sure it's damp when you do this or you'll just have a pile of straw come the autumn. I'd be worried that under black polythene in the summer it would get so hot as to kill off the bacteria breaking the straw down, but would be good overwinter to encourage the worms with a bit of warmth and protection from the birds. May try an experiment myself.

[New shoot]

Our site is clay soil and all the old boys say it used to be common practise to dig straw in over the winter to break down the soil.

Its not so easy for me to get manure and straw to the plot, so I dig half rotted compost into areas where the big stuff is going next year - squashes, cukes, sweetcorn, beans and the like.  It works a treat and by the time the crops have come out, the soil turns over beautifully.

As long as you aren't expecting fine tilth for seed sowing where you dig the manure in, I think you will be fine 

[realfood]

Put it in heap to rot down for at least a year. Our plotters had very bad results from digging in fresh horse manure as it is so acid.

[salmonking]

I'd stack it now while it's warm so that it starts to rot down a bit and then spread it over the ground once the weather cools down and let the worms take it down. If you spread it now and the weather drys up then it may just sit there doing nothing much until autumn as the worms aren't very active at this time of year. Maybe turn it in early in the new year if you want the frost (if there is any this year) to breakdown the clay a bit for spring planting.

totally disagree with this.this is the best time of year for worms.soon as it get colder go to ground so to speak,i should know I supply lob worms to anglers and am picking 100's a night off the surface.
spread the manure on now and let the worms take most down then dig over in the autumn