rhubarb leaves

[diana]

Just a quickie everone, can I put rhubarb leaves on my compost?

[gojiberry]

I have never had any problems with composting rhubarb leaves. I know they are poisonous but have never heard of them contaminating soil or anything like that. In fact I believe that it is possible to boil them and make some sort of insectacide. However someone more knowlegable will be able to advise on that.

Ian

[Flummery]

I think most of us do. And we are all still here to announce it!

[FionaH]

Yes is the quick answer

[hamsterqueen]

no problem!

[diana]

Thank you all, feel a bit stupid that I had to ask but better to safe than sorry dont you think.

[allotmentlady]

In put mine in a bucket with water and use in watering can when they have rotted down, it helps prevent whitefly on my cabbages

[diana]

Yes I remember seeing that on the big dig

[COMPOST CORNER]

I may be wrong, but apparently, under some bizarre EU law, it's illegal to make you own pesticides in the way described above.

[Demeter]

I may be wrong, but apparently, under some bizarre EU law, it's illegal to make you own pesticides in the way described above.

RHS say:

"In recent years several pieces of legislation have been brought in which now tightly regulate the sale, storage and use of pesticides. While much of this is aimed at users of professional chemicals, some aspects also apply to amateur gardeners. Regulations made under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 give legal force to those parts of the manufacturer’s instructions that are indicated as being “statutory conditions of use”. This means that it is illegal to use the wrong dilution rate or to use a product for purposes other than those stated in the instructions. A prosecution could follow if careless spraying of plants in flower results in a beekeeper losing his bees. Only products approved by the government can be used as pesticides, so home-made pesticides brewed from concoctions of rhubarb,cigarette butts or even washing-up liquid are now outside the law. Amateur gardeners cannot purchase, store or use chemicals that are marketed for use by professional growers. Chemicals must be stored in their original containers, so it is illegal to split a chemical between several gardeners."

I think the purpose is to protect wildlife / the environment (especially beneficial insect life) from the effects of unregulated pesticide use. Up to a point, you can see what they are getting at although I imagine many home-made pesticides / weedkillers made from naturally occurring ingredients like garlic or soapwort are far less harmful than the chemical alternatives you can buy at the garden centre, especially if you take into account the carbon footprint and waste of resources involved in purchasing chemicals as opposed to using stuff that would otherwise be tossed on the compost heap...

[pigletwillie]

I find rhubarb leaves make an excellent green layer in my compost bins, and with 9 cubic metres to fill every bit is usefull. Yesterday I pulled about 60 sticks to do various things with, (chutney, jam, pies etc) and the leaves make a fine cap on a particularly full bin, keeping the moisture locked in and giving that essential green part of the mix.

[kerryp]

reading that... does that mean i cant spray greenfly with watered down washing up liquid? everyone told me to do it last year when i moved into my new house & they were covering EVERYTHING!

[Demeter]

reading that... does that mean i cant spray greenfly with watered down washing up liquid? everyone told me to do it last year when i moved into my new house & they were covering EVERYTHING!

Lots of gardeners do it - strikes me as mad that it is illegal, but that does seem to be what the RHS are saying. Just remember that if a copper comes along you are not killing pests, you are just washing your plants - it's not an illegal pesticide, see, it's a perfectly legitimate plant hygiene product...

[kerryp]

thanks. what a weird thing to be illegal in this day & age!

[Flummery]

I think unenforceable laws are plain barking!