# Compost problem with Eco-lawn grass seed for lawn



## Buddinggardener (Jun 9, 2019)

My husband and I are finally at the stage of our lives where we want to focus on gardening and establishing a lawn. We had visions of starting a family and having children running bare feet on this lawn.
On May 17th, 2019, we ordered 6 yards of compost from a well-known landscaping supply company north of the Greater Toronto Area. The driver was great and had all the soil land on the tarp on the driveway. My husband spent that weekend, about 50 hours, hand bombing about 80% of this compost on 7,000 square feet of our lawn. With the rainfall of the last couple of weeks and my husband diligently watering the lawn, we were hoping to see the Eco-lawn seeds start to germinate. On June 8th, 2019, we looked closer at the dirt all over our lawn and I have picked up tiny pieces of plastic bag remnants, tiny pieces of plastic, tiny pieces of glass. I can even read the tiny print on some of the plastic pieces. These pieces of garbage were never there before the compost. All of this garbage is found everywhere that we spread this compost on our lawn. We are beside ourselves realizing that the compost we trusted to be "premium 1/4" compost" (described as leaf, yard and food waste) and what the Eco-lawn seeding instructions called for is actually mostly dark mulch with tiny pieces of garbage all over our 7,000 square feet of lawn and the grass seeds have not taken. 
Do you have any advice on how we can get all these minute, tiny pieces of plastic garbage off the lawn? We worked so hard to take care of our lawn including individually de-weeding the garden to make sure the Eco-lawn seed took. I am so worried that now instead of creating a sanctuary of a garden I have created a wasteland. We struggled with fertility for years and I just can't believe that a place where we want children to play is now covered in these very tiny pieces of garbage. 
Please advise of anything that we can do to get this garbage off of 7,000 square feet of lawn? I hate the idea of just ordering more soil and burying the garbage that is now all spread out over our lawn. My husband is focused on having a visually nice lawn but am concerned about all the garbage on the lawn (it would be like picking millions of pieces of lint off a king size blanket one by one). Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance for reading this long post!


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## Thick n Dense (May 7, 2019)

Terribly sorry about this...its a problem we all face with compost, not just trash but what is actually in the compost.

Have you voiced your displeasure with the company? I would demand some sort of corrective action.

Garbage in compost will not stop grass seeds from germinating. The quality of the compost with our without seed couldplay a roll.

I think your best bet is to pick up the visible large pieces then top dress with soil and reseed.

Another option is to get the grass established. Then use a sod cutter to pull up the top couple inches. But you need the roots established to hold it together.


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## Muddysneakers77 (Nov 3, 2018)

Buddinggardener said:


> My husband and I are finally at the stage of our lives where we want to focus on gardening and establishing a lawn. We had visions of starting a family and having children running bare feet on this lawn.
> On May 17th, 2019, we ordered 6 yards of compost from a well-known landscaping supply company north of the Greater Toronto Area. The driver was great and had all the soil land on the tarp on the driveway. My husband spent that weekend, about 50 hours, hand bombing about 80% of this compost on 7,000 square feet of our lawn. With the rainfall of the last couple of weeks and my husband diligently watering the lawn, we were hoping to see the Eco-lawn seeds start to germinate. On June 8th, 2019, we looked closer at the dirt all over our lawn and I have picked up tiny pieces of plastic bag remnants, tiny pieces of plastic, tiny pieces of glass. I can even read the tiny print on some of the plastic pieces. These pieces of garbage were never there before the compost. All of this garbage is found everywhere that we spread this compost on our lawn. We are beside ourselves realizing that the compost we trusted to be "premium 1/4" compost" (described as leaf, yard and food waste) and what the Eco-lawn seeding instructions called for is actually mostly dark mulch with tiny pieces of garbage all over our 7,000 square feet of lawn and the grass seeds have not taken.
> Do you have any advice on how we can get all these minute, tiny pieces of plastic garbage off the lawn? We worked so hard to take care of our lawn including individually de-weeding the garden to make sure the Eco-lawn seed took. I am so worried that now instead of creating a sanctuary of a garden I have created a wasteland. We struggled with fertility for years and I just can't believe that a place where we want children to play is now covered in these very tiny pieces of garbage.
> Please advise of anything that we can do to get this garbage off of 7,000 square feet of lawn? I hate the idea of just ordering more soil and burying the garbage that is now all spread out over our lawn. My husband is focused on having a visually nice lawn but am concerned about all the garbage on the lawn (it would be like picking millions of pieces of lint off a king size blanket one by one). Any advice is greatly appreciated.
> Thanks in advance for reading this long post!


I do not have an option that would be easy or remotely fun, but I can empathize with you, as I had a similar situation.

I decided to hire a service (the ONLY one that would come to my area due to location) for aerating, overseeding (I would supply my premium seed), starter fertilizer, lime and topdress with compost, last Fall. I had to leave for a bit, and this process takes a couple of hours (5K lawn) and left my wife to supervise (who knows "nothing about no grass"). When I returned, they top dressed my lawn with what looks like STRAIGHT MULCH...not compost. They forgot the starter fertilizer & lime (4 teenager kids and 1 adult super on his phone). I raked up TWIGS that filled 4 wheel barrels full, before I called and screamed at the guy. He sent people out to rake up the remaining 'compost' aka 'beauty bark imo.' My overseed failed, and brought in many many dead patches that weeds filled in this Spring. I've been fighting weeds heavy this year and have a plan for the same thing this Fall...but I ALONE will do the work.


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## adgattoni (Oct 3, 2017)

I would attempt to get the company to come remove it for you at their expense, but I bet they aren't gonna do that.

I would try to suck up as much as possible with a Billy Goat vacuum. You can find these for rent at places like Sunbelt Rentals and similar equipment rental places.

When exactly did you seed? I have not heard of Eco-Lawn before, but in researching their website it looks like a blend of fine fescue seeds. It takes fescue 2-4 weeks to germinate, so you may want to wait a bit longer to see if you get something out of it. I wouldn't run the vacuum over the lawn until you're certain the seeds were duds.


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