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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] composted yard service grass clippings

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  • From: "Kate Halstead" <rockyprairie@earthlink.net>
  • To: <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] composted yard service grass clippings
  • Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2006 10:18:57 -0700

<snip> i finally have come up with a compost pile that gets what i would
call "hot". i have a small lawn service and get literally tons of lawn
clippings. i started a couple composts that are almost 100% grass
clippings, not much else (it's
summer, so no fall leaves, wood chips, etc. mixed in). <snip>

Just a word of caution when making and using compost made with grass
clippings from unknown sources. Unless the yard service you deal with does
not use selective herbicides as part of their maintenance routine, the
clippings you get for free may come with an unwanted addition--very
effective herbicide that will render parts of your garden devoid of
vegetation for at least one season. Composting to a high enough temperature
(I think the number is at least 150-160 degrees F) for a sustained period of
time (3 days or longer) can render many herbicides ineffective. Clopyralid
(used in grain fields and on golf courses primarily) is a notable exception
to this list.

I speak from unfortunate experience. A number of years ago I purchased 15
yards of compost from a company I had not done business with before. It was
worked into a number of new beds and top dressed on others. After watching
over 1,000 3-4" healthy basil transplants slowly turn yellow, stop growing,
and gradually die. The diagnosis was herbicide burn. The beds that were top
dressed mostly had perennials so those survived, but their new growth was
slowed and stunted depending on species. Eating anything out of the garden
that year was out of the question, a significant loss of income and food.
Research turned up the fact that the compost company regularly used
clippings from area yard services and had a poor record for taking the time
to heat their piles properly.

Kate







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