I vaguely recall your question in regard to manure, and if I remember correctly, you were using it in pots, which isn't a good idea for the reasons mentioned then, regardless of whether the manure is contaminated with weedkiller or not.

I did hear on the radio a week or so ago that the problem of weedkiller contamination has resurfaced though - even more of a reason never to use it in pots, never mind on open soil. That said, we have used a lot of composted manure on our gardens (open ground, not pots) this year, but have not experienced any problems.

I believe that the likes of Glyphosate can still be used at least up until 2022. It is my opinion from what I have read that it is also used under some circumstances to ripen off cereals. Having said, the only way that your stable manure can be classed as completely safe is to collect it from a stable that obtains their feed and bedding from an organic source.

I take your point about using it in pots i also used it as top dressing and planted straight into that again this year with so far good results. But I'm still getting some distortion in plant containers as plants mature and these pants haven't been near any compost only a John innes. The reasons i use this method of plant top dressing areas is by June July here near wisley in Surrey is lack of moisture.I'm on clay and we as usual these days have had no significant rain for months so the ground is like concrete undiggable and some plants i raise from seed are only big enough now in June to plant out and i need to plant them in an area together so they don't get missed in my jungle garden.

The residual weedkiller is more likely to be one of the amino-acid based ones rather than Glyphosate. Cannot remember the name of them for the moment, but there was a lot of trouble with them a few years back as they stay active even after passing through animals . They were banned except in certain places if I remember correctly.

Aminopyralid weedkillers, remembered it after I posted.

Jimmytheone; its aminopyralid that's the problem with horse manure, as Owdboggy says, but regarding glyphosate, you are correct in that cereal and grain crops are sprayed a few days prior to harvest - it is done as a dessicant. They spray, wait a few days, then harvest, and the stubble then just dries and dies. The fact that our grain and cereal products contain glyphosate residue is said to be 'no threat to health', and 'within safety limits' for human beings who consume it, according to DEFRA. A good reason to switch to organic flour and organic cereals wherever possible, in my book...

Thanks anyway i just wanted to make the point that i don't think it's the compost that is distorting the plants and eventually killing them it's the suppliers that are using pesticide material from farmers. I actually live near West end composting facility and spoke to a guy on the phone and he just said the material they collect is from "various" sources domestic and commercial.

The other source of weedkillers in compost is from grass mowings which have been treated by ordinary gardeners and then green binned.

Bamboo too much bread always used to upset me but now I use spelt or organic I have had no problems with it. Nuff said.

I got the same problem with cherries - they make me feel unwell so I thought it was cherries disagreeing with me. But I've since discovered organic cherries are just fine, no problems at all. I just wish organic cherries were more readily available, none of the supermarkets carries them... and I rather wonder what on earth they spray them with that has this effect on me...