Q.Should I stop composting?
I have been successfully composting yard waste for 20-25 years. Recently, my Yoshino Cherry tree got cherry leaf spot mold, and I have been treating it. In addition to spraying with Immunox, I also rake up the leaves and put them out for trash pick up, because other web sites say that composting does not kill the spores. OK….but now I wonder, since much of my compost comes from grass clippings, and I do pick up some leaves when I mow, should I stop composting altogether because of all the various mold spores and weed seeds that might be in my compost?
I would not compost any plant material that is diseased.
The few leaves that do make it into the compost should not pose a problem. If you compost doesn't get hot, compost the material longer for breakdown of the plant material.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/mulch/mulching-with-grass-clippings.htm
