Horse manure around fruit trees

Hi, I just picked up about 15 loads of horse manure with a 4cy trailer that I rented last week end. It is mixed with something (I think it might be saw dust). Most of it is partially composted, but still hot on the inside (I pulled some waxed string out that was really hot to the touch). I put some around all of my fruit trees, because that I read that that could give the tree the health to defeat diseases such as gummosis (spelling?) which I think that I might have if not borers.
On about the first 6 or 7 I also removed alot of the existing soil and replaced with the mixture. Will this burn or in some way harm the trees if it is not completely composted and touches the roots? I also damaged a few roots in the process are they now in more danger? Thanks in advance, Mike

I would have left the soil and roots alone and added a layer on top the soil leaving a few inches of space around the trunk. About 4 to 6 inches deep sounds right. This stuff will disappear by late spring...except for wood particles.

Indy's reply sounds on target. If you put the manure on top of the ground and leave a space around the trunk you don't have to worry about burning. How old are the trees?
RED

I put a mound of composted manure around each tree at planting and then covered that with landscaping fabric. I pulled back the fabric on several of the first trees with the intention of replacing the old compost with new. The roots had grown into the old raised compost so on the rest, I did not move tha fabric or soil. I did leave several inches around trunk without compost or fabric. Most are about 2 or 3 years old, some 4 and a couple 1. Is putting landscaping fabric around fruit trees a good idea or a bad idea? Thanks Indy and Imred, Mike

I have no problem with landscaping fabric. It prevents competeing weeds and grass and lets moisture thru.
RED

Thanks Red.

Excelrealty
What I use is horse stall bedding and it sounds like the same thing that you are using. Mine has saw dust and pieces of finely cut wood. It is really great stuff. Here is a link, with more discussion and a picture of what it does for my tomatoes.
Oldude
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/864959/

[HYPERLINK@attra.ncat.org]
Thanks oldude. I got this link from your link. Some very healthy looking tomato vines you had. Did you get very many tomatos from them or did the manure have too much nitrogen? Thanks again, Mike

Honestly the manure alone produced more vegetation than I like but they did produce a fair amount of tomatoes. The Zucchini thrived in the mixture. I have also used it in the orchard with very good results. Like you I get it free and the cost of fertilizer just keeps going up, so I will be using more of it in the spring.
Oldude

I put a layer of manure around my fruit trees each year if I have the energy. And I also a few months later add a layer of pine needles. Each degenerates in time. My soil is on the alkaline side and very poor in organic matter. I think the trees like a layer of mulch. I don't have landscaping fabric. It all works out pretty well. My trees are young and just starting to bear.

I am not sure if I am planting a garden next year. I did not this year and last year most of what I planted rotted in the ground from all of the rain. I am wanting to build up the garden area and possibly plant a garden next year, but am not sure of the time frame of being composted enough by then.
If I do plant a garden, I was thinking about planting corn next year, as I have had corn volunteers grow in not fully composted horse manure before.
My soil is on the alkaline side also. I hear that pine needles are acidic.

Pine needles are acidic which makes them perfect for alkaline soil. They are very slow to compost which is why I use them as a mulch. Then 6 months later, I put a layer of manure, then 6 months later pine needles. Most plants love a mulch and the pine needle/manure kind is a mini compost heap.

Sounds like a winner.

The link above did not work so here it is again.
http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/manures.html

Looks like a great reference. I will read it in depth over the winter.

I did not read much yet myself, hoe to read more also. Thanks

I read the part about manure building up acid in the soil and locking in calcium after repeated use. That isn't a problem for those of us in the arid west where soil is alkaline, but it might be a problem for those gardeners who start with acid soil. Our county agent here says you can try to grow acid loving plants here and you can add things to the soil to make them grow but in the end the soil always wins. And so it may be with those of you back east. The soil may get so acid that it stunts your crops -- but I am sure that is hard to do on things like azaleas and blueberries.

Here in Indiana my soil is close to 7ph and difficult to acidify it seems. Perhaps further East it is acidic. I have read that there is reduced sulfur fallout these days in the East and that may change things a bit.

It isn't just acid rain that makes soil acidic. In the South, the soil is very acid, from so much decaying matter, I guess. All I know is that they have to pour lime on any crop that likes anything like neutral soil But they still mulch azaleas and camellias with pine needles. In fact in the south they bail pine needles like hay and sell them at the nurseries.
Here in New Mexico everyone throws their pine needles away because they think they are bad for the soil. Funny how prevalent these soil myths can be.

Pine needles probably do have a bit of alleopathic quality. ....maybe not prohibitive though. The more famous one is the juglone of black walnuts that inhibits some other plants.

I think the main prohibitions cause by pines are stealing all the food and water from the soil and shading the undergrowth too much with needles both on and off the tree. I find that they make very good mulch as long as you don't cover the mulched plant's leaves up with the mulch.
I have been composting them and using them for mulch for years and have had no ill effect. But composting them takes forever unless you grind them up, so mulch is the easier option, though I do use both.