Cant find a picture of a flying pig. Have one of Gordon instead.

I quote in full the response from No.10 to the petition which I received yesterday.

The Government acknowledges the difficulties that the use of manure containing traces of aminopyralid has caused some gardeners and allotment holders. In issuing approvals for two new products, it carefully considered the advice of the independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP).

If, despite these additional controls and safeguards, significant problems arise in future, the Government’s position will be reviewed again.

Green Lane Allotments were affected in the past and keep up with the developments too.

http://www.glallotments.btik.com/home.ikml

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Now we have the cold Autumn winds which will maybe end all the Runner Beans, we picked a good few 2 days ago.

The Purple Sprouting Broccoli, which last year was decimated by caterpillars, had its attacks this year bur the damage was minimal. Hence the plants now are tall and proud with a huge 'wingspan'. Just right for the winds to knock them flat. This one was laying on the ground this morning. No harm done, they rarely break they just gracefully yield to the wind, the roots moving in the wet soil.

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Looking at the photograph below (Right Click and select View Image for full size) several holes can be seen in the leaves, some no more than pin holes.

The felons who created the holes are just hatched and no more than 1mm long, its an easy job to rub them between leaf and finger to destroy them. If left to develop they would devastate the plants completely.

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http://www.thewholesaler.co.uk/html/yorkshire_police_link_fake_goo.html

The Great Tits that nested in the usual box close to the house had their baby leave home today.

Right Click on Picture and select View Image for full size.

Baby? well there were 5 Eggs, 5 Hatchlings, I removed one dead a few days ago, then there were 3 alive, one of those was weak. That's nature.
The little fellow who made it sat at the hole in the nestbox looking round, I fetched my camera and focused, that was his signal to fly so the picture is of him sitting on a cross bar on the fence, his first flight was strong with a fine landing.

Next away will be the Tree Sparrows. Their domed nest is tight against the house wall in a tall Pyracantha. We have seen 3 wide open mouths through the entrance hole. It was difficult to get the light right for the photograph. The most visible mouth almost fills the entrance. What a demanding site for the parents.

Right Click on Picture and select View Image for full size.

Next an update on the Purple Sprouting Broccoli which was devastated by caterpillars, now scrapped and on the Compost Heap.

Right Click on Picture and select View Image for full size.

The bricks in the photograph give an idea of the final size. The crop was down but keeping the plants and feeding them well was a good move in comparison to destroying them.

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http://www.thewholesaler.co.uk/html/yorkshire_police_link_fake_goo.html

The Blackbirds nest which had the hatchlings stolen was well and truly abandoned. I needed to trim the shrub so I removed the nest.

Right Click on Picture and select View Image for full size.

It was time to check the Teabag construction. I counted them as I dismantled the nest, at least 60 bags.

As for the thief who ate the chicks, I often see a Magpie around. Yesterday I spotted something odd on my shed roof. It looks as if the egg (a hens egg) was pierced at one end in order to carry it away for consumption.

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http://www.thewholesaler.co.uk/html/yorkshire_police_link_fake_goo.html

Solomon Grundy,
Born on a Monday,
Christened on Tuesday,
Married on Wednesday,
Took ill on Thursday,
Grew worse on Friday,
Died on Saturday,
Buried on Sunday.
This is the end
Of Solomon Grundy.

I was trimming some shrubs on Tuesday and spotted a Blackbirds nest deep inside one, naturally I curtailed the trimming.
It was difficult to see inside the nest on Wednesday when I took the picture.
On Thursday I could tell there were 4 maybe 5 eggs.
On Friday in the morning a chick had hatched, by afternoon it was several. Also in the afternoon I disturbed a Magpie on the fence nearby.
On Saturday morning the nest was empty.

The nest was built using many composted tea bags of course. This episode adds evidence that the species balance is distorted. There are far too many Crows and Magpies encouraged by copious feeding in some gardens. They sit on the chimneys and watch the activities of the garden species.

