Manure Lumps

[rowbow]

Being as we have not had any hard frost or snow in this area, the manure I have put on the plot has not broken down properly so have a lot of dry hard lumps, has anyone any ideas on how to break them up, I don't want to use a rotavator. 

[rowbow]

[galina]

Do you have a compost bin?  Just pick up the largest lumps and let them compost for a bit.  Do you have fruit trees?  Mulching around trees or bushes can be done with quite large lumps.  Mulching around rhubarb could also use up a few lumps.

Was the manure aged at all?  Fresh manure can 'burn' plants.  If it was fresh (and therefore lumpy) I would leave it like a mulch but away from planting holes and away from where you want to sow.  Perhaps move it away from a row of veg with a rake.  Manure for mulching can be fresh if it doesn't touch the plants.  But really  hungry plants like courgettes and pumpkins cope with fresh manure.   

[rowbow]

Thanks for the reply, it's well-rotted manure, the soil is very sandy, I need to get moisture retention into the soil.

John

[galina]

Thanks for the reply, it's well-rotted manure, the soil is very sandy, I need to get moisture retention into the soil.

John

If it is well-rotted that's much less of a problem.  I garden on heavy clay and we never get a really fine surface.  Despite our lumpy soil, stuff still grows.  Another form of moisture retention is mulching with newspaper around plants and covering with soil.  Or for beans who need it a good layer of newspapers or cardboard in a trench, refill the  soil and plant into that.  The paper/board will help hold moisture. 

[ancellsfarmer]

Given that the lumps are generally consolidated since delivery(both from the producer and deliverer), the likely assistance with a suitable round pronged fork is usually sufficient to break down after weathering, especially as it dries out after rainfall. If all else fails , the "lumps" could be spread along a grassed path and run down with a rotary mower, but Do put the grass box on!!
If you know you have horsemanure and the horse "eggs" are the issue, its not rotted enough and/or too dry to break down.
Composting will deal with that.