[simbamara]

I have few bags of horse manure.
How best to use them on my allotment ?
Can it be used to improve poor soil ?
How old the manure should be ? Colour ? Texture ?

Thanks

[LotuSeed]

You can dig it into your beds, or just put a layer over your existing soil. Personally, I  prefer to dig it in. It's well rotted if it neither looks nor smells like horse poo! Lol. If it's fresh, I'd leave it in a pile to rot down, or maybe add it to a compost heap. Putting fresh horse manure directly in or on your beds can burn your plants. For that reason, it is best added (fresh that is) at the end of the growing season so that it can rot down over the winter. Also, it's best to avoid putting it on or in beds where you plan to grow carrots. (I believe it can cause them to fork).

[colin120]

I plant carrots in horse manure every year, no soil or compost just manure and my carrots have always been fine

[Aled]

Lotuseed advice is exactly what I was told to do. I am lucky I have access to plenty of rotted horse manure as there are quite a few horse lovers locally.
Cheers
Aled

[JayG]

I plant carrots in horse manure every year, no soil or compost just manure and my carrots have always been fine

Lumps of compost in otherwise fine soil will cause carrots (and parsnips) to fork as they have to grow round them, and it's also said that the roots will tend to grow towards the 'nugget of nutrition', which can also lead to forking.

Growing in really well rotted manure may well avoid both problems, and is probably a better bet than fine, sandy soil with lots of small stones in it (no prizes for guessing how I know that!  )

[Swing Swang]

Personally I'd dig a hole - put fill it up with the manure - put a pumpkin on the top and enter the competition - P

[simbamara]

Thanks for all the replies.Can I just let it rot in the bags until the winter and then did it in the beds over the winter ?Thanks everyone.

[peapod]

Thanks for all the replies.Can I just let it rot in the bags until the winter and then did it in the beds over the winter ?Thanks everyone.

Yes, of course you can. Manure is always welcome over winter

[Goosegirl]

If you don't want to dig it in, it can just be spread on top whenever you get spaces after harvesting, then you can put some more on to cover the area over winter.

[simbamara]

Thank you all .Happy weekend !