Free horse muck.

[Bev]

Bring your own bags or trailers, no straw and no chemicals, in various stages of composting. Good hardstanding access. Stafford area, close to Beaconside for those that know the area. PM me.

[Dualla-tipp]

Hi Bev, Just seen you're post,...I have my allotment on the Sandon rd so would be interested in getting some of this manure..

[Bev]

Plenty of horse muck still available.

[john9159]

Problem is - can you guarantee that the stuff is free of aminopyralids?

At my allotments we insist that anyone intending to bring in horse manure MUST provide certification (i.e. a letter from the supplier) that it has not been contaminated with aminopyralids.
Just going by someones say-so is not good practice so I have to instill this in every months plot inspection reports.

I have already removed a large quantity of manure from one tenants plot who swore he got it through the City Councils treatment centre although it was as fresh as the day it came out of the horse. The tenant subsequently had his renewal refused and the stuff was removed.

I don't know to this day whether it was treated with AP or not and won't know until the new tenants crops have grown.

Regards

[rustylady]

Problem is - can you guarantee that the stuff is free of aminopyralids?

At my allotments we insist that anyone intending to bring in horse manure MUST provide certification (i.e. a letter from the supplier) that it has not been contaminated with aminopyralids.
Just going by someones say-so is not good practice so I have to instill this in every months plot inspection reports.

I have already removed a large quantity of manure from one tenants plot who swore he got it through the City Councils treatment centre although it was as fresh as the day it came out of the horse. The tenant subsequently had his renewal refused and the stuff was removed.

I don't know to this day whether it was treated with AP or not and won't know until the new tenants crops have grown.

Regards

That sounds a bit harsh

[john9159]

Can't afford to take chances; if the tenant leaves and the soil is contaimnated then that's one plot out of action for years to come. If the tenant stays then all cropps may be affected for years to come. It's a no-win situation either way.
Anyways, the City Council allotments manager usually supports our decision to refuse tenancy renewal if grounds are strong enough.

[Bev]

re horse muck

Well mine is chemical free, not sure how I can actually prove it, but its off my own land from my own animals. I suppose word of mouth doesn't count though these days.

[rustylady]

Well mine is chemical free, not sure how I can actually prove it, but its off my own land from my own animals. I suppose word of mouth doesn't count though these days.

I wish I lived closer Bev.

[Kaiya]

I suppose the concern with word of mouth is if the person feeding the horses unwittingly buys in hay that was treated.

However I simply engage my own sense of responsibility for everything I bring onto my plot - I identified a private stable with free muck, I tested it with beans the first time I got it and it passed, so now I collect it over the year, and before using will take samples from different parts of the pile bean test it before use.

I also wish I lived closer!

I don't know to this day whether it was treated with AP or not and won't know until the new tenants crops have grown.

Maybe stick a bean it in? You'll soon find out.

[snohare]

mine is chemical free, not sure how I can actually prove it, but its off my own land from my own animals. I suppose word of mouth doesn't count though these days.

From what John is saying Bev, it seems that a simple letter from you (as you are the supplier) saying that, would be enough.
I'll bet that if most people were to ask their suppliers for such a letter, there would be one of two responses, "Oh yes, no problem" (they know for sure from personal experience) or, "Hmm, well...maybe not though..." (because they bought in feed, or cannot be sure from personal experience). Asking for that letter sorts the sheep from the goats.
I'd agree that kicking a man off his plot for one single lie seems a bit harsh, but I can see where they are coming from - sounds like they have had a couple of bad experiences with aminopyralid, and it can be a small error/fib with very large consequences.

[Graham K]

Can you send two tons to High Wycombe???????????

[Feral007]

Never heard of it before but just googled the product - loved the high tech term 'Practically non toxic.'

Guess as an owner you would know what you grew/sprayed/bought/fed. Unless the stables were used by other people who bought their own feed, I guess.

[Bev]

re muck

Where do you draw the line though if you are going to try to find the source of muck how far can you go? Mine is my own land and horses, no other horses come and go, they eat my own hay produced off my own land but this is the exception - you will struggle to find horse muck from horses that haven't been fed "bought in" hay, most stables have to do this, and most farmers do too. So if you are going to be that "fussy" and I understand your reasons for being that fussy, I think you may as well give up on horse muck / farmyard manure as a suitable organic fertiliser. So you are then left with the option of paying £5 a bag or whatever it is at the garden centres.
The other problem is of course that all horses are fed bought in food in the form of chaff or nuts or whatever during the winter, although purchased from reputable large horse feed specialist companies I have no idea if there products have had chemicals on them at any point. So looking at it that way I can't actually guarantee my muck as free from chemicals can I?
Going to have to hire a skip to remove it I think - total waste!

[VirginVegGrower]

I may come over and fill some bags if that's OK, I'll send you a PM. My usual source buys in her hay and although the farm is in the village, the farmer can't state whether he sprays his grassland with Dow weedkiller. Therefore I feel I can no longer use it. Let me know if it's OK to get over at a weekend please.

[Bev]

Someone has come and taken all of it. Can this post be deleted or locked or something.