[Yana]

Noticed today that there has been a delivery of manure at the lottie. It contains lumps and straw so is probably quite 'fresh'. My rhubarb bed could probably do with a top up and wondered if it would be Ok to put this around the base of the plants or will it burn them?

[New shoot]

I'd stack it a while before use to be safe.  Should have matured nicely by the winter and you can give the rhubarb a mulch then 

[Trillium]

I agree with new shoot. As tough as rhubarb might be, it isn't tough enough to deal with fresh manure.

[Kirpi]

My grandfather used to rush out after the rag and bone man's horse drawn cart with a brush and pan, collect the "apples" and sling them straight on the rhubabrb patch.

That rhubarb was a beast and you can't get fresher than that!

[Yana]

Split decision then.
I'll put a few 'apples' round one plant and see what happens.
Thanks all.

[Trillium]

My grandfather used to rush out after the rag and bone man's horse drawn cart with a brush and pan, collect the "apples" and sling them straight on the rhubabrb patch.

Now that depends on what time of year he did that, during growing season or in the dormant period?

[AlaninCarlisle]

We keep a three ponies and I usually put a barrow load or so of fresh muck onto the plants once I've stopped taking stalks, ie here on in

[Kirpi]

Trillium - growing season cos I remember my grandmother cursing him for getting it on the stalks and him saying it added a bit of body to her puddings!

[mumofstig]

freshly deposited manure (ie not mixed with straw) is nowhere near as bad for plants, my mum used to collect fresh droppings from the police horses on the road and put it around the rhubarb 
It's the urine in the straw that makes stable manure hot/acidic, I believe.

So what you've had delivered is best left to rot, as already advised

[Yana]

Thanks Mum. Will stash some and wait for a while before using it.

[tangojulie]

I have a friend who keeps horses in a field. She poo picks every day and makes a huge mound of, basically, pure poo.

I've been helping myself from the well-rotted end but this year she had to move the pile and start afresh. Consequently the best I could get was a month or so old. It went on the rhubarb (and the rest of the garden) pretty much straight away. The rhubarb LOVED it, I've never seen such sturdy stalks. So I agree, it seems to be the urine and/or the uncomposted straw that's the problem.