On 26 May 2003 16:11:28 -0700, (N_A_J) wrote:

I treated the lawn with Ortho Weed B Gone one week ago. How soon will
it be safe to place grass clippings in my composter, or is that a
definite no-no? Thanks.

Well, it will help to kill the entire fungal mat, any beneficial organisms in
the soil, and possibly kill the soil altogether. I hope you have a nice lawn,
now.

I wouldn't use compost which was eaten by a cow, digested through the stomachs,
chewed up cud, redigested and composted under about 150 degree heat...if it has
any herbicide in the hay they ate.

Picloram and atrazine are two powerful, persistent pesticides and it is
dangerous and should be removed from the market and people need to learn to
tolerate some weeds.

My garden is and has always been organic. We are the first owners of this
property and it was virgin soil. I've never once used a herbicide. The way I
manage weeds in turf is to keep it mowed before the weeds go to seed and mow
high so any seeds in the soil will not get much light. Many weeds are
indication plants that soil is very infertile, some are highly successional and
love the added fertilizer. Do some research BEFORE you hose your land with
pesticides, not after.

Oh, my point is, I don't have many lawn weeds any more. What I do have, I hand
pull. I've also given up the tremendous turf areas and each year I remove more
and more of the water guzzling, energy depleting grass.

So, to answer, it is never safe to use clippings which were treated with
pesticides.