Expert tells gardeners not to be put off using compost

Alison Patel writes: Following the news of failing allotment crops across the UK, Lucy Siegle of the Guardian advises gardeners not to point the finger of blame at manure.

The culprit was found to be a herbicide - aminopyralid - that was sprayed on grass by farmers and was subsequently eaten by animals whose manure was used on allotments.

Ms Siegle has urged gardeners across the land not to panic. She suggested those affected should forget about this years veg and make sure they turn the soil ahead of planting new crops.

According to Ms Siegle, "we must stick up for compost in a big way. After all, the minimum it achieves is to reduce the volume of organic material by half through the simple loss of moisture and carbon dioxide."

This is important, she says, because if not used for manure, food waste creates greenhouse gasses when left "rotting in landfill".

She also asks gardeners not to forget that compost "is a vital soil amendment, increasing the amount of land where we can usefully grow food".

There is also evidence from studies at Cornell University to show that high-grade compost can reduce the need for agrichemicals.

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