manure

Hi Adam and welcome to the forums.

Have moved your post to "Grow Your Own" which is where veg-growing questions are usually dealt with. 

As for when to apply manure, it sometimes has to do with when it's more convenient for the grower to apply manure. While others, like myself, use a fresher manure in fall and leave it overwinter to age and be ready by spring.

Here's more info on the different types of manure:

 http://www.allotment-garden.org/fertilizer/farmyard-animal-manures.php

Spread it and let the worms take some of it down. Did it in when you prepare the beds in Spring..

Hi adamgrow owt, I was told that cows' dung is preferable to horses' dung because horses don't digest their food properly so you find all sorts of weeds and oats and stuff growing on your plot that you didn't want.  I applied mine for the 1st time just over a week ago so I'll tell you what my results were come summer time.

Since spreading mine though, someone's told me horse dung is actually better but you have to let it rot down for a year or two to get the best out of it.  Everybody tells you different things don't they!   

Spread it and let the worms take some of it down. Did it in when you prepare the beds in Spring..

This is what I'm about to do, got a mate that has horses and we've just been and collected the second trailer load (camping trailer, so about a cubic metre) and am currently heaping it until I find out what's best to do with it as it's fresh.

I was planning to spread it where the tatties are going next year first but wasnt sure whether I should dig the soil to loosen it then spread the manure or can I simply spread the manure hoping the worms will do all the work for me?