We still have a Sparrows nest under construction and the Tits have been back to the nest they seemed to have completed a month ago.

The Mason Bee Video does not give a good clear view of the creatures, the picture here shows a Male taking a rest between seeing off others and the occasional fight.

I not sure of the species maybe Black Mason. They are not terrible Bee like and could easily be mistaken for flies.

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My garden is the favourite because of my compost heap. They don't steal material off it they are meticulously tidying the surface of the ground of composted material that was applied last season.
Last year I found a Blackbirds nest in an Escallonia Hedge, it was built using many Tea Bags. I compost the bags from the numerous cuppa's consumed here daily, the bags are slow to break down, once they have been through the composting process they finally turn up on the soils surface.

I have had as many as 12 crows at one time collecting Tea Bags first thing in the morning. I watched to see where they were taking them. Not too far was the answer, some houses around 100m away have become favourite sitting places for them. From there they can watch for food placed out by a neighbour. The Crows have somehow blocked the Chimney Pots on these houses and the Tea Bags are being used to line the nests they are building in them.

The well meaning feeding of birds I consider is distorting the balance of species around the houses. The Crows and Pigeons drive out the smaller species, Magpies we have in abundance and these will steal the eggs of the smaller birds.
The food put out attracts Mice and Rats, one neighbour who has multiple feeders keeps a sack of Peanuts in his Greenhouse. When I mentioned that I was catching Mice which had tunnelled through near my house he confirmed that he thought there was a mouse taking the nuts from the sack and burying them.
Another imbalance of nature introduced, that was not a mouse I have now caught 29 of them. My Peas sown in the Greenhouse were being taken by them, little holes in the compost being evidence of attack. Later when the Peas were up the shoots were eaten off at ground level and the seed taken, this is the sort of damage often blamed on birds.

Fortunately Blue Tits have nested again in my box, I spotted no building material going in but the male is now working hard early in the morning, he collects food from the trees around and is feeding the sitting female I assume.

The Peas survived the onslaught. The bank Holiday rain will do them good.

Likewise the Broad Beans also raised under glass.

Last year I grew a number of varieties of Shallots, they will gradually lessen as the most favourable ones to our climate dominate. The Grey, Frogs Legs did not at all well and there are none in these rows. They get one more chance in another spot, it may have been a bad year last year but I think it most likely that they will not do well in these parts.

Do you remember the caterpillar savaged Purple Sprouting Broccoli from last year that looked like a skeleton. There are pictures just back a little in the blog. As promised they have been fed, tended and nursed to see if a worthwhile crop could be rescued. Yesterday we had a meal from them. The film star is a later developer and has not yet produced a head. This is a characteristic of PSB, no two plants are genetically the same from a packet of seeds. The picture is of the same plant from the previous postings, whilst only around half as tall it would be if it wasn't butchered in the summer it is not a bad plant. The ground has not been needed for anything else so I consider it well worth leaving them to produce what they will.

Finally the blossom is beautiful now this is my Conference Pear tree cordon trained against a fence

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So here we are with catch up time. First the Standard Fuchsia that I started, the cutting came from my friend's garden in France. It was triploid, ideal for a standard if the head was balanced, it wasn't, it got worse, so it was off with its head. I cut it down to a lower node, it set it back well, but it worked.

Maybe now this will turn out to be a nice plant. The set back means it has been beaten into flower by another variety of fuchsia from the same garden in France.

If you think Fuchsia cuttings are difficult at home try rooting them on tour in a Motor Home. The cuttings started in a plastic glove, the ones you get at filling stations, one cutting per finger. Some water was put in the glove then shaken out, inflated with breath then tied up at the wrist. This cows udder poly tunnel was tossed around and given a reasonable growing spot when ever possible. When it came to potting on, an empty terracotta candle holder with no drain hole was pressed into use, I didn't have compost so I stole a hand full of sharp shell laden building sand. They had sea air, temperatures of 30C, heavy rain and wind, golly I have surprised myself.

