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paghat wrote:

In article ,
(Frogleg) wrote:

On Sun, 16 Mar 2003 11:36:20 GMT, "Anne Middleton/Harold Walker"
wrote:

If you can help it do not use horse manure.......it is good stuff but very
weedy.....cow is better......HW

wrote
Which one is better for my flowers?

Something about a cow's stomach(s), or perhaps its culinary
preferences, makes cow manure less weedy than horse. Both benefit from
composting or aging. Choose old over fresh. And don't step...

If it's properly composted it ain't gonna be weedy. I've even used rabbit
raisens (which is so poorly digested rabbits will eat what they crapped a
second time if they can get at it) & though fresh it would sprout weeds,
composted it does nothing of the sort.

I do realize some people do indeed spread manures streaming fresh & it's
probably not all that dangerous even allowing that there are many
potential unhealthy ramifications. I wouldn't think anyone with a
home-garden they will actually have to smell would use any of it
uncomposted though, unless they have a spike farm & need to feed the
flies.

The problem with fresh manure is not so much the weeds OR health problems
(although they may be of some concern) but the high ammonia levels (read:
nitrogen) which can and will burn plants. The compost process or aging the maure
will allow a good portion of this to volatize, reducing the potential for
burning.

Both llama and rabbit manure can be used fresh without problem - very low
ammonia levels and the mainstay of their diets is alfafa, which is an excellent
source of organic nitrogen. I do compost my rabbits' manure because it is mixed
with their timothy hay bedding which IS seedy, but it composts very quickly, even
in a static pile.

pam - gardengal