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Composting with treated grass clippings

servalserval Posts: 4
in Plants
Ive got a general question about using treated grass clippings in my compost pile which i use to fertilise my vegetable growing area....

If im using lawn treatments such as iron sulphate to control moss should i avoid using grass clippings from the treated areas in my compost pile?

If so how long should i avoid using the grass clippings in the compost for?

does a similar rule apply for other lawn treatments such as lawn feed/fertiliser?

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    I wouldn't worry about Iron sulphate or any type of pure lawn feed, serval, as those are all basically simple nutrients.  I think the advice about not composting grass clippings refers to those taken from lawns which have been treated with a broad-leaved weedkiller or with "weed & feed" mixtures as those treatments obviously contain pesticides.  Who would want those types of chemicals getting anywhere near their compost heap?
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Green MagpieGreen Magpie Posts: 806
    On the pack of most lawn treatments, there is advice about whether the cuttings can be composted. In some cases they tell you not to compost the first couple of cuts,but in others they say that it's OK as long as the cuttings are composted for at least 6 months or a year. It's always worth checking the pack, as sometimes a preparation you buy for one purpose contains extra chemicals you weren't expecting.
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