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.

 

[farmer2009]

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.

Ok. The way I understood your first couple of post it was all for the garden. One suggestion do a soil test on your to be you amended soil, to make sure you get it right also have a nutrient test done on the manure. I would do one at eat fruit tree, and in each flower bed. Yards and grass are more forgiving than ornimintal plants, fruiting trees and vegitables. Your local extension agent will be able to get it tested for you. I think UK charges like $5 per test so if you are close to the state line you may be able to send it there. Although I would think UT would do it also.

As to your other question about the seeds. Composting properly should get rid of most weed seeds. If you can find out what was fed to the cattle you can determine the weed load of the manure. Manure gets blamed for bringing in a lot of weeds, when in reality all it did was bring your soil nutrient levels up enough to sustain a higher population therefore the seeds that were already in the soil could germinate more per year. Manure from hay will have more potential for seeds than manure from silage. You have remember these seeds have already been through the cows stomach and exposed to the acid there which damages the seeds outer coating which then can either help it sprout(clovers) or sterilize it.

 

[dave1949]

Farmer2009: Manure gets blamed for bringing in a lot of weeds, when in reality all it did was bring your soil nutrient levels up enough to sustain a higher population therefore the seeds that were already in the soil could germinate more per year.

I've noticed that. Same weeds as always but more and healthier.

 

[Fan of the 1911]

I have had the soil test, adjusted the lime around the trees and the garden spot, and lawn. Have since lost my results. It did show low for everything as I remember. I had 20 tons of lime spread about 4 years ago. I have had a noticeable decrease in sage grass and briers. I have limed the fruit trees at the end of the summer, and a little to the garden when I turned it over. Just trying to get my ducks in a row and not shoot myself in the foot.

 

[Stimw]

I have been composting Horse Squeeze and adding it to my garden for about 7-8 years.
While it has really improved my soil I have a horrible problem with weeds. A year ago I did 3 back to back treatments with Round-Up and still have a major problem.
I have tilled then waited for the new weed growth then burned them with a propane torch, planted and more weeds come up and take over.
I have taken 2 year old composted from the pile and put it in flower beds and the weeds come up big time.
The pics are how I haul the squeeze from the stables down the road. The trailer won't dump very well so I put the frame in the bed. I have the chain attached to the frame and I hook the chain to a tree and drag the whole load out easily!
You can see the pile in the background, I keep it turned over.

 

[farmer2009]

Stimw, how many weeds are growing on your compost pile? My guess is very few. Seeds need 3 things to germinate water, light and air. The soil has both water and air in it. It only takes a small amount of light to meet this requirement. Tilling or walking across the soil can provide this amount light. While the compost pile has these also it doesn't have the seed load of the soil.
Roundup has no residual activity. So it only kills what it hits the new flush is new seeds germinating.

1911 glad to hear you are using soil test. But get the manure checked after it has composted or as close to spreading as possible.

 

[SPIKER]

cow manure is better than Horse as the cows make better grinding of the seeds and internal seed killing ability. As mentioned you have to compost both, horse for 2 years min and cow for at least a year. put the manure and the sawdust into same pile toss in some nitrogen (time release pellet type) and till them all together real well. then let set for a week and flip over with FEL (don't re-till until ready to go into the garden.) After first few flips it should become much darker with lots of steam on the flips. once it is darker increase flip time to once a month with the need to water it some too if it get dry...

Mark

 

[Stimw]

Stimw, how many weeds are growing on your compost pile? My guess is very few. Seeds need 3 things to germinate water, light and air. The soil has both water and air in it. It only takes a small amount of light to meet this requirement. Tilling or walking across the soil can provide this amount light. While the compost pile has these also it doesn't have the seed load of the soil.
Roundup has no residual activity. So it only kills what it hits the new flush is new seeds germinating.

Right now the pile is covered with weeds!! I need to spray it but have been working 6 days a week with my business since spring and can't seem to get to it.
Things are slowing down and I might get to spraying tomorrow. ???