Lawn waste after treatment, compost?
 

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 it, also the way things are going that could be a problem as the
councils check on bin contents.

"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
it, also the way things are going that could be a problem as the councils
check on bin contents.

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

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

Broadback wrote:
:: 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 it, also the way things are going that could
:: be a problem as the councils check on bin contents.

The council checks your rubbish? - how do they know it's yours when it's
mixed with 8 tonnes of other stuff?

--
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we.
They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country
and our people, and neither do we."
- George W. Bush, 5.8.2004

On Mon, 04 Apr 2005 22:04:07 GMT, Phil L wrote:

Broadback wrote:
:: 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 it, also the way things are going that could
:: be a problem as the councils check on bin contents.

The council checks your rubbish? - how do they know it's yours when it's
mixed with 8 tonnes of other stuff?

Blimey, our bin doesn't hold anywhere *near* 8 tonnes!

--
Ian Cox
Sutton-in-Ashfield
icq 116510696
Remove my hat to email me.

Ian Cox wrote:
:: On Mon, 04 Apr 2005 22:04:07 GMT, Phil L wrote:
::
::: Broadback wrote:
::::: 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 it, also the way things are going
::::: that could be a problem as the councils check on bin contents.
:::
::: The council checks your rubbish? - how do they know it's yours
::: when it's mixed with 8 tonnes of other stuff?
::
:: Blimey, our bin doesn't hold anywhere *near* 8 tonnes!
::

I meant after it had been emptied into the wagon :-p ...surely they don't
examine every binful prior to loading it onto the truck?


--
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we.
They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country
and our people, and neither do we."
- George W. Bush, 5.8.2004

Phil L wrote:

Ian Cox wrote:
:: On Mon, 04 Apr 2005 22:04:07 GMT, Phil L wrote:
::
::: Broadback wrote:
::::: 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 it, also the way things are going
::::: that could be a problem as the councils check on bin contents.
:::
::: The council checks your rubbish? - how do they know it's yours
::: when it's mixed with 8 tonnes of other stuff?
::
:: Blimey, our bin doesn't hold anywhere *near* 8 tonnes!
::

I meant after it had been emptied into the wagon :-p ...surely they don't
examine every binful prior to loading it onto the truck?


At the moment they do not check. However it is generally accepted that
there is a move to reduce rubbish, in fact many councils are planning
reducing collections to fortnightly. Also some councils have employed
people to check the contents of bins before being emptied and speak to
the owners if they contain recyclable rubbish. Also believe it or not
wheelie bins are now being manufactured with electronic chips embedded.
No one quite knows what they will be used for, my mind boggles.

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
it, also the way things are going that could be a problem as the councils
check on bin contents.


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.... (my compost heap is fairly cold and not well aerated and
therefore quite slow). I suppose I better test it first before spreading
it all over the garden. If it's contaminated, I'll have a huge amount of
compost for the bin! I really hope that with time, it's diluted and lost
it';s action.

Philippe

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
it, also the way things are going that could be a problem as the councils
check on bin contents.

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

Unless you have something really dreadful and persistent (and banned)
from way back most broad leaf specific lawn weedkillers will be easily
deactivated in a hot compost heap after 6-8 months. And diluted with all
the rest of the years grass cuttings they should pose no real problem.
It should say on the instructions how long it stays active.

If there is any doubt about the compost wrt weedkiller contamination try
growing some mustard and cress on it. If they come up all distorted and
mangled then the weedkiller is still active.

You must not use fresh grass clippings from treated lawns as a mulch
though - the weedkiller could transfer to other plants that way.

I compost all my grass clippings. OTOH I use minimal weedkiller.

Regards,
Martin Brown

Broadback wrote:
:: Phil L wrote:
::
::: Ian Cox wrote:
::::: On Mon, 04 Apr 2005 22:04:07 GMT, Phil L wrote:
:::::
:::::: Broadback wrote:
:::::::: 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 it, also the way things are
:::::::: going that could be a problem as the councils check on bin
:::::::: contents.
::::::
:::::: The council checks your rubbish? - how do they know it's yours
:::::: when it's mixed with 8 tonnes of other stuff?
:::::
::::: Blimey, our bin doesn't hold anywhere *near* 8 tonnes!
:::::
:::
::: I meant after it had been emptied into the wagon :-p ...surely
::: they don't examine every binful prior to loading it onto the
::: truck?
:::
:::
:: At the moment they do not check. However it is generally accepted
:: that there is a move to reduce rubbish, in fact many councils are
:: planning reducing collections to fortnightly. Also some councils
:: have employed people to check the contents of bins before being
:: emptied and speak to the owners if they contain recyclable
:: rubbish. Also believe it or not wheelie bins are now being
:: manufactured with electronic chips embedded. No one quite knows
:: what they will be used for, my mind boggles.

our council provides us with a normal wheelie bin for household waste, a
green wheelie for compostable materials, a black box for metals and a blue
bag for newspapers, the latter three are only collected fortnightly.

--
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we.
They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country
and our people, and neither do we."
- George W. Bush, 5.8.2004

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

In article , Phil L
writes

our council provides us with a normal wheelie bin for household waste, a
green wheelie for compostable materials, a black box for metals and a blue
bag for newspapers, the latter three are only collected fortnightly.

You're lucky! Our council (Leeds) provides us with black bags for
household waste and a green bag for all recyclables. The green bag is
collected only monthly .... in theory! So far, despite phone calls, they
have failed to collect it at all.

--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Phil L wrote:

our council provides us with a normal wheelie bin for household waste, a
green wheelie for compostable materials, a black box for metals and a blue
bag for newspapers, the latter three are only collected fortnightly.

We have similar arrangements but lack the black metal box. And they
collect green and black wheelie bins on alternate weeks (or try to).

My green wheelie bin is being used to make leaf mould. I already compost
more stuff than they allow to be put in the green bin.

Fortnightly collection of household waste is not popular (esp in summer
when it pongs). The wheelie bins aren't quite big enough either.

Regards,
Martin Brown

I agree with Martin's conclusion. I used to compost 'Hormone' treated grass
cuttings without problems-the turn around on my compost heap was in the
range 6 to 8 months.
I would think that ferrous sulphate moss killer was fairly innocuous.
"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
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
it, also the way things are going that could be a problem as the councils
check on bin contents.

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

Unless you have something really dreadful and persistent (and banned) from
way back most broad leaf specific lawn weedkillers will be easily
deactivated in a hot compost heap after 6-8 months. And diluted with all
the rest of the years grass cuttings they should pose no real problem. It
should say on the instructions how long it stays active.

If there is any doubt about the compost wrt weedkiller contamination try
growing some mustard and cress on it. If they come up all distorted and
mangled then the weedkiller is still active.

You must not use fresh grass clippings from treated lawns as a mulch
though - the weedkiller could transfer to other plants that way.

I compost all my grass clippings. OTOH I use minimal weedkiller.

Regards,
Martin Brown