I bought some steer manure from Home Depot last year. It came in bags. I was not able to use it last year and the bags are unopened so am wondering if I can use it this year. I stored it outdoors and the bag rips very easily. Also the manure is green from inside. Wondering if I should use it in my vegetable raised bed or fruit trees or for general landscaping.
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2 Answers
I can't see any reason why you shouldn't use it anywhere you want to - the green growth is likely algae, which will grow in damp conditions in daylight or sunlight inside the bag. Home Depot seems to sell a combination product of steer manure mixed with organic compost, so maybe that's what you've actually got - either way, the steer manure should be well aged by now. You may need to let it dry out a bit so that it spreads more easily.
I agree that the bag of manure is just as good now as it was last year. I sometimes find that there is really not much manure in there and that it is a lot of other material. I like to go to a local farmer and get manure and then let it sit for a year or two to rot and decompose and I have excellent luck with it. Just don't get fresh manure and use it right away - will burn all your plants.
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Can you elaborate on what you mean by "other material" and is that good or bad? Also, it would be helpful to elaborate on "let it sit". I can understand if you are in a farm but for someone that is doing this in their backyard, what would you suggest?– JStorageApr 8, 2016 at 21:17
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1Sorry - what I mean is that there is other soils in that bag and very little of it is real manure. It is not bad but don't be misled that you are getting all manure. Let it sit means allow it to age over a year or so and then use it for your garden. Fresh manure is very high in nitrogen and will actually burn your plants - like a chemical burn. We always applied manure in fall and allowed it to sit all winter and then worked it into the soil in Spring. Hopefully that clarifies it for you.– plantboiApr 10, 2016 at 1:46