the weeds are ON the pile.. so why dont you just pull them out??? as you are digging thru it ????

they most likely not IN the pile.. unless it is bindweed or whatever ...

this is old carp.. right ... fully composted ...

ken

I believe it's fully composted. It didn't smell, so I figured that was a good indicator. I actually didn't get that close to it, it's past a gate, it was more so I know where the pile (and, man, it is quite a pile!) was located.

I did see nice green plants growing on the top so that was a bit worrisome as I already have more than enough weeds.

I believe it's fully composted. It didn't smell, so I figured that was a good indicator. I actually didn't get that close to it, it's past a gate, it was more so I know where the pile (and, man, it is quite a pile!) was located.

I did see nice green plants growing on the top so that was a bit worrisome as I already have more than enough weeds.

Ken, you've convinced me! Especially since free compost is a good thing.

i did kinda side step the key word: FREE!!!!!!

ken

ps: dont forget.. this is a soil amendment.. [even if applied on the surface] .... it is NOT a mulch ... so you are confusing yourself a bit about the weed potential .... as its inherent purpose.. is not a weed preventative.. as a mulch would be ... and ... some level of seed is or should be expected.. as it is literally the nature of the beast ...

the hay [straw with seed].. and forage/silage .. the good part for the animal.. is the nutritious seed.. and the animals.. simply dont completely process all of them ... as they say.. what goes in one end.. comes out the other.. man o' live.. i have apparently spent too much time in my life contemplating 'nure ... lol ... i hope you are mildly entertained by it all ... lol

At one time, I had a truck and access to free horse manure. I always chose the piles that had the greenery growing in them as a sign that it was aged enough not to hurt the plants.

I discarded the "free" plants.

LOL Juneroses! An excellent point and I will keep it in mind. I'll be shovelling s**t this weekend for sure.

Based on my experience, use something on top of it to prevent weeds from sprouting. I use mulch over cardboard or newspaper, but you could probably use corn gluten to help. IME, unless someone has turned the pile, there will still be weed seeds near the surface (which didn't heat up enough to kill weed seeds) or if it composted anaerobically, it may have weed seeds throughout. Cow manure has fewer weed seeds due to the cows chewing their cud and various other digestive processes that horses don't have. That said, I don't turn down any free horse manure ever since I know we will use it and be thrilled with the added nutrients and organic matter in my low-organics soil.

nhbabs, if you're covering the manure with cardbiard, how are you planting in it? Or do you wait until the cardboard has composted?

Let any pile of dirt/compost/manure sit and weeds will grow on top and roots will grow into it as well..

Its a friable medium with nutrients.. hence why you want it in your garden. Its not like any manure has to age for two years or something to use it.. I find 5-6 months works just as well.

Ive used about 40 truckloads of horse manure here.. most of it was less then a year old when placed in the gardens..

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Of course, Ive used about the same # of compost as well, both are great.

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a2zmom - I plant through the cardboard after it has gotten wet, so you can either water the bed well and then cut an X into the cardboard and tuck the flaps under, or most often I just wait a few days or weeks (depending on weather) until the cardboard softens enough to tear with my hands and then plant.