Hi pawtails,

I regularly use well rotted manure in my garden and have had no problems with weeds. Of course these come in bags and have been processed by garden soil companies.

My understanding is that as the manure starts to compost, it heats up to a degree that kills off the weeds and emerging weeds that come with it. I was just puzzled when you mentioned you had trouble with 7 year old manure. My thinking is that manure is well rotted by the following year and in the succeeding years if that manure isn't used weeds could easily grow back on them.

I've watched a show that seemed very informative on the processes of such manure. This however involved the use of earthworms to further process the manure. Stll, what was shown was that the poo was piled high and you could see that it was hot and heating up with the bacteria being very active there. It was watered down every now and then to continue promoting the composting process and necessary to prevent spontaneous fires. It was also turned regularly which would disturb and kill off emerging weed seedlings. Maybe too mix in your hay into the pile. Remember that hay contains seeds. when ready for use, screen the manure. You can use thermometers to ensure you get it very hot. Properly processed poo shouldn't have any odor.

If you get it right, you might be able to make a side business and sell poo compost.

I agree with Ianna. Your manure piles have "rotted" but they haven't properly composted at a temperature high enough to kill weed seeds. The weeds seeds are from both the hay and straw bedding, and the seeds from the pasture that go through the horse digestive system and out the other end, intact and ready to germinate.

I get horse manure from a guy up the road who keeps useless horses around as a sign of his wealth. They are not "performance" animals and aren't fed hormones or routine antibiotics. The manure is full of weeds, so I use it as feedstock in my compost tumblers, along with kitchen scraps, shredded leaves, wood shavings, sunflower seed cake meal, and anything else I can get my hands on. It heats up fast and I don't have weed problems after it's finished.

If you don't want to compost your manure, you could make a raised bed and fill it with the raw stuff from the piles, water it, and then just pull or cut down the weeds as they emerge. Turn it every few weeks to expose more seeds, and keep at the weeding. The next spring you'll have garden-ready manure.

You could put a chicken pen over the area and let few hens at it. They'll eat or destroy every seedling that appears.

Wow thanks guys! Great answers, I had no idea there was such a science to composting horse poo! It has just been sitting in heaps for years and I guess it never composted right. Thats to bad, I bet it could have been good soil if done right.

hmmmm I could have a little side business... :) Although after shoveling stalls and paddocks everyday I certainly dont want to think about doing more things with it haha, watering it etc....

I will stick with my boughten soil for now :)

Thanks guys!!! :)

pawsntails - I just got a bunch of manure from my mil, and so far so good! It doesn't have an odor and has been rotting for awhile, so I hope there is minimal weeds! I did notice little grey bugs with the hard backs. I want to say they are potato bugs?? Do they harm any veggies?