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Old June 10, 2019   #1
whoose
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Default Lawn Clippings in Compost??

I am trying to not use anything non-organic in my garden. I have a small lawn and would like to add the clippings to my compost. Have not fertilized his year and wonder if using (non-weed and feed) fertilizer on the lawn would be OK? Ant tips on using clipping would help.
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Old June 10, 2019   #2
PaulF
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I would be reluctant putting lawn clippings that have been treated with a herbicide into a compost pile. Maybe I do not understand non-weed. The fertilizer is not a problem since it will help feed the bugs breaking down the organic material.
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Old June 10, 2019   #3
Labradors2
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I'd use it if it was seed-free. I also use it as a mulch. Two layers of newspaper with grass clippings on top works pretty well, except when the birds come along and mess with it!

Linda
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Old June 10, 2019   #4
brownrexx
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I think that by non-weed and feed fertilizer he means that it is only the synthetic fertilizer without the weed N feed herbicide additive that most of them have.

Technically synthetic fertilizer is not used in organic gardens but it depends on where you draw the line. I garden organically and I would use clippings that had been treated with synthetic fertilizer.

I don't use synthetic fertilizer directly in the garden but it would not bother me to use grass clippings that had been fertilized.

I love grass clippings. We do not fertilize or treat our lawn with anything and we gather the clippings to use as mulch in my garden. If I happen to have extra, which is hardly ever, I put them in the compost pile.
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Old June 11, 2019   #5
b54red
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When mowing and bagging the clippings make sure not to mow areas with weeds as the seeds seem to survive the compost and pop up in the garden. Of course weeds in a garden is not anything new but it is better to not encourage them too much.

Bill
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Old June 11, 2019   #6
Rockandrollin
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I tried it one year on my horse poop compost pile and it made the pile stink pretty bad.
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Old June 13, 2019   #7
gorbelly
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If the lawn is small and the clippings don't overpower your compost pile, I see no issue with it. Of course, as Brownrexx points out, you could also just sprinkle the clippings directly onto your veggie beds and save yourself the composting step. I do this often.
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Old June 13, 2019   #8
slugworth
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I put them directly around the plants but I wait until the ground warms up.
Night time temps are still in the low 50's F here.
The daytime temp here now is only 57 degrees F
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