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I was prompted by a comment on last my years postings to have my say.

Much of the Dow comments were backside covering stuff and I thought, 'yes you would say that.'
I personally consider all Muck and 'Organic' Compost as being potentially toxic still.

How can any animal keeper be sure that bought in feed or bedding is not contaminated. If a farmer in the chain has acted irresponsibly he is hardly likely to own up.

The most disturbing news is that Dow are trying to get their product back on the market. The most satisfying thing I read on the subject was "Banned for use in New York State" in Dow's literature.

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Growth continues well with the Fuchsias in the conservatory. The one that I am aiming to make a standard from had really progressed despite the lack of light and warmth.

Note the imbalance in the three shoots at the top. Previously I mentioned that there would be 6 leaves, I knew that the triploid sporting would stop at the point of termination. Next phase will be another 3dB gain, 12 leaves.
I watched the development of the imbalance and pondered whether to pinch out the weaker one first and so give it a lead on the stronger ones or whether to stop the stronger first to let the weaker one bulk up. Finally I pinched them all back at the same time, we will see what happens. Maybe it will balance up later, a standard with an imbalanced head is not a show bench winner.

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Due to my enforced late sowing the majority of my Tomatoes this year joined in with my late Tomato experiments. Despite early frost which managed to penetrate the greenhouse they have grown and survived totally without artificial heat.

There are still a few more to crop and several more bunches of grapes, all very welcome at this time of year.

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My love of Fuchsias started when my Mother, herself a keen green fingered gardener bought me Lolita. There is a turn round Mum buying Son flowers ha, maybe to go with the Bows in my hair.

I think I bought her flowers sometimes too, now she's gone I wish I had bought her more. She was a wonderful woman.

Where were we, Fuchsias, I feel lucky to have lived near and Spoken to Harry Bullimere the world known fuchsia king often at shows. There are thousands of different Fuchsias all bred from some pretty plain small species it is fascinating.

I went on to produce Fuchsias for sale and breed new varieties, selecting the characteristics in the parents and hoping what you imagined the offspring would be, came true.

That was a long time ago when the names used to trip off my tongue. Now when I saw one I really like in France in my friends garden I could not get the name and I am still thinking.
I shall find out in time because I said to my friend 'what ever is that up in the sky' and whilst he was looking did the gardeners thing, pinched a cutting.
Mind you he saw me do it, I then pointed out that another plant near by was producing some triploid shoots. I took a cutting of that too and they went off to the sea with us along with the Tomy Ato and Sally Ardstuff the good and toxic Tomato plants.

Despite widely fluctuating conditions Customs control etc. all cuttings are doing well. The one above is the triploid. Fuchsias normally produce diploid pairs of leaves. One either side of the stem, here can be seen there are 3 leaves at 120 deg apart.

These sports make ideal subjects for growing a Standard Fuchsia.

I need to keep this one growing throughout the winter months. I have just started the training, first step, now it is a good 100mm or more tall is to take out the top with a nice sharp blade. A good clean cut without too much stalk left to die back but not too little so that the inevitable die back kills the top off.

Now the three side shoots from the top will develop and we will have a nice balanced head not a pair of horns.

The next pinch out will give 3dB gain, here I go drifting into Electronics again, 6 shoots whereas just 2 leaves would give 4 shoots. I hope to show this in flower soon, a real show specimen maybe.

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The remover of the dead ones showed up quickly this morning. I arranged the Field Mouse on the path, and watched while I had my hands in the sink doing yet more washing up. I don't rally mind washing up Radio 4 in one ear the garden and wild life to watch, well there are worse things.

He appeared on the fence, a Magpie, he hopped down to the path and took the Mouse in his beak. With that he hopped down the garden and across to the row of Parsnips. I expected him to tuck in on the path or take the meal away for eating. No, with just two head actions he hid the body under the Parsnip leaves and flew off.

