The November 2009 issue of “Gardening Which?” highlights another instance where corporate power overwhelms public concerns. The suspension of the weedkiller, aminopyralid, has been lifted, but is now subject to a “stewardship programme” in an attempt to prevent contamination of manure. The chemical may not be used on land where horses graze, but the advice is still to make sure that the source of any horse manure you buy has not been treated with this weedkiller over the past couple of years. Best test it by planting a few peas in a tray of the stuff and make sure the resulting seedlings are unaffected. If the seedlings come up distorted then allow the manure to rot down and try again the following year. A gaping hole in the rules is that they do not appear to address bedding for animals or hay that may have been treated. More at www.manurematters.co.uk
Extracted from Autumn2009 Newsletter