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Vegetable Gardening

mulching with chemical treated grass clippings??

14 years ago

I'm organic but my husband isn't! He treats the grass with weed and feed and sprays chemicals to kill weeds in the yard whereas I keep my vegetable and flower gardens organically. Would I be able to safely use grass clippings this fall as mulch/soil amendment on my vegetable bed if he hasn't sprayed the grass in a certain length of time such as a month, or 3 months?

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Comments (6)

wiringman
14 years ago
Th Rodale Book of Composting suggested the grass clipping that have been well watered would have little residual chemicals left on them. but in the strictest since there would be some left. I think. however if they are composted they are they would be much better.

just my educated guess.

WM
sharon_midtn
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks wiringman. These won't be composted as in a designated compost pile with other things. They'd be cut, then dumped on the bed to compost over time. I don't know if they'd be releasing chemicals into the soil and my vegetables doing it this way.
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I agree. I use no chemicals on my lawn, so the clippings are great on the veggie garden. Everytime I mow, I bag, and the clippings go on the garden. In fall all the leaves get shredded with the mower and put on the garden beds, at least a foot thick. By spring they are well down, and by planting time broken down into nice crumbly leaf mold. I have switched to a no till format for the past several years and it seems to have helped. I don't have nearly the weeds I used to, the seeds seem to stay dormant when they are buried, but once you till, up they come! Add all the organics you can whenever you can! Steve
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What residue from that treatment program might still be present is not going to last long enough in your compost to do harm, I would take them and compost them. The active poisons that homeowners can do have access to are fairly short term, they should not use them but the waste products they generate are not all that useless. I would not use those waste products as mulch in the garden and would always compost them first which will aid in breaking them down into relatively harmless products.
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Hubby is a commercial chemical applicator (I know, it seems wrong but you gotta do what you gotta do). I've asked him this question before. kimmsr is right, if you can mulch them for a while at least it is better for the lawn. It keeps the fertilizer on the lawn where you intended it in the first place. But if you absolutely want to compost them, you can do it safely. From my experience, backed up by hubby's training, if you have a hot pile you are good to go. If you have a passive or cold pile then you should probably let the compost cure. What I mean is don't use it right away - maybe this fall or next year. You can also mulch garden pathways with it or under trees/shrubs. If it is too soon after broadleaf killer and you mulch under something like tomatoes, it could harm them. But next to something like corn it is okay. (Tangent warning: I mulched with treated grass about 17 years ago. I put it under corn and tomatoes. The corn in the row that got mulched was easily 2x taller, healthier, and more productive than the un-mulched corn. However, the tomatoes had a hard time setting fruit.) You can even compost plant material that has been killed with Round-Up. It gets into the plant through the leaves. Once it has dried and has absorbed, it won't transfer to another plant around it or into the soil. You can actually spray an area one day and plant new plants in it the next day. Some people are anti-chemical no matter what. They won't even put shredded office paper in compost because of the ink/toner. You can do it but what it comes down to is a personal choice.
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Comments (13)
Mulch is a good think to help moderate the soil temps and moisture. Grass clippings can be great or bad depending on the situation. If it is full of grass and weed seeds, it might not be great in the veggie garden. If it is cut from one of those lawns with no weeds or seed heads, it will probably be much better as mulch though you want to get it spread quickly before it can mat together into nasty clumps (grass left sitting for much time in plastic bags can turn into ugly stuff.) As to bugs in mulch, well it does offer habitat to bugs. The first season of organic gardening after many seasons of chemicals in a garden, the bad bugs might be overwhelming. With some time, the populations of creatures should even out a bit so the good will balance the bad and the garden can grow healthier. I've not gardened in hard clay soil but I've heard many people who have made their clay more workable by keeping it mulched and moist. I can say my sandy soil is greatly improved by keeping it mulched and moist. In my hot humid climate, organic matter breaks down quickly so I have to add lots of mulch often to keep a good thick layer going. Here is a link that might be useful: www.TCLynx.com
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marlingardener
14 years ago
Sharon,
It depends mostly on what chemicals your husband is using. Somewhere on the container it should say if the chemicals are harmful to pets, birds, etc. If so, I wouldn't use the clippings.
That said, I see no problem using less-toxic clippings as mulch on flower beds, but wouldn't put them on the vegetable garden. If you are working to be organic, then the residual chemicals could negate your efforts.
Good luck with your gardens, and send some of that Tennessee rain to Texas!
sharon_midtn
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks Marlingardener! I plan to just play it safe and not use the grass clippings. Afterall, it dawned on me, it would give the impression to my husband that the chemicals aren't as bad as I've been trying to convince him if I put them on my food crop!

I wish I could send some of this rain to Texas...they seem to need it. I was born and raised in Texas, moved here at 49 yrs. old. I remember all the years we had to water ration. I like Tennessee, but my heart is still in Texas!
lelia
14 years ago
Heh heh heh.... based on what I know from traveling around and around the block, I would divorce that man in a heartbeat. The garden is more valuable. But few gardeners are like I am, so I suppose this is just a tongue-in-cheek slice of curmudgeon pie.
sharon_midtn
Original Author
14 years ago
Hi lelia...nope, this is about the only negative he has among many big positives so I'ma gonna be keeping him, lol! He may come around with a bit more time.

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