Janet Baraclough wrote:

The message
from Philippe Gautier contains
these words:

Tumbleweed wrote:

"Broadback" wrote in message
...

Can you compost the cuttings and moss removed after Lawn feed and weed
with moss killer? I would have thought that residue might kill your
plants afterwards. However perhaps time cures all. Seems a shame to bin

Its usually printed on the instructions, and IIRC usually says dont
use the
first one or two mowings.

Oh no! I realise now I've never thought about that and my compost heap
contains cuttings for at least 2 treatment last year and the year
before.

This topic came up on rec.gardens some time back, try an archive search.

iirc, the gist was :In America, (Philadelphia iirc) tests on municipal
compost ( made from green domestic waste including lawn-cuttings) found
that lawn-treatment chemical residue survived at a level high enough to
make the compost toxic to plants.

You have to remember that the US isn't particularly well suited to
growing grass lawns in many regions and suburban areas are served by
contract gardening industries with brand names like ChemLawn
(artificially green monoculture). No I didn't make that name up!!!

Bear in mind American grass and pest species are not the same as UK
ones, so the chemicals and quantities used there may also be different.

USAian view is that if a small amount of an additive is good then
massive amounts must be even better. They conveniently ignore the fact
that the dose makes the poison.

UK is wet and warm enough for most lawn treatments applied sensibly to
be disabled in any half decent compost heap.

I only treat the lawn in spring and spot weed with lawn weedkiller as
needed. I would be more worried about an Autumn treatment that might not
have time to be destroyed by the action of a hot heap.

Regards,
Martin Brown