Straw and herbicides

Hello all,

Just discovered that the straw I've recovered to use as a mulch had been sprayed with 'Nimble', which is used as a herbicide to kill young weeds in wheat fields. It doesn't affect Mmnocotyledons, but can affect dicotyledons.

Apparently you can plant any crop on the area it has been used after one year.

Is this something I should be worried about? I need the straw to limit watering and protect the soil over the winter, but it's rather frustrating to find that herbicides have been used, and worrying to think that it could stunt the growth of vegetables grown on those plots.

Cheers,

JD

Yes, Houston, we have a problem......

https://www.growingagreenerworld.com/killer-compost-it-happened-to-us/


http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/aminopyralid/bioassay.html


http://northword.ca/words/environment/mean-manure-killer-compost-grazon-after-effects-in-the-bulkley-valley







Death to tomatoes,    death to beans,   many gardens have been destroyed by this contamination.    I have been making my own compost from wood chips to avoid this nightmare...

I haven't watched the videos. For anything soil related, Redhawk's soil serries, here, is a good read.

I have used straw without damaging the plants, it just takes a bit more time than I wanted it to. Redhawk describes waiting to use it until it has a change in color. Fresh, it's that nice golden color, when it get kinda brownish, the danger to plants has passed. Here is that discussion.

Ok, so to summarise:

- The vast majority of straw/hay will have been sprayed at some point in its life.
- The damage to crops that you plant into beds that you have mulched will vary greatly depending on the type of chemical used in the herbicide.
- The worst offenders are picloram, clopyralid, and aminopyralid.
- Certain gardeners report no problems once the straw has been left to rot for a year.
- Leaving the straw to rot and stimulating the process by wetting bales can stimulate growth of bacteria and funghi that can help with processing any traces of less harmful chemicals (e.g. Harmony, 2.,4-D).
- You must ensure that the person who supplies you with the straw/hay knows exactly what type of chemicals have been used.

Ok, so I need to find out exactly what herbicide was used as I might get away with composting it in a separate pile for a few months, after which I'll do a test. I was told "something similar to Nimble", but I'm still waiting on more information.

I did use straw from the same supplier last year and didn't notice any particular growth deficiencies. Perhaps the effects could be delayed as the straw breaks down and becomes humous?

Thanks for your replies.

Jim Dello wrote:Ok, so to summarise:

- The vast majority of straw/hay will have been sprayed at some point in its life.
- The damage to crops that you plant into beds that you have mulched will vary greatly depending on the type of chemical used in the herbicide.
- The worst offenders are picloram, clopyralid, and aminopyralid.
- Certain gardeners report no problems once the straw has been left to rot for a year.
- Leaving the straw to rot and stimulating the process by wetting bales can stimulate growth of bacteria and funghi that can help with processing any traces of less harmful chemicals (e.g. Harmony, 2.,4-D).
- You must ensure that the person who supplies you with the straw/hay knows exactly what type of chemicals have been used.

Ok, so I need to find out exactly what herbicide was used as I might get away with composting it in a separate pile for a few months, after which I'll do a test. I was told "something similar to Nimble", but I'm still waiting on more information.

I did use straw from the same supplier last year and didn't notice any particular growth deficiencies. Perhaps the effects could be delayed as the straw breaks down and becomes humous?

Thanks for your replies.

aminopyralid   can last for years,  many factors,  one of which is PH.     Many of my friends have had to dig out the areas and move out the toxic soil here in Florida.

Testing is recommend before use.