Watch out when scavenging curbside yard waste. What you can’t see can hurt.

Okay fellow gardeners, this is fess up time. We have all done it — taken something from the neighbor’s trash to use in the garden. I will admit that, in the darkness of night I have pulled from the trash the straw bale discarded after Halloween. Hey, the straw would just fill up the landfill, and besides, it’s perfect for mulching my tomatoes the following spring. But be careful when scavenging the neighborhood in search of organic material. Someone’s yard waste may not be the best for your garden. Hidden on the debris could be harmful chemical residues that can hurt your plants.

Puffy bags of tree leaves will soon be piled high on street curbs. Many people like to harvest these bagged leaves and save them for composting or mulching. It’s a great way to recycle, and this material is a pretty safe bet. That is, no harsh chemicals have been applied which can linger and cause damage.

Grass clippings are also gardeners’ gold because they are rich in nitrogen. When mixed in with the tree leaves, they can be the catalyst for successful composting. But take caution if your goal is to use the waste grass clippings directly on the garden.

Grass clippings often take up the herbicides that are applied to the lawn. These herbicides can then be released as the clippings break down, damaging vegetables such as tomatoes. If you are going to be collecting grass clippings and you do not know the chemical history, then here is my advice:

1)Let them be. Do not take home.
This does seem like such a waste, especially since the local landfill is quickly filling up and yard waste accounts for over 10% of the waste stream in Johnson County.

2)Collect the bagged bounty but don’t use them directly in or on the garden.
Instead, run them through the composting process. A thorough composting will break down the harmful active ingredients of most chemicals. The end result is the gardeners’ gold and no harm to the garden.

I keep watching to see if my neighbors are again decorating for the fall season. My eyes always light up when they drag home a straw bale or two. It makes me so happy seeing I have such a ready source of great mulch for my tomatoes. Come on, neighbors! Those straw bales look great! It’s time to go shopping for that frugal gardener next door.