"Paul" wrote in message

I'm preparing an area of garden for growing vegetables later this /
early next year - is it OK to dig "fresh" manure into the planting
area then leave it for a few weeks, or should it be rotted beforehand?

I cover my beg beds with manure in Autumn and leave it over winter. In
Spring, what I do varies according to what I'm goig to put in the bed. For
lettuces and very small seedling, I rake off any stuff that still looks like
manure and chuck it somehwere else. If I'm planting something that I know
loves manure, like sweet corn, I just clear enough of a space to put in the
seedlings and rake it back up to the stem of the corn as it grows.

After years of doing this, I don't support the theories about "well rotted
manure" that I've read about in books. I think piling it to be "well rotted"
is a waste of the nutrients in the manure - the nutrients end up in the soil
wherever it was piled and I prefer the nutrients in my garden beds.

Any animal manure other than pig or fowl, is not likely to burn anything.
I've read that comment a lot but I've never managed to do it just as I've
never ever done it with chemical of pelleted manure. And I use a LOT of
manure including extremely fresh stuff. If it's too close to the stems of
small seedlings it could rot the stems but in my experience that is about as
bad as can get. The only other thing to worry about with manures is
pathogens from water splashes.

Sacha gave good advice about the dangers of manures in the UK possibly being
contaminated but the advice for dealign with that seems to be not to pile it
but to spread it as the toxins have more of a chance of disippating.