Typical Magpie behaviour, storing things away. Next he headed for my compost heap and made a check there, initially I was putting the Mice onto the heap, after a while they started to disappear, the boy has a memory but then he needs one to remember where he hides his supper.

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I picked several Tomatoes today, the early frosts will mean that the crop is not good. My experiment with late Toms was delayed by the Toxic Compost I picked my first one on the last day of October, 6 weeks later than I wanted.

Of course it had to pose for a photo.

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Early this year a tunnel appeared (mouse size) among some Rhubarb, running some 2 feet under the Greenhouse wall to emerge inside. I tolerate a little theft, they have their place in nature.

In the Autumn they often search for warmer Winter quarters and I tend to set a trap in my Garage baited with Belgian Dark Chocolate. It is a really good bait, hard, it never goes off, the same Little Finger Nail size piece I lost the other day was at least 6 years old and had tempted some dozen mice to their demise.

Come this time of year I picture a family of Beatrix Potter Mice, bonnets, suitcases and all, coming down the road from the country looking for a cosy spot. Why do they pass a few other houses and cross a road before Papa puts down his cases looks down my drive and says 'how about this one dear'?

Two weeks ago I noted soil coming from under a fence post which is screwed to my neighbours garage wall so doesn't quite reach the ground. I suspected Mouse activity, there is a difference in levels so they would have a tunnel system under paving.
I took a palm size stone and rammed it in the hole with a steel rod before we went off for a week.
Upon our return the stone was out and much more tunnelling spoil was spread around. This is just outside my Conservatory door too close for comfort. Here Beatrix Potter pictures end.

I set my trap near, covered by an upturned tub and a rock to stop it blowing away. Next morning I lost my Belgian Chocolate, there was a Field Mouse in the trap. French Dark Chocolate works just as well, day 2 another Mouse, same knob of choccy. Day 3, 4, 5, the same until this morning when I saw as I opened the door, a mouse scuttle from under the tub back into the tunnel.
So no catch last night? yes there was and he had been eaten starting at the eye. A quick check on Google and it seems Cannibalism is common in Mice. They don't kill each other for food. A dead Field Mouse that died in a fight, or a trap it seems, may well be eaten starting with the brain.

................"You know, if you you die I shall eat your brain"...............

So now that is 7 I have seen, I wonder how many there are, too many definitely, and too close for comfort. Sad but gardening is like that at times.

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They are a grand sight at this time of year.

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Some have done better than others. This is one of the plants I pictured last time.

Some have done better. I think the next report will have to wait until the Spring when we see if we actually get any worthwhile crop.

They will continue to receive extra care throughout the Winter.

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The Independent Scientist, Bsc MSc Soil Science, appointed by the Compost Producer to analyse my compost sample was looking for Hormone Effects or Disease in Tomatoes. So he sowed Rocket, a totally un related species.

He reported Germination was Normal.

So I sowed Rocket.Here is the Germination compared with a CONTROL SAMPLE most necessary in any meaningful test.

Not as normal as the control sample. Slow just the same as Tomatoes.

He reported Development was Normal.

Here is the development stage 1.

Tomato germination had been around 50% that of the Control sample. This picture shows PRECISELY 50% germination for Rocket, 9 seedlings in the Toxic compost and 18 in the Control.
Development in Tomatoes had been slow and the plants were dwarf. The Rocket is around 50% shorter than the Control. Yes there is also a colour difference which was the same in Tomatoes, a dull darker look.

I suspect that as time goes on the Rocket may show some Hormonal effects, there could be traces in today's picture. I also sowed Tomatoes in the same pots. Germination has been, you guessed it around 50% compared to the Control.

As I have said before I have nothing against the Compost Producer, they are victims of the Big Chemical Companies the same as the rest of us. They need to make sure they admit no liability.
Something is very very wrong when an 'Independent' Scientist is prepared to compromise himself. With his final conclusion.

