Ban these deadly fall clean up materials from your compost bin

You might think that any fall yard waste makes good compost material. You might be wrong. Not everything that you cut, rake and trim is suitable for composting. One type of tree is bad for your compost. Hidden toxins could be lurking in your yard waste. Pets can spoil leaves for composting too. So, what fall clean up materials should you leave out of your compost?

Black Walnut trees can be toxic

If you're into Hugelkutur do not add the wood of Black Walnut trees to your Hugelkultur pile. Black Walnut contains a toxin known as juglone which can impact or stunt the growth of other plants. It is, however, safe to use Black Walnut leaves in your Hugelkultur or compost pile. They do not contain enough juglone to do harm.

What's in your grass?

Do you use chemical pesticides or fertilizers on your lawn? Do you know if the lawn service you use is a chemical free company? If chemicals have been applied to your lawn, it may be best to leave those grass clipping out of your compost. Why go to all the bother of using organic methods if you're just going to dump chemical laden grass in the pile?

Do you have pets?

Do they use the yard as a restroom? If so, when you rake leaves, you are also raking up pet waste along with it. Some manures are beneficial to gardens. Dog and cat feces are not. Even if you are diligent about picking up waste, leaves that have come in contact with it can cause a toxic issue in your compost.

What to do about pet waste issues

One solution is to only let the pets go in specific areas. For instance, the back yard might become a designated area for pets, while the front yard is never used for pets. This way, you can still use the front yard leaves for compost. You might also consider investing in a dog run so pet waste stays contained.

Anything that's sprayed with chemicals is out.

Avoid using chemically treated yard leaves or foliage trimmings in compost. Did you spray your fruit trees for insects? What about your shrubbery? Chances are, the majority of the leaves on your lawn belong to you and have been cared for by you. Don't use them in compost if you know that they've been sprayed with chemicals. Better yet, use only green pesticide and fertilizer options to begin with.

Think about the neighbors a bit, but don't panic.

You may not know what the neighbors have used on their trees and bushes. That's scary, isn't it? After all, their leaves blow into your yard and get raked up too. There's not a lot you can do about that. Luckily, the chemical content should be low. Unless of course, you have a neighbor who sprays the holy heck out of everything. In that case, it's your call whether to use raked leaves in your compost.