MANURE

The fact that your manure has no smell means it is old. Leave it in the bags and use it in the spring.

If it has no smell, it usually means that it has broken down and if it was mine it would be spread accross the veggie patch to over winter and be dug in in the spring. if its for anywhere else in the garden I would leave it in the bags until spring anyway

Sounds like its ready to use now in any way you choose.

Hi Googie. As everybody says, usually if there is no smell then it has probably already rotted. But unless you are certain I would leave it for a few months, in or out of the bags.. You can kill an awful lot of plants with fresh manure.

The way to tell old manure is not necessarily by the smell. That is one of the first things to go. If it looks crumbly then it is definitely old but if it still has a shiny look then it is still full of harmful nitrites. Put on an old pair of gloves and you could try rubbing it between your fingers to see if it crumbles easily. The strange thing is that what is harmful is not the fresh pooh in itself but the fact that it also contains urine and that is what has to break down. Not a lot of people know that - lol.

If it is still on the fresh side then you can always soak some in a large barrel or bucket of water and use that as liquid fertiliser in only a few weeks if you are in a rush for some.

John.

I always leave manure as long as possible. I mix it with other compost materials and leave it in the bin for at least a year. This will give it a chance to break down and the heat will kill any weeds and promote the growth of worms and other useful things. The longer you can leave it the better will bethe result.

I'm with you on this one Goringfolly.

J.