"B. Midler" wrote:

I'd like to follow up on something I heard regarding plant materials treated
with herbicides/pesticides needing to be set aside for a longer period of
time. Apparently, the heat generated through the composting process can
augment herbicide damage.

Can anyone suggest where to go to check this out?

With a few notable exceptions, most herbicides are not very long lasting and
should break down thoroughly to realtively harmless components with a proper
composting process. Rather than adding to the problem, the heat and microbial
activity of a proper composting process is the best way to ensure you have a
'clean' finished compost. There are a couple of extremely persistant herbicides
that do not breakdown properly through the composting process (clopyralid
primarily, and another whose names escapes me), but these are used mostly in
agricultural situations and such a flap has been raised about them recently that
most commercial compost has been tested to make sure they are not present. They
tend to affect plants in only certain families, anyway (largely edible crops)
and any woody ornamentals are pretty much immune.

Just make sure your compost is properly "cooked" - that will adequately remove
any lingering effects of pesticides as well as neutralize most disease
pathogens.

pam - gardengal