HELP please - Is this manure dangerous to have on my lawn? With children?

[Larchie828]

Hello,

I ordered top soil from Amazon to put down in my lawn with grass seed to fill some patches that were covered and grass had died.

It’s the first time I have ever done it. After seeding I got the bag out and started pouring it over the areas and noticed it smelt and was very black and clumpy. Some looked like lumps of dark animal poo.

I watered and raked it but couldn’t really separate the clumpyness much.

Since looking at my order it looks like they sent me a bag of manure instead of top soil. It has top soil on my confirmation but after looking at the reviews I know I was sent the wrong item. The top soil should have been crumbly and brown? this smells bad and very dark/ black and stuck in clumps like animal faeces.

My worry is I have young children (pre school age) that can now not use the garden as I’m worried it could be bad for them.

it also states on the fine print ‘do not apply to food crops’. When looking online it says it can be dangerous and can take a long time to disintegrate ?

I have no idea as I am not used to any kind of gardening etc. could someone please help? I have attached the photo screen shots of what it contains and information on the back. Have contacted the seller but heard nothing so far….

thank you 😊

It's made of 'fine bark, peat and mushroom casing' so it's not animal faeces. Water it to reduce dust but you should be doing that anyway if you want the grass to grow.

It will be fine. Even if it was animal manure the rotting process rots bad stuff. That’s how soil gets made, and soil is full of rotted animal faeces and bodies.

Obviously it isn’t a sterile substance, but normal hygiene around soil should be fine ( don’t eat it, wash hands when you come in, try not to dig around in it with an open wound unless you have had a tetanus jab)

It literally says 'manure' on the label.

But the word 'manure' doesn't only mean fertiliser of animal origin, although I understand why you might think that. It also in gardening terms can be used to mean organic plant-derived matter used to condition and enrich soil.

Yes the contents sound fine, no worse than any other soil or leaf debris, etc that they might find in any garden. Don't breath it or get it in your eyes is good advice for virtually anything. Keep is away from pets and children is so they don't eat it or get suffocated by the bag and again a pretty general warning.

With all due respect, I have been gardening since about 1968.