[gardeners] don't poison your compost/gardens
Margaret Lauterbach (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Thu, 10 Jan 2002 09:46:26 -0700
Be on the alert for a chemical named Clopyralid, trade name Benazalox, in
herbicides. It's very persistent, and may retain its herbicidal qualities
for a very long time (a half-life in soil of 15 to 287 days). This
chemical may not be available to home gardeners, but where you're likely to
run into it is composting clippings from lawns treated by a lawn care
company. Brand names containing this chemical include Stinger, Reclaim,
Transline, and according to the L.A. Times, Lontrel, Confront, Hornet,
Scorpion, and Redeem. Those are the Dow products. Products with Clopyralid
from other manufacturers include Millenium, Momentum, Chaser Ultra,
Battleship, Strike Three, and TruPower.
A friend said her lawn care bill identified the herbicide as TruPower, so
she regards that compost pile as toxic. The Times article reports one lawn
care company uses Confront, and the owner said residual herbicidal activity
may continue for up to 18 months. Gardens in the West that have suffered
from this residual effect range reportedly from Spokane to Los Angeles, and
they've popped up in Pennsylvania and NZ. There are undoubtedly unreported
instances as well. The chemical is an effective herbicide, with very low
toxicity to humans. Unfortunately its long-lasting effects have appeared
even in commercial composts. Margaret L