Compost is only as good as the material it is made of, so maybe there could be unwanted stuff in that compost, and then again maybe the composting process mitigated any problems from those unwanted stuffs. For the most part people usually do not spray pesticides on trees, although some do, so if the compost is made up of tree leaves only there is only a slim chance ot pesticide residue in that compost. You would probably be more affected by the drift of any pesticide sprayed into a tree then the residue from the leaves.

That's what I was afraid of, pesticide in the compost and do you think it will be rich enough to feed the soil?

Paul

Another problem with municipal compost is they don't screen it. Commercial compost in bulk should be screened so that you cannot recognize the origin of anything in it. No twigs or leaves.

The amount you need should be no more than 1 cubic yard of compost per 1,000 square feet. Using more than that risks smothering the lawn. If you aerate first you might be able to double that amount. Use a push broom to sweep the compost off the blades of grass and down into the sod.

OK,

I bought some and it was pretty damn cheap at $3 per bussel (3 buckets). I managed to spread it around but found it somewhat clumpy. Any idea how one can screen it?

I've been wondering something similar. Are there questions one should ask before buying compost? Some of our local nurseries sell and deliver it in bulk. I'm not sure if it's municipal. Are there other things I should be asking about it? Are there issues besides screening and pesticides that are worth considering?