I received some chicken manure from a neighbor who has chickens; he is moving, and I offered to take it so he won't have to move it. He said it is old enough to use -- I understand that if it is too fresh it will burn the plants. It's pretty stinky.  

1. Is there any way to know when it is old/mature enough to use?
2. I have an established garden; can I just incorporate it into the soil around the plants already there?
3. Any other hints?

     Before you can use it as a soil amendment, manure has to be composted. I recommend that you mix it with fallen leaves, dried grass, hay, or sawdust (one thirds manure and two thirds that other stuff). Allow these materials to decompose in a pile, and after the materials have decomposed, you can rototill the compost into your garden. You compost the manure by itself, create a large pile of the manure. Allow the manure to sit until the heat inside the pile has dissipated. Then turn the pile over with a garden fork. Repeat this process several times. When the pile ceases to produce heat, your manure has been composted. Until that point is reached, the manure is not ready for your garden. For more information, see my article on composting.

     Here is an excellent way for you to incorporate manure into your established garden. Place the uncomposted chicken manure in a burlap bag (if this is not available, a perforated plastic or mesh bag will be just as effective). Tie the bag closed, then place it in a barrel, garbage can, or other large container filled with water. Make sure that the bag is completely submerged. Allow your teabag to soak for about one week.

     After a week has passed, your "manure tea" is ready for use. You can apply the solution at full strength for weekly feedings or dilute it (one part tea to two parts water) and use it whenever you water your plants. Do not apply undiluted manure tea directly onto plant foliage - it will injure plant tissue. Also remember: Do not apply uncomposted manure directly to your garden. Only composted manure should be added to the soil.

  After purchasing a newly constructed home, I am thinking about planting new grass seed and making new flower beds but I'm a little concerned about the soil. The soil is predominately clay and my property slopes downward towards the back of the house. I've noticed some settling problems with the soil after a hard rain. I know this can be attributed to new construction but my neighbors have stated that this soil washes away very easily and doesn't hold water very well.

     During the fall of this year, I'm planning to plant new grass seed but I'm not sure what soil preperation is required. My instinct tells me to have a crushed stone base with a 6-8" layer of good top soil - but I'm not sure. Any suggestions planting in this type of soil? 

     It seems that your house is in a similar situation to mine. My house is also on ground that is predominantly clay, with little or no top soil. The ground also slopes toward the back of the house. After heavy rain, the water can get trapped in a low spot in my front yard, drowning the grass and creating a massive puddle. My suggestion...make changes now. If you can, have the soil in your front yard pushed around so that the ground slopes downward from your house to the street...this way, rainfall on your lawn will flow towards the road (perhaps you could have a bulldozer come in). This will ensure that you do not have the same drainage problem as me. As for soil preparation, this is my suggestion...All lawn grasses need at least four inches of good topsoil to develop a healthy root system. You should spread at least 4 inches of topsoil over the clay. Add one inch of peat moss, compost, or some other organic matter to the soil. Then have this mixture rototilled into the clay below. Once this is done, rake out all weeds and roots, rototill again, and rake smooth. Use some kind of roller (a simple hand held one will do) to compact the site and smooth out bumps. Next, you need to pick a grass seed. Choose a variety that has been named and is specially bred for drought tolerance and insect and disease resistance (and adaptability to shade, if you plan on planting trees in your front yard). Don't settle for a cheaper variety...later you'll be glad that you spent the extra money. Use a mechanical seeder to spread the seed evenly. Roll over the seeds. Keep the soil constantly moist for two weeks, and you should have a beautiful lawn in about 3 weeks. If you're having trouble with erosion, you might consider spreading a layer of hay over your seeds.

     About the flower beds - You probably want to raise flower beds above the lawn level (at least 2 to 3 inches). Make sure that they are well enriched with organic matter. You might want to consider lining the boundary of your beds with stones, so that grass will not compete with your flowers. Lastly, don't forget to mulch the flower bed after you have planted.

  We decided to get a small garden going on our balcony and chose to mix our own soil - we took some old potting soil we had and mixed it with some top soil, manure and peat moss (just a little bit) but for some reason when we tried to water it the water just pooled on the top of the soil and didn't drain through the soil very well (it turned to mud). Is there anything that we can add to promote better drainage? Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

     Try adding some vermiculite to the soil. This amendment, which is available in any garden supply store, should improve your drainage. Add the vermiculite to the soil when dry, and mix thoroughly. Continue to add vermiculite until your drainage problem is solved.

  What would happen if you mixed your compost pile into your vegetable garden before the compost pile is actually finished decomposing? 

     The compost would continue to decompose and would contribute various nutrients to the soil. I do not recommend adding unfinished compost, though. As the components decompose, they actually use nitrogen. Therefore, unfinished compost can serve to draw nitrogen out of the soil in your garden. The nitrogen will be returned when the materials are completely decomposed; however, your garden may be nitrogen deficient for a while.