That my Tomatoes were contaminated on the Bench or there was an attack by Greenfly.

Oh yes so these things only ever occur to plants in their compost? I asked them, "Do you think I am Paul Daniels".
Do you think I would take the trouble to fake evidence, take Tomato plants for a 2000 Mile trip round France and want nothing from them.

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The subject was covered well and representatives from all the people I contacted were there. The announcement was made about Aminopyralids being removed from sale. The Dow Agrochemicals representative said it was a shame as it was a valuable product for Farmers to increase their yields.
Yeh, increase your yield and totally destroy others, nice.

My Tomato crop for the year is now so late that I have not had one ripe one yet!! I was trialling late cropping as we were away until September but I did want some Tomatoes upon our return.

I have movement on the Compost which I found to be contaminated. The Compost Supplier had an 'Independent Scientist' to test the sample I sent. What do you think his 'findings' / conclusions were? What do you think his methods were?

More on that when my own test results are complete, with photographs.

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Is all lost for this year? Well maybe not I see it as a challenge. Cabbage Butterflies were designed to eat Cabbages and I suppose Cabbages were designed to be eaten by them. Yet the species have survived without man's intervention.

The rescue procedure will involve making sure the plants want for nothing, I have cleared away the weeds, forked the ground around them then firmed the plants with my heel.
Next step was a liquid fed of a high Nitrogen content.

Today they will get a mulch of well rotted compost.

Let us follow the progress to see if we can get a worthwhile crop despite all.

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Certainly not as many as many as usual but what we have are delicious.

Still on the subject.I don't read fiction stories very often. I much prefer to read fact and learn from my reading. Sue reads 'factual' novels about Royalty and the famous, a friend gave her a book about John Tradescant the Plantsman of Tradescantia and Virginia Creeper fame.
Why don't you read it she said, it's about a real person and these authors have been to University they study and research the subject and the novels are as near to fact as you can get, they become famous for their writing.
OK we were on holiday so I read it, soon JT was portrayed as some sort of buffoon, which I don't think he would have been. Then he returned to England from Virginia in the Spring and in his garden the Cherry, Plum and Fig Trees were in Blossom in the fruit garden.
Oh yes? No one has ever seen a Fig tree in blossom not even Jesus (check the Bible). Any book about a great Plantsman should be better researched than that. Surely they could get proof read by someone who knows a little about the subject.
The author might as well then told me that JT returned to Virginia on a Boing 747 in the 17th Century that would be just as non-factual.

I then moved on to another book. Sue had read it and told me that the main character was a lady who produced Sun Dials. The Author used a few terms that she had fished out to make it plausible.
So, well into the story the character made a Sun Dial for the Local Police Station Wall and delivered it to a Female Detective Sargent's home. They went outside to look at it. "It was 3 Feet by 4 Feet by 2 Inches thick Solid Grey Stone". How the Dickens did she get that there I thought.

Later the Female Detective was delivering the Sun Dial to the 'Nick' she stopped off in a Cafe and the Sun Dial attracted some attention, "she wished she had wrapped it".
I should think a Female walking down the road with a 4 Foot by 3 Foot by 2 inches thick slab of stone would have attracted a bit of attention.

I had been chatting earlier to an English guy who was a Builder and part time Lecturer on the subject.
I asked him 'any idea what a slab of stone that size would weigh'?
'Yes' he said 'that is twice the size of a 3 by 2 Paving Slab and there are 16 of those to the Ton.'
So we have these Ladies walking down the street, single handedly carrying, popping into a Cafe with a slab of stone 4 Foot by 3 Foot by 2 Inches thick that weighs at least two and a half Hundredweight!

Cover price of the book £8.99, to have your intelligence insulted. Again surely the lovey dovey folk who helped with the book that get a mention in front pages should have used their grey matter and picked that one up.
Why would a local 'Nick' need a Sun Dial that big?

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They have taken action :- "written to all our licensees to warn them about the risk of contaminated manure" which is encouraging.

