Problem with aged manure

I wanted to add nitrogen to my garden, which I have done in the past using aged manure. We don't have many choices for products in my area. The manure is supposed to have been aged for a season or two, and did have a manure smell, which after a few days has dissipated. Normally I would spread the manure and dig it in around the plants in a layer 1-3" deep. My husband did me a favor and spread the manure on the garden and dug it in around the plants. Unfortunately, he used a huge amount, as in a layer of manure probably about 6-8" deep. So far I haven't seen much damage, except some burned leaves. Is there anything I can or should do about this?

Depending on how raw it is, you may lose all your plants. Watering heavily and often might dissipate some of the nutrients in the manure.

dp72: I have never experienced this concern but would there be any thing like lime, calcium, or maybe bone meal that could be added to the waterings to maybe counter the manure and its' damaging affects at this point? Could they possibly dig out around the plants and then go back with a standard top soil? I know these may sound like silly questions but with my inexperience I am hoping you can enlighten me as I am almost certain I will have to deal with this situation at some point in my gardening adventures. Thank you to all those who attempt to help on this one it would help us new folks a great deal.

g: Yours was a good post; anything but silly. frida didn't say what kind of manure they applied or exactly how aged it was, and it's unusual for anybody to apply that much manure to a garden even if it has been completely composted. Horse and chicken manures, for instance, are hotter than cow. What "hot " really means is that fresh manure is full of salts that draw moisture away from the plant roots and the plants die from lack of water. As it ages, or is composted, the salts break down to the point that they aren't toxic anymore. I wondered like you did if anything could be added to counteract the effects of the salts, but don't know. The idea of digging around each plant and putting soil back around it is a good one, but when it rains the salts from the manure are going to be blended into the soil, so it may work and may not.
It's too late in this case, but manures should either be composted thoroughly before they are added to garden soil or else they should be added to the garden at least six months before crops are planted. In fact, if fresh manure is used in a garden where edible plants are grown, even if the plants aren't burned up, there is the danger of disease organisms from the manure contaminating the food crops. It just isn't worth the risk of somebody getting sick.

DP: Thanks for the insight. I thought the high nitrogen would be what 'burnt' the plants. I had no clue about the salts. I think I would try at least to dig out as much manure as possible then fill in with a cheap top soil and native soil mix. Then water thouroughly and often to wash out as much of the salts as possible. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks for the replies. SInce this is a large perennial border, with at least 100 plants, digging everything out is more than I want to attempt. If indeed, most of the plants sicken and die, or are very damaged, I'd rather plow everything in and start a new garden next year. Plants range from hostas, heucheras, and other shade plants under a big tree, to dayliles, crocosmia, salvias, geraniums, anemones, grasses, cone flowers, and many, many others. The garden has been established for 10 years. We do have a good supply of shredded leaves I planned to use as a top mulch, and also lots of partially composted woodchips. Would digging these into the soil help? I know the nitrogen will breakdown the woody materials, but would it help the salt situation? I will also water a lot and hope to dissipate some of the salts, which are already showing on top of the soil.