People advised to check chemicals in garden shed

17:03:20 8th March 2010

Homeowners should check the chemicals in their garden shed following a number of changes to the pesticides and herbicides available for use, it has been claimed.

Writing for the Telegraph, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) states that gardeners will no longer be able to use the residual weed killer sodium chlorate after May 10th, and the contact insecticide bifenthrin has been withdrawn.

The RHS advises people to look for alternatives containing deltamethrin, such as Bayer Sprayday Greenfly Killer.

Weed killer in manure is also a troubling problem for gardeners as it causes stunted growth in vegetables and poses a risk to animals, the organisation claims.

"Although a useful broadleaved weed killer used on grassland, aminopyralid binds strongly to plant material which, when eaten by cattle and horses as silage, hay or haylage, can pass through the animals without breaking down," it writes.

Products containing aminopyralid are not permitted for use on land where they hay is cut and fed to livestock, RHS adds.

Find out more information about garden sheds