Also "The Pesticides Safety Directorate have confirmed that the weedkiller causing the problems will be removed from sale." Now that is good news.

The contaminated plant is on the right, root development is also effected.

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A question for Dow Agrochemical.

Is there a place in this beautiful world for chemicals the residues of which persist through the natural composting process and do this to plants.

My parallel sowing test using the Peat Free compost and J Arthur Bowers Peat Based compost has proved beyond doubt that the Peat Free is Toxic.

I don't know if the plants enjoyed their 2500 Miles trip through France but they survived to prove the point.

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There is Hardly a Ladybird in sight, the Blackfly are rife, I cleared the last of a couple of rows of Broad beans yesterday they have cropped really well but if the Ladybirds had been about to eat the Blackfly they would have been better. I have no idea why they are scarce, I haven't even seen one of the Harlequin intruder species.

Still we keep smiling there are lots of Peas to pick still too, plus Gooseberries, Red and Black Currants, the last of the Raspberries and the Black berries have just started to ripen.

The main cause of woe the contaminated Compost has now been eliminated except for one 7cm pot with one seedling. A pathetic slow little chap it is not big enough to show Hormone damage.
So let us have another smile, I want to see the comparison of the test sowing through to the end. Hence Tom Hato and his girlfriend Sally Ardstuff have got their Passports ready, they are going on holiday.

For his girlfriend I have chosen a bit of a runt, the smallest seedling that grew in the J A Bowers Compost, got to be fair, there is not much competition Toxic v the Runt. Stand by for reports on their progress from exotic parts.

The Leaf Cutter bees have been busy today as the sun is out, it is difficult to get a picture of a Bee with some leaf they arrive and slip into the hole so quickly. I was pleased therefore that this this one must have brought back a huge leaf section then gone off for a tea break.

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The facts are:-

DEFRA says that Grower XXXXX in YYY uses PSA100 Standard Compost to grow Organic food supplied to the major 3 Supermarkets and is approved by the Soil Association.

The Composters Association says PSA100 Standard does not ensure purity from Toxic Metals and Weed Killer Contamination.

The Soil Association says it does not know of Grower XXXXX in YYY.

A Notice on the www. says. There is a seminar at Grower XXXXX in YYY attendance costs £56 for further information contact...... THE SOIL ASSOCIATION on tel. xxxx xxxxxx

Here is a Tomato plant grown in contaminated Compost.

The colour difference rendered here is true, growth is weak, I await distortion of the new growth as time goes by.

If you decide to grow your own then there is absolutely no guarantee that any Compost or Growing Bag you buy in, does not contain Toxic Metals or Weed Killer residues. It almost certainly will contain Chemical Fertilisers. Despite the fact that the bag can be legally labelled Organic.

It is virtually impossible to buy in Manure from any source with confidence. Even the keeper of a single Horse on his own land cannot be sure that the Hay he buys in for feed is not contaminated with Persistent Herbicides which are not approved for use on food crops.

Here is a Tomato plant grown in non contaminated Compost.

If you want to pop down to the greenhouse and check for contamination of your Compost here is how to do it.

2.3.3 Methods for Residue Analysis of Plants and Plant Products
High-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) Method
GRM 02.31 has been proposed by the petitioner as an enforcement method for residues of
aminopyralid in plant commodities. The proposed LC-MS/MS method was used to determine
residues of free and conjugated aminopyralid in/on grass and wheat samples from the storage
stability, field trial and processing studies associated with the currently requested uses.
Briefly, ground samples are extracted with 0.1 N sodium hydroxide, releasing bound residues
and hydrolyzing base-labile conjugates to free aminopyralid. The extract is then acidified with
hydrochloric acid and heated to release acid-labile conjugates. Following hydrolysis, the extract
is cleaned up through an anion-exchange solid-phase extraction (SPE) column. The internal
standard, 13C2
15N-aminopyralid, is added to the eluate, and residues are derivatized with butyl
chloroformate to form the 1-butyl esters of aminopyralid for LC-MS/MS analysis. The validated
LOQ is 0.01 ppm for all matrices, and the calculated limit of detection (LOD) is 0.002 ppm.
Method validation data for LC-MS/MS Method GRM 02.31 demonstrated adequate method
recoveries of aminopyralid from barley grain, forage, and straw; grass forage and hay; sorghum
grain, forage, and stover; and wheat grain, forage, and straw fortified at the LOQ (0.01 ppm).
This method also demonstrated adequate method recoveries of aminopyralid at up to 0.50 ppm
for cereal grain, 5.00 ppm for cereal forage and straw, and 20.0 ppm for grasses

