Manure.

[Fan of the 1911]

I just picked up a load of manure for my garden in the spring. Any way to help keep the weeds at bay, other than spray poison? Would rather use something organic, bought a Hoss wheel hoe to help weed. Going to try to spread it before Christmas if other chores and weather will allow.
Thank you William.

 

[/pine]

Cover it with black plastic...

 

[JohninCT]

I routinely till horse manure and pine pellet bedding (sawdust once used) into the ground with my 3 point tiller. It makes beautiful soil.

 

[dave1949]

Is it fresh or composted? Composting heat will kill some of the weed seeds but that probably won't happen over the winter.

If you spread it now, give the weeds a couple of chances to germinate in the spring and turn them in with a spade or tiller before planting.

Mulching with straw, hay, etc., between rows for weed suppression after planting is a better choice than a herbicide for home gardens. It limits weed growth while building the soil health at the same time.

 

[corl]

If you are worried about weeds just pile it up to compost it. Turn it over every two weeks with your FEL and till it into the garden in the spring. You can compost it in the winter where you live.

 

[CobyRupert]

I saw a quote the other day "Weeds are a (sore) loser's name for a (evolutionary) winner." :confused2:

 

[Fan of the 1911]

Will just turning it over in the pile kill the weed seed? I have it covered on the trailer right now as we have been getting plenty of rain and more expected.
The manure is from the feedlot has been piled for a little a month close to two.
I have a 7 foot tiller I had planed to spread it and till it in and add some of my best top soil to the mix. May try to get ahold of some hardwood saw dust before spring and incorporate it as well. I figure I have 7-10,000 pounds of manure on the trailer.
I'm shooting for 90x70 garden this year I have it turned and tilled 70x80 now mostly red brown clay, topsoil mix, mostly to the clay side.
I bought the wheel hoe knowing I would have to do battle with the weeds, but talking to the guys at work the manure is going to cause a lot more weeds than I had thought.
Thanks, William.

 

[farmer2009]

I hope you don't have 5 tons of manure for your 1/6 of an acre garden. You will burn it up. To much of a good thing can be a bad thing. If you do compost it and use it over the coarse of about the next 3-4 years. I would stay away from adding sawdust to the garden wood takes a lot of energy to decompose (nitrogen). Sawdust that was used to make bedding and has absorbed the liquids and moisture is different than just spreading sawdust.
Also leave an area untreated tomatoes hate high nutrient levels mainly nitrogen they will rot before they ripen.

 

[Fan of the 1911]

Going to mix a bunch of it and then move it and put in the flower beds. Around the fruit trees, and trees on the lawn. Almost finished building our home, so plenty of soil to be amended.

 

[corl]

To compost your manure you need moisture and turning. Should not cover it if you compost. You need the moisture. Turning it adds oxygen to keep the microbes happy. Sounds like you have enough to make a pile that would heat up and compost. You should not put manure in a vegetable garden that is less than 90 days old because of E coli that is probably in the mix. If the pile heats up, you will see it steaming when you turn it, then you will kill the weed seeds and the E coli. Once it is composted you can use it and not worry about burning your plants or E coli. I too would stay away from putting hardwood sawdust on a garden that you want to grow this season. The sawdust can be mixed with manure and composted. That will make it useable sooner.