[flash]

There is a supply of horse manure which is not rotted. Is it worth grabbing and would it be best to mix it into my turf bin (all the stuff I had to skim off when I took on the plot), the leaf bin or just piling it up, covering it and waiting?

[WG.]

 Is it worth grabbing

If it has wood shavings or sawdust, then no (IMHO).  With straw or without anything then it is great stuff for all sorts of uses (but not leaf mould).

See manure in the Glossary link in my signature

[ESSEXBOY]

hello
i stack all fresh munure and cover with big plastc sheets for use on plot next year i also mix in a compost maker powder and turn over the heap through out the year and then i use it next year and all the other allotment holders say i wished i done that ,
steve

[ESSEXBOY]

 Is it worth grabbing

If it has wood shavings or sawdust, then no (IMHO).  With straw or without anything then it is great stuff for all sorts of uses (but not leaf mould).

See manure in the Glossary link in my signature

wood shavings or sawdust would be ok if you leave it to rot for a year as my heap as mix manure and it rots down lovely .
i get as much as i like of stable manure i can trailer away from a local horse stables and i get cow manure  so i mix it all ready for next year .

[flash]

It looks, from a distance, as if it's mainly straw and some horses doings

[WG.]

Fair comment ESSEXBOY but I'd always choose without if it was available.  Being organic, I don't like all that nasty wood eating up all the available nitrogen salts!

[flash]

I know someone said don't mix manure and leaf mulch together. Is there a reason for this, the old guys either side of me do this and the end result looks really good. Plus we've got tons of both, free.

[Trillium]

Some people are purists I think.

I always mix both and have lots of lovely compost in the end. Waste nothing valuable like manure, leaves, straw and such. But a tip on the leaves is to make sure they're shredded, never whole. Running a lawn mower over them works well if you've not got a shredder. If the leaves are already dry, then crush them with your hands as you add them to the manure pile or compost bin.  In the fall, I simply add the leaves to my garden along with the manure and rotovate the works.

[flash]

The leaves are pretty well mulched they are dropped off by the Parks Department, the manure is fairly new, the guys seem to layer a barrow of leaves then a barrow of manure, etc

[muntjac]

mix what ya can get to make ya compost .. ferget all the rubbish about dont do this or that ....if its organic it will compost .. if its thick brussel sprout stems .smash with a ham,mer or stick em through a chipper or a shredder ,tehn cover it with black plastic after ya water it well ........... werks fer me  

[sweet nasturtium]

Munty what are you doing here!!!!

[chicken soup]

But a tip on the leaves is to make sure they're shredded, never whole. Running a lawn mower over them works well if you've not got a shredder.

Hubby thought I was quite mad when I spread the leaves out over our lawn this autumn then got the lawn mower out.  We usually fight for cutting the grass but hubby said "oh you can mow the leaves, someone might see me and I would feel daft"  So I am so pleased I have just seen this post as I knew I had read somewhere you could do this.

Thanks (a very happy chicken soup knowing she has got something right for a change)  

[muntjac]

Munty what are you doing here!!!!

 what ya mean ,,what am i doing here lol

[gobs]

I know someone said don't mix manure and leaf mulch together. Is there a reason for this, the old guys either side of me do this and the end result looks really good. Plus we've got tons of both, free.

I think you might mean other composting material and leaf there, as leaves take longer, so they are kept separate you can add manure to both.