Composting Treated Lawn Clippings: What You Need to Know

Lawn clippings from professionally treated turf can go in your compost—with caveats. Most common herbicides break down during composting. But persistent ones like clopyralid (in Confront™) survive and can damage tomatoes, beans, and other broadleaf plants when the compost is used.

Protect Your Compost

1. Ask your lawn company for a full product list each visit.
2. Insist they avoid clopyralid on your property.
3. Consider grasscycling: mow frequently and leave clippings to feed the lawn directly.

Why Grasscycling Wins

It returns nutrients to the soil, reduces fertilizer need, and eliminates compost contamination risk. If you must bag, use clippings only as mulch under established trees/shrubs—not in vegetable beds.