Can I use fresh manure?

Don't put fresh manure on growing vegetables: it burns roots, carries weed seeds and germs, and makes root crops fork and lose taste. Compost it with straw or leaves for 6–12 months, or spread it in autumn on an empty bed and dig it in lightly. Well-rotted manure smells of earth, not of the barn. Chicken manure is the strongest — use a thin layer; horse and cow manure are milder.