Yes. You read that right. You need to stop using compost from your local landfill.
Free Compost
Most municipal landfills compost yard waste and then give the compost to residents, either free or for a small, very reasonable price. I have often encouraged readers to take advantage of this gold mine of “black gold”: it’s free (or almost free), it’s an essential ingredient in raised beds and it helps reduce waste in our landfills. What’s not to like?
Apparently a lot.
Herbicides have changed
It turns out that the new formulas for herbicides have changed. It used to be that herbicides used on lawns would decay during the composting process. But then Monsanto et al made the herbicides more potent and you were advised to not use the clippings in compost until you’d mowed the lawn 3-4 times, but after that, grass clippings are great for compost.
The problem was, landfills don’t make any distinction on the yard waste they are adding to the compost. They won’t warn you that their compost uses herbicide-laden grass.
A few years ago I noticed some of my garden vegetables were struggling. I wasn’t sure if it was the compost or the bad weather we were having or something else entirely. But that was the year that I finished converting all my garden to raised beds, so after that year I didn’t need to get any more compost from the landfill. A couple years later, all my veggies were doing just fine.
Now it’s even worse
The latest version of herbicides use “forever chemicals”, chemicals that never break down and remain in the soil forever. These forever chemicals are toxic to all plants, not just dandelions and quack grass and if you use compost that has these “forever chemicals” in your garden, your plants will not thrive and will likely wither and die.
A new report from NDSU Exension Service calls it the “biggest threat to gardens” and cites several reports of trees, bushes and garden plants that are being harmed by this chemical-laden compost.
It’s time to stop
So, despite years of my telling you to take advantage of free compost from the landfill, I’m now sounding the alarm: Stop using compost from municipal landfills.
Hopefully, you’re already composting your own yard and kitchen waste. If you need more compost than what you can produce, buy a bag or two at the garden center. Just make sure that it is labeled “organic” because this time, organic really does matter.
