Use a Simple Compost Test to Avoid Contaminated Materials in Your Garden

Reader Contribution by Staff
Published on June 3, 2010
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I’ve read your reports about the problem of grass clippings, compost, manure and hay being contaminated with herbicide residues that can harm garden plants. Is there a way to screen these materials before I bring them into my garden?

Bonnie North
Asheville, North Carolina

You are right to be concerned about the risk of herbicides lurking in organic materials. The pesticides of concern are clopyralid and aminopyralid, both in the “pyralid” class. Here are some simple tests you can use to screen organic materials to be sure they don’t contain traces of these herbicides.

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