Farmyard manure

[HelenH]

I understand that farmyard manure for the vegetable plot should really be well rotted, but just how detrimental is it by adding less-than-well-rotted farmyard manure at this time of year? I’ve recently had delivered a load of what I was told would be well rotted over 12 months old manure, but it’s turned out to be heavy and rather wet making it hard to incorporate into the soil. I was going to add it to the potato, brassica and bean beds but wonder whether this might not be a good idea.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks
Helen

[Primrose]

I guess the issue is whether it's heavy and wet because it's been heavily rained on for a long time or whether it's heavy and wet because it's not had a chance to rot down and dry out. If it's the former and it's really over 12 months old you could try lightly breaking it down putting it on the soil surface for manure loving plants and giving it a chance to dry out as in time the weather will wash in the nutrients and the worms will pull some of it down. If it's not really well rotted I'd keep it well away from seedlings for this Spring and try to find somewhere where it can rot down further. You could experient and put just a little of it around a few plants and see how they react.

[arthur e]

Helen what you have got is as good as it is going to get. Farmers are frantically spreading their manure on the land at the moment up here so before long there will be no more to get rid off.
It will be perfect for laying in a trench for your Potatoes and if you have a decent rotavator spread it out and rotavate it in. If you haven't a rotavator I'm afraid you will have to go back to basics and dig it in, dry FYM is just like dry compost and does not soak up water well.
Arthur

[HelenH]

Thanks Primrose and arthur e for the good advice.
Helen