Topic: Catastrophic Potato Problem

[ceres]

The more people get to hear about it, the more will come forward and then it might get noticed in high places.

Glad to hear it was picked up on Midlands radio.  The word is definitely spreading.

I've been invited on to BBC Southern Counties radio next Tuesday at 10am to talk about it with a lady from RHS Wisley and another affected grower.

[Need a Leek]

I always listen to BBC SCR, it'll be an interesting listen. Maybe you could mention to Gordon Astley that Tony from Shoreham has been hit pretty bad, our site has a number of cases but for some reason I have been hit the worst according to some fellow lottie holders, but hey ho we live and learn.

Cheers
Tony

[telboy]

In addition, I hear that bagged manure sold through Garden centres is also affected.
It's produced by a few companies & branded with a variety of names.
You can't win. Somehow I wonder how the organic brigade are taking this?

[Need a Leek]

I know of someone who bought bagged compost for their greenhouse and it was infected with the weedkiller. A well know and reputable brand too.

Cheers
Tony

[tonybloke]

I've written to my M.P. about this, has everyone else?? ;)

[Need a Leek]

Our local council are on the case for us and they are going to source the farmer who provided the hay and straw...So I am told, we just need to continue making a noise.

Cheers
Tony

[Trevor_D]

I've written to my MP twice. Still had no answer....

[amphibian]

I know of someone who bought bagged compost for their greenhouse and it was infected with the weedkiller. A well know and reputable brand too.

Cheers
Tony

A colleague of mine has it in her toms at home, she just used compost bought in a garden centre.

[green sleeves]

Suffered the same problem here in Belfast, thought it was due to  wood shavings in manure but seems now to be  UK wide and caused by  an insectide.  Lost peas, beans and has  dented the growth of  spuds, rasberry and gooseberry plants. Am now siting with 4 compost bins full of the same stuff and wondering what to do with it? Dow Corning say it will break down  quickley in the soil so might  just bury it for a year or too and hope for the best, any one any advice? How will we know  if the manure  is from  land that  has not been grazed on contaminated  land. Also has a big effect on organic farmers

[lillian]

http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=20080629205505425

[flossy]

 Hi everyone, 

Have been following this thread regarding manure contamination and the distressing results to people who have used it.  We have a yearly delivery of manure to our organic sight - I only used it for two bean trenches last year,  they didn't do well at all.   I havn't taken any  since, as  [1] - I found lumps of the stuff unrotted and [2] I couldn't really manage the carting of it across to my plot!!

Instead I took green manure from the site supply and my own homemade, to feed the top 6"
 It appears we have the same problem here [ South East],  my plots are flourishing and some plots who
favoured using manure are in a sad state, one looks to me as if they've given up  -  so sad !
We have a meeting soon and have mailed our coordinator helpful news from A4A.

As a child I remember the barrow loads of produce from my Dads plot, had to be distributed as was so much!     No artificial fertilizers [ that I know of] and the only threat was DDT, soon banned ---
What goes around - comes around  and if we could only start again, wouldn't that be good ?

Thanks for listening,

Newbie Oldie, or Oldie Newbie

[manicscousers]

hi, flossy, welcome to the site  ;D

[Crystalmoon]

Hi everyone Im totally new to growing veg & after reading this thread Im really wary of using manure on my plot. What can I use instead to replenish the soil after this years crops are harvested?
would the dried chicken manure pellets be okay to use? 

Also if it is also a problem in some bagged shop bought compost what can be used for growing seedlings next year?
My own compost probably wont be rotted down enough by then so will it just be a case of chancing it with shop bought?

I am so very sorry for all the losses people have had. If this had happened to me in this first year I probably would have given up my plot.

[manicscousers]

have a look at threads on green manure and home composting  ;D

[ceres]

That's a really good question crystalmoon.  Perhaps you could start a new thread with it - it's rather buried in this long thread and not so many people are reading this now (except those of us with the problem!).

[amphibian]

This story was covered in depth on Radio Four today.

[ceres]

I'm looking at the schedule and don't see anything obvious - give us a clue - prgramme/time?

[amphibian]

I'm looking at the schedule and don't see anything obvious - give us a clue - prgramme/time?

click here

[ceres]

Thanks amphibian!

Right everyone, get emailing GQT.

gqt@bbc.co.uk

Put 'Manure' as the subject line, tell them where you are and your experience with the contaminated manure. 

[loopyloulou]

my other halfs dad quizzed me about it today, luckily the muck ive got was there when i got it and has been there for a long while so i should be safe, but i dont think ill be buying any manure if im honest! i know it doesnt help but im in birmingham and the news has spread, didnt get to talk to him long so dont know if he knows of midlands cases but it doesnt bode well does it?  but as the news is spreading i can only hope that for youre sakes something gets done about it, and good q about the seedlings, argh, didnt think it affected shop bought compost too :s fingers crossed we dont have any problems next yr, my home grown compost (backgarden srtuff) is made up of animal bedding, so lots of woodshavings, be interesting to see how my peppers and tomatoes planted in it do, but its too chunky to use for seedlings, but be interesting to see if the hay n stuff in small animal bedding is affected... hope not :( i dont want them eating chemicals :( deffo makes u think what else these companies are hiding...