Simple really. We used to pick up a bit of well rotted Muck rub it in our hands and sniff it.

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Right Click on images and select View Image for full size.

It struggled on producing abnormal growth.

The other specimen Potted into J A Bowers Compost has almost grown through it Poisoning and is producing flower buds all be it on a tall thin plant.

It too will be destroyed as we do not no what vile chemical has polluted it.

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The information they gave was all good advice and ties in with my research. Compost contamination as opposed to Muck is rarer, so rare that I so often get the response that I am the only one.

Interesting then to note this from the comments page on the BBC site. I am sure johnkane won't mind me copying his e-mail mail here.

6. At 3:14pm on 08 Jul 2008, johnkane wrote:

Regarding the contaminated compost problem, this is also in bags of compost as I have found to my cost. I and a few others have unwittingly poisoned our vegetables using bagged compost products from the garden centres. I?ve been growing vegetables for over 30 years and am devastated to lose nearly all this years produce due to me using a so called ?Organic? compost. I?ve used it in the past with no problem, but even the compost manufacturer was unaware of this new weedkiller. I have preserved my damaged plants and am trying to show as many locals as possible what can happen. I contacted my local allotment society to see how many were affected, and they had not even heard of the problem, they assume someone would have told them of this issue before now. Please help to bring this issue to all gardeners? attention.

In fact johnkane if you read this could you contact me via 'comments'.

My confidence in the Soil Association has been restored by an excellent response to my email in which I asked their opinion on the 2 quotes in my previous blog entry.

I quote the reply here:-
Thank you for your email. Organic is a term defined by EU law. This means that anyone who is using the term on a food product needs to hold a licence with an approved certification body. This law does not apply to gardening products, much to our frustration. However, as we deal with farmers, not gardeners, and whilst we sympathise with the difficulties that gardeners wishing to garden organically face, we rarely get in a situation whereby a farmer of ours visits a garden centre to buy compost.

The last paragraph is really disturbing, not only are are DEFRA confused are they telling lies too?

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That is not I want, I want them and me to know what has caused the problem and therefore learn avoidance. So no Manure no Agricultural Grass or Straw products but there must be something. Well yes Composted Green Waste from a Recycling Centre Produced to PAS100. PUBLIC WASTE now that is frightening.

I checked DEFRA PAS100 (wrap) recycling.

Poor dears they are confused the following excerpt from their information uses Organic Eco and Compost in the same section.

Organics – Capital support Programme
In order to increase the UK’s annual composting
capacity by 300,000 tonnes by 2006, WRAP is
implementing capital support programmes in
England and Scotland. Funding covers: the
development of new composting facilities, the
improvement of existing facilities and/or facilities
for the manufacture of added value products using
compost such as growing media and topsoil.
The first project is underway with Eco-Composting
Ltd for the construction of an in-vessel composting
facility.

Yes the material Organic it is, as opposed to Mineral. Ecological to Compost it is, as opposed to Incineration or Land Fill but what is produced is not Organic Compost. This information is downright misleading. The folk at the County Council who get the EU grant to do it may well think it is Organic.

