rhubarb leaves in compost

If the leaves of rhubarb are poisonous, why put them in a compost pile? The question is self evident – why put poisonous material into a compost pile that will be returned to a garden?

1 Comment (Open | Close)

1 Comment To "rhubarb leaves in compost"

#1 Comment By shelley On 04/27/2015 @ 1:39 am

Compost containing decomposed rhubarb leaves can be safely worked into the soil of vegetable gardens. The leaves do contain poisonous materials (oxalic acid and soluble oxalates), however, these rapidly decompose in the compost pile and do not negatively impact compost quality. Oxalic acid and soluble oxalates are also not readily absorbed by the roots of plants.

Sources:
http://helios.hampshire.edu/~nlNS/mompdfs/oxalicacid.pdf ^[1]
https://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1997/5-2-1997/rhubarbsafe.html ^[2]

Article printed from Gardening Know How Questions & Answers: https://questions.gardeningknowhow.com

URL to article: https://questions.gardeningknowhow.com/if-the-leaves-of-rhubarb-are-poisonous-why-put-them-in-a-compost-pile/

URLs in this post:

[1] http://helios.hampshire.edu/~nlNS/mompdfs/oxalicacid.pdf: http://helios.hampshire.edu/~nlNS/mompdfs/oxalicacid.pdf

[2] https://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1997/5-2-1997/rhubarbsafe.html: https://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1997/5-2-1997/rhubarbsafe.html

Have any questions about this topic? Visit us at https://questions.gardeningknowhow.com to ask your questions and get friendly answers from gardening experts.

You can also find us at:
'Like' us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gardeningknowhow
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gardenknowhow - @gardenknowhow
Follow us on Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/gardenknowhow/