Topic: Composting weeds?

[slippy fly]

Like most people we have an abundance of weeds some I know some I don't.Can i add them to my compost heap? I thought maybe it would be ok aslong as they hadn't set seed with the exception of bindweed.
Whilst I mention bindweed what do you use to control it as its starting to sprout on my plot and I want to stop it before it takes over.

[supersprout]

Hi slippy, the wiki has a section on bindweed under 'weeds' ::) ;D

You might also find some answers at http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,57/topic,12862.0

This site was posted by a kind member a while ago, I have found it very useful for identifying weeds
http://theseedsite.co.uk/weeds.html
 :)

[SMP1704]

I compost all the annual weeds but I have a separate pile for the 'evil' ones and for me that is Horsetail with the occasional bit of bindweed and thistle. 

I have a 'close encounters' style mountain of the stuff at the end of plot and will cover with black plastic at the end of the season but I'm not sure that I would want to put it back on the plot - rationally I know that even the most evil root will eventually die - but its HORSETAIL, once its out its not coming anywhere near my soil........grr ;)

[jennym]

I put everything into my compost heap, except bindweed. I know people say you shouldn't put perennial weeds in, but often I leave them out on the paths to dry and die before they go in, and even if they start to sprout in the heap, I just chop 'em up and bung 'em back in! they all rot down eventually. Mind you, I don't have anything worse than nasty couch grass, dock, dandelion and tares.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I just dump everything into my daleks, then pick out anything still alive next spring and dump it back in. I put it on the spuds, and between the debilitating effect of survival in the dalek, and competition from the spuds, nothing ever manages to re-establish itself. if there is anything left after all that, it just gets pulled out and thrown back in when I lift the spuds.

[Curryandchips]

Originally, I used to sort my weeds and put some on the compost, and the persistent ones like couch, dock and marestail went onto the bonfire. Now I drop everything onto the path for a few weeks to die back, then it gets raked up and dumped on the compost. Anything that starts growing through, gets pulled out and left on top of the compost, where it usually dies. All in all, this seems to work, although I am sure other people could find more productive methods.

[saddad]

Couch makes great compost, but you have to make sure it is dead, that means about two years in Plastic sacks, or one if you can totally dry out the roots before starting and then mix with grass cuttings and comfrey to start the process off. It does actually seem to discourage re invasion as well!
 ;D

[supersprout]

There is a gardener's legend that composted cooch spread over the land discourages cooch from growing there again :D

[busy_lizzie]

I was going to say not couch grass as it can really spread.  I too would recommend you lie it out on a pathway for it to completely dry out before you put it on. busy_lizzie

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've never had couch survive overwinter in a dalek, and enough of it has gone in. It continues to grow halthily on my plot, unfortunately, despite the vast quantities which have been digested and spread!

[moudie]

I chuck all my weeds into the compost heap,but I let them wilt thoroughily first.What I'm not sure  about is composting my hedge clippings.
Should  I compost Privet and ivy clippings. ???

[redimp]

Ivies are one of the few things I do not let anywhere near my compost heap.

[dave]

If you put all your perennial weeds into  a plastic barrel of water, with a lid ideally cos of the stink, after about 6 months ie by the following spring you can just tip out a nice load of nourishing sludge; I have found no problems of regrowth from roots or seeds.

BUT I wouldn't do anything with horse/marestail but burn it or send it far far away via dustbin.  Not worth the risk of trying anything else