     Instead of integrating your unfinished compost directly into the soil, I recommend using the compost as a mulch. When laying on top of the soil, the decomposing matter does not draw nearly as much nitrogen from the soil. After the materials are decomposed (they will continue to decompose as a mulch), you can turn them into the soil. If you would like some more information on most or compost, visit my article on mulch or compost.

 My garden is in dyre need of nitrogen but there are chemicals on my lawn clippings. I put compost on my taxus(green evergreen bushes) at the front of the house in front of the new addition. They are so much healthier that I will give them more this spring. What should I do for nitrogen in the garden. I have gone to the horse barn and put manure on the garden but it was in wood chips and I had a bigger mess than before I added the manure. Could I add the grass clippings directly from the back yard (kept chemical free) and work them into to soil before planting in June? 

     I would not recommend that you add the grass clippings directly to your garden. You should compost them first, and then integrate the compost into the soil. Do not refrain from using compost in your garden...compost is an excellent soil amendment and is a source of nitrogen and many other critical minerals and nutrients. If your plants are already in the ground, then there is another way to easily add nitrogen to your soil: Manure Tea. Place one or two shovelfuls of manure in a permeable bag (preferably mesh, or an equivalent with extremely small holes - so weed seeds can't fit through). Tie the bag closed and lower it into a barrel-like container filled with water. Make sure that your teabag is submerged, and allow it to sit for about one week. You can apply manure tea undiluted (for periodic feedings) or diluted (for regular waterings). Do not apply the solution directly to the plant foliage - it will injure the plant tissue. NOTE: Compost used instead of manure to make Compost Tea. Compost tea is essentially the equivalent of manure tea (except it has a wider variety of nutrients and contains far fewer weed seeds).

  I am doing a comparative study between double digging, rotary tilling and not tilling. I will compare levels of soil moisture and organic matter. Does anyone know of any previous studies done on double-digging? 

     I found a site that may be useful. It has general information on digging a new garden and covers different techniques, including double digging, rototilling, and raised beds. The address is http://www.oocities.org/RainForest/1329/digging.htm
     I could not find any specific studies on double digging vs. rototilling. I have used both methods, and my experience was that double digging was much more effective at removing rocks and roots from the soil, and also allowed for a more thorough addition of organic matter to the soil. I went down about one foot (which is twice as far as a rototiller will go)...perennials like when organic matter is integrated at that depth. Basically, double digging ensures that the soil and the organic matter will be thoroughly mixed together and combined. Rototilling, though effective when starting a new garden, is not nearly as good as double digging.

  What does a seaweed fertilizer consist of? I have access to kelp, more precisely...brown algae. Would this work? If not, what would? And what would I need to do to process it? Also, how can I keep critters and bugs away? 

     Organic fertilizers frequently contain kelp. I'm not positive about brown algae, but I am fairly sure that it can also be used. To "process" the seaweed, you need to compost it. Seaweed will probably attract many undesirable animals and other organisms as it decomposes. You need to create or buy a compost bin with small air holes so that animals cannot get in. The bugs that are attracted to the seaweed will mostly be desirable...they will aid in the decomposition. When you compost the seaweed, combine it with a source of carbon (i.e. fall leaves) - 2/3 leaves to 1/3 seaweed. The leaves will make your pile less "messy" and smelly, and will contribute to a balanced nutrient mixture. For more info, visit my article on compost. When your pile has decomposed completely, mix your composted kelp into the soil.

 How can I get rid of a patch of weeds about 30 feet by 90 feet? We plan to reseed it with grass but need to till it, amend it, and level it. 

     If the patch is composed primarily of weeds, then I agree with you: rototill it. Till at least six inches deep - you want to remove the roots of all the weeds. After tilling, pick up the clumps of grass and weeds, turn them upside down, and pounded their green leaves/blades into the soil. After two weeks, check the plant clumps. The green leaves and blades should be brown and dead. When the clumps are dead, rototill a second time. This time, mix in some organic matter (i.e. composted manure, composted leaves/grass, peat, etc.). After you till, level but do not compact the soil - it will take longer for the grass to root in compacted soil. Generously scatter your grass seed (use the variety that has been used in the rest of your lawn) over the soil and cover it with a thin layer of straw. Water the patch after the straw has been laid - be careful not to overwater: you do not want to wash the seeds and straw away. Puddles should be gone 5 minutes after watering. Be especially wary of overwatering if your soil is clay-based. Continue with daily watering (always keeping moderation in mind) until the grass is 2 to 3 inches high. When the grass reaches 3 inches, rake up the straw and place it in your compost pile. Mow the patch one week later. Hand pick weeds as they appear - be especially watchful for dandelions.