Gro-sure organic farmyard manure - any good?

[Snow]

Wilkinsons are selling 50L for £4 which seems very good. Better still its on 3 for 2.
I've not used it before but bought 3 bags. Anyone got any experience with it?

[Kristen]

I am doubting it is Organic (i.e. Soil Association certified) - its a much over used word

In the absence of a local supply from riding stables or farm then any good priced manure is probably a good buy My only issue is that I like to put quite a lot on - 3" or so - and that would be a lot of bags! On my 4' wide beds a 50L bag would only cover half a metre run of the bed

[Snow]

I opened one up today, mostly it looks decent, well rotted, with a bit of wood chip in there as well, but not too much. I think a little of fresher stuff mixed in too cause it does still pong a bit. Overal it seems good for less than £3 a bag and although there is a locals stables I couldn't have shovelled it myself so this is manageable. I'll put some on my patch which is only a few meters square and some mixed with MPC for potatoes in containers.

[Kirk]

I wonder if Organic refers to things like the Soil Association or simply that it has come from the rear end of a horse/cow.

Unfortunately "organic" can have more then one meaning.

[Kristen]

My issue is that the word Organic is not "controlled", so can be use on anything, and thus doesn't convey any special indications - except that it encourages the unwitting shopper to think that it might be "Better"

I have a friend who bought bags of manure, labelled "organic", from a reputable garden centre (although not their Own Brand) a few years ago and it contained herbicide residue which killed everything in his vegetable patch Hopefully that Aminopyralid saga is a thing of the past, but I'm sceptical that anything is "organic" unless it also says "Soil Association Certified/Approved/Whatever)

[Potstubsdustbins]

I am even more of a sceptic, to me organic even SA certified means nothing unless I can ask questions of the seller.

[Kristen]

I'm sceptical in a number of ways - "are the varieties grown for Organic crops naturally producing high levels of Pyrethrins", for example - let alone what the farmer is allowed to put on the crops.

But I'm happy that if a farm is SA Certified then the SA should be asking the questions of the farmer on your behalf and "keeping them honest" - same as all the other food regulation we have, I guess? They work most of the time, and get tightened up when they are found not to be working (beef is horse, for example)

I can understand that some/many? people have far less confidence in the system though ... better than no regulation at all IMHO.

[KevinM67]

Do animals eat wood chip ?

[Alison]

Do animals eat wood chip ?

Used to know a dog that would . Why the question?

[Snow]

Do animals eat wood chip ?

I doubt it. Looks like it has been mixed with the manure to me. So, misleading labelling as it doesn't appear to be 100% manure.