Manure tends to lose nutrients before it gets to the garden. Still, I consider the organic matter it brings [if straw and hay are included] to be one of the best additions to soil.

If the manure is still not much rotted, I would not use it where lettuce and such is raised.

The USDA, National Institute for Health, and Center for Disease control guidelines are that animal manures should be applied to gardens no sooner that 90 to 120 days before harvest.

Manures are not one of the best additions to soil unless accompanied with adequate amounts of vegetative waste. If there is not enough organic matter in the soil to hold any nutrients manures may have they can flow out of the soil fairly quickly, causing pollution.

kimmq is kimmsr

kimm, We can heartily agree that organic matter makes a good synergy in the soil. The manure I get has a large amount of hay and straw in it.

Is it manure or is it compost?

No, sent it to me, I will depose of it safely:)

If it is compost then it is safe & good.

If it is horse manure partially composted, then I would spread it & cut/till it under 3 months before planting in the beds.

If you are a new age no till gardener, then you need to compost the manure before spreading it around plants. At least that how I do my no till perennial garden.

I'm thinking of going no till but my soil is mostly clayey even after 3 years of mulching, manureing, and composting. Is no till still a good idea?

A lot of people think so, I like Ruth Stout no till garden with hay & straw, but the new fad is wood chips, which is okay if you can get them free.

We use dry but not rotten saw dust years ago & everyone said it will kill your garden.

Never had a problem.

I must tell you I am 54 yr. & was raised in the row field type garden.

I remember when everyone who was organic raved about the double dig garden fad.

Now it is no till, have no ideal about the next fad.

But no till works with my asparagus & sunchokes, so it should work for you beans too.

I use cardboard in my first blue berry orchard, it worked every well.

I still till under compost for my annual garden.

No till is a good idea, But. If you started with clay soil with very little organic matter 3 years and did not till any OM in it may take upwards of 5 plus years for the Soil Food Web to make much of a difference in that soil. While tilling is a fast method of incorporating organic matter in the soil tilling also disturbs the life of many members of the Soil Food Web and destroys network fungi create in the soil to aid in feeding plants.

kimmq is kimmsr