I've been really stepping up my gardening game lately and growing a ton of food on my 1/3 acre property. My composting is going great, and my garden soil is almost perfect. But now I'm facing a challenge with my lawn. I know there are lots of arguments about how lawns are bad for the environment and waste water, and I'm aware that it's better to grow everything. However, I want a nice patch of grass for my kids to play, have BBQs, and enjoy yard games. I need help with controlling the weeds, but I'm worried that using lawn clippings treated with weed killer might ruin my compost. I'm not super eco-friendly, but I definitely want to avoid harmful chemicals, especially if they could affect my garden. What are my options for keeping the weeds at bay while still enjoying my lawn? Is it safe to compost those clippings, or will the chemicals cause problems?
2 Answers
I'd personally avoid composting any clippings that have been treated with pesticides, especially since you've got such a great compost set up already. It'd be a bummer to ruin it. Depending on the weeds you have, consider looking into natural weed treatments. Or you could treat the weeds once and just hold off on adding grass clippings to your compost for a while—maybe a few months depending on the chemicals used.
You know, I've found a good balance by just mowing parts of my lawn for the kids to play on without stressing about perfect grass coverage. I've got about 50% grass with plenty of violets, clover, and dandelions, and it still works great for the kids! Besides, those flowering weeds bring some nice color to the yard! I've come to prefer a wilder look over a totally manicured lawn, as it often means not having to use harsh chemicals.
Totally agree! I like that approach too. But, man, thistles can be a challenge! They just keep multiplying no matter how many I pull.
Yeah, thistles are my biggest headache too! We started using vinegar and boiling water for our pathways as a natural solution. I think treating them and avoiding those clippings for the summer sounds smart—it’ll give me a chance to keep digging the thistles out!