NJ Lawns Community

Hey folks, drove past what looks like a municipal compost pile offRoute 17 nearParamus the other day and stopped to check it out. Seemed like they were practically giving the stuff away - nice dark color, looked pretty decomposed. I'm trying to save some cash this season though and don't want to cause myself more problems than I already have. For context I've got a mixed lawn of tall fescue and some KBG that struggled last year due to all the rain we got.Fellows who've used free municipal compost before - is it worth hauling or am I just asking for a weeds disaster? Is there even a way to tell if it's been properly hot-composted to kill weed seeds?

Honestly depends on how long its been sitting. If its truly municipal grade stuff that went through a proper thermophilic phase (which most town operations around here do properly), weed seeds should be dead. But I've heard horror stories from folks in Ridgewood who used it too fresh and suddenly had a crabgrass epidemic. I'd ask the DPW directly if they've done/testing for temperature cycles. Also - even if its clean, I'd still recommend mixing it with your existing soil rather than putting it straight on top. Your tall fescue will thank you come July when we're hitting those 90 degree days again.

I used some from a free county site in Fair Lawn two seasons ago and honestly was fine. NoExtra weeds that weren't already there. Key thing IMO - grab a compost thermometer if you've got one and make sure its not actively cooking anymore. Also I'd screen it through half-inch hardware cloth if you've got the patience, helps break up the chunky stuff. Yeah it takes extra time but results are worth it. Also just my .02 - if you're in Paramus specifically, that area behind the shopping center off 17 has been there forever, I'd bet it's pretty mature at this point.

I literally drive out to the Hackensack facility every spring and swear by it now! But full disclosure - my first year I made the mistake of putting it straight down without testing my soil first and learned the hard way about nitrogen tie-up. Now I always get a soil test first (the Rutgers cooperative extension does them cheap/free) and mix in some Milorganite or chickety-dick to balance the C:N ratio. One thing nobody mentions - the texture in municipal stuff around here tends to be more shredded leaves and less actual food scraps, which is actually good for lawns. Just my experience!

Thanks for the feedback everyone - good points about checking with the town and possibly getting a soil test. Follow up question though: roughly how much are we talking about applying? I've got about a 4000 sq ft lawn and don't want to overdo it. Some guy at the garden center in Paramus told me half an inch is plenty but I figure folks here have actual experience vs a sales pitch. Also is there a best time of year to put it down? I wasthinking early spring like late April once the ground thaws out but open to arguments either way.

Half inch is the right number - any more and you risk smothering grass crowns especially on KBG which is more shallow-rooted than tall fescue. Timing wise Id wait until after your first couple mows when the ground is firm enough to walk on without leaving footprints. Around here thats usually mid-to-late April depending on the weather. I'd avoid fall application though because you've got maybe 6 weeks before frost hits and you want that compost incorporated into the soilprofile before winter, not sitting on top doing nothing.

+1 to waiting until you've mowed a few times first. And yeah the soil test recommendation from CompostQueen is legit - found out the hard way my phosphorus was already through the roof and didn't need more from compost. The extension office on Clinton Street in Hackensack does the basic test for free I think, its worth doing. Anyway if the compost pile looks good dark and crumbly grab it - free organic matter is hard to beat especially for us budget folks in Bergen County.