[harry]

I'm new to this allotment lark so what i want to know is horse manure ok, i think i have a supply.

[tode]

Yes: grab as much as you can     

[DD.]

Be aware of this and check with your source before you leap in:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=18430.0

[harry]

Be aware of this and check with your source before you leap in:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=18430.0

Thats quite worrying how would you know?

[DD.]

Can't find the thread at the moment, but someone suggested germinating tomato seed in a mix containing a sample of the manure.

Tomatoes are very susceptible and would show very quickly.

[mumofstig]

Here you are http://www.allotment-garden.org/garden-diary/321/testing-for-aminopyralid-in-manure/

[harry]

The horse manure i may be offered is mixed with wood shavings is this a problem.

[tode]

Wood shavings not particularly good for garden or compost: they use up the nitrogen when breaking down.

But if there's just a small proportion of wood v. manure, it should be all right (there's a lot of nitrogen in the manure).

Will you be composting it, or digging straight in ?

[harry]

Iwas thinking of digging it in

[Kristen]

"Thats quite worrying how would you know?"

Ask the supplier of the manure.  I have yet to meet a farmer who HAS used it, so the odds are good that they have not, and thus just asking seems a reasonable approach to me.

I reckon the questions you would need would be along the lines of:

1) Have you sprayed aminopyralid on your pasture?

2) Have you had a contractor do any spraying (who might have used aminopyralid without telling you)?

3) Have you bought in any hay / fodder?

4) Does anyone else use your muck-heap?

The instructions on the packaging have been very clear for a year or two, maybe more, that the user has a very serious obligation to inform any potential user of the fact that aminopyralid has been used. (This obviously hasn't worked, otherwise there would be no current problem but it should mean that people do know or, when challenged, will put effort into checking with contract sprayers etc.)

The product is being considered for re-licensing (has been?) with much more draconian requirements for informing the user-chain.  This may not amount to a bag-of-beans either, but I think it strengthens the case that the supplier should not be surprised if you ask the question; even if they know nothing about it (which I think would be pretty shocking within the farming community, but having said that most of the farmers around here are STILL not aware of the issue, so the farming press isn't doing a good enough job, or the farmers are just hanging their copies up in the outside privy ...) they ought to become acutely aware of the matter as soon as they research it.

If they don't know, for definite, that aminopyralid has not been used then I recommend that you "pass"

[harry]

My horse manure is not from a farmer but a woman who has her two horses stabled at home.

[DD.]

This is exactly the same as me.

My neighbour has 2 horses on pasture just outside town.

My only problem would have been No.3 in Kirsten's list. Luckily I've been using the manure supplied by her for a good few years now, before this problem raised its head and I know it's OK to use.

I would think you have a good chance of it being OK, but why not try a simple seed test with a few tomatoes?

[harry]

Yes you're right the sensible thing is to test it. Thanks for everyones input