I know that 'my county council' compost is on sale at recycling centres. There is no way I would touch the stuff. All the Hormone treated grass cuttings go in there in addition to diseased garden material. All the nasty stuff you would not feel safe to put on your compost heap goes there. My contaminated Tomato plants in contaminated compost went off there the other day so continuing the cycle of contamination.
The last time our County Council fools tried this one it was Treated Sewage Waste that had to be quickly withdrawn due to high levels of Toxic Chromium.

Here is the Photograph that accompanies the DEFRA Green Recycling information above.

Carefully controlled ingredients?

So the argument goes Aminopyalids are not for domestic use and are not authorised for use on domestic or Public Grassland so they will not be in the mix. Oh yes, more than once I have been offered Weed Killer in Bulk that is "what the Farmers use, much stronger than you can buy". A label on the bag does not control the use.

Another photograph from the information shows a close up some of the plant material certainly some Dead, Poisoned, Diseased who knows.

I know two diseases that are rife at this time, Greed and Stupidity.

QUOTE:-
At the Composting Association's annual event earlier this month, Martin Brocklehurst, head of waste strategy at the Agency,.............
said: "My colleagues and I cannot guarantee the level of contaminants, such as metals, are safe in PAS 100 material – it is only a marketing label, we need a protocol for organics."

QUOTE:-
Cantelo Nurseries: Cantelo Nurseries is a family-run nursery based in Somerset. In 1998, it allocated 2.8 hectares of its glasshouse output to organic produce, starting with tomatoes and gradually moving into growing organic peppers and cucumbers for two large supermarket chains in the UK. The nursery uses up to 100 metric tons of BSI PAS 100 compost per hectare to improve soil health and increase yields. The compost also meets the Soil Association and Assured Produce standard for organic produce.

That is the Soil Association gone down in my estimation.

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The Green Lane crew have destruction from muck, as have other Allotment folk, on a massive scale. Some of the plot holders were growing Organically like me to avoid the Poisons in the Pesticides which are purchased daily in the Supermarket produce.
For those growers it will be 2 clear years before they can consider themselves organic again. (Soil Association figure)

Personally I have avoided Muck for around 15years. Strawy Muck we used to say was the best. Yes but how many Chemicals have been plastered all over that Straw, including Hormone Weed Killer. I once spoke to a local Farmer who surfaced from the works of his Seed Drill, naked arms up to the elbow and face deep red, covered in red Mercury Oxide Fungicide. I took the precaution of standing down wind. "It was blocked" he said, with a smile, clearly no precautions taken by him with Toxic Poisons.
I never did get round to trying the growing of Tomatoes on Straw Bales for that reason. I figured who is going to be able to guarantee me Pesticide free Straw?

Little did I know that buying Peat Free Compost which is promoted as saving the environment would bring the Poisons into my Plot. At least it was in a bale and went into pots, they and the remainder can go back out through the gate.

It had often crossed my mind that any commercial Seed Sowing and Potting Compost unless certified Organic will probably contain Chemical Fertiliser so true Organic is not achieved.
I have been lazy and purchased Compost recently, next Season I return to Mixing my own.

A good Recipe I use is:- (1 part= 2Gallon Bucket)

1 part Sharp Sand
3 parts Peat
1.5 Tablespoons Ground Chalk
6g Hoof and Horn
5g Bonemeal
18g Rock Potash

Fish Blood and Bone can be substituted for the nutrients as it is easier to find these days.

I mentioned a teat sowing of Tomatoes in 3 different Composts, here is a photo.

The contaminated compost pot is in the middle, marked D, D for Duff, D is the first letter of the Compost Producers name. If they don't soon answer my e-mails, (they answered the first saying how seriously they take complaints) I shall be spelling it out in full. I have given them the benefit of anonymity as equal victims in this foul farce.

Note:-
1) Poor germination (each pot had 3 seeds)
2) Delayed growth of the one that germinated.

Only later as the plants grow and the Hormone weed Killer in the Compost starts to break down and be released will we see further evidence of Poisoning.

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