Many communities provide free yard-waste compost to gardeners, and many gardeners use manure and straw or grass clippings when making their own compost, but these seemingly innocuous ingredients can harm your garden, due the use of persistent herbicides on many lawns and pastures. Weed killers can remain active, making the dirt you’re using harmful to your plants.
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The herbicide residue affected plants in different ways. Pole-bean plants stayed small and bushy and failed to fruit. Tomatoes grew long and leggy with leaves that were cupped, twisted, and thickened. “Once you are familiar with the distorted look of the leaves, you can pick it out anywhere,” Myers says.
……….. To avoid contamination risk, Myers suggests a simple bioassay test devised by Washington State University that can be done at home before adding the compost to your garden.
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“The levels damaging to plants only need to be parts per billion,” Myers says. “The bioassay is a good idea even when you are buying a professional mix.”
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Article source: Rodale’s Organic Life
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