How to Lay Manure

Load the manure into a spreader, and lay it at a 1/4-inch thickness over the pasture. Reapply once the manure has decomposed into the soil -- three or four times a year.

Mix 1 to 2 bushels of horse manure per 100 square feet into garden soil in the fall after the garden has been harvested or in the spring before the garden has been planted. This ratio works out to 1/4 to 1/3 of an inch on the surface. Dig the manure in by hand or use a rototiller. Horse manure is best applied after it has decomposed, but green manure can be added in the fall because it will decompose over the winter.

Apply sheep, poultry, and feedlot manure at a ratio of a 1/2 inch per 100 square feet. Work it into the soil in late fall or early spring. This manure has more concentrated nutrients and won't need to be applied as frequently. Do a soil test in the fall to see if you need extra fertilizers. Feedlot manure may have a high concentration of salt, so don't use it exclusively or salt will build up in the soil.