First time allotment holder, seeking advice...


The local riding stables have left a whole big load of horse manure
outside of our allotment site for folk to use. It is pretty fresh
(great strong pong from it) and it contains only a moderate amount of
straw.

Notwithstanding the warnings I have seen on this list and elsewhere
regarding contamination with weed killers and the like, how can I
beneficially use this stuff?

Can I use this manure straight away on the beds in my plot as a top
mulch and dig it in next spring? Or should I just add it to my compost
bins and let it mature there for, say, a year and then use it?

Also which plants would benefit from an application of manure? I seem
to recall that root crops don't like recently manured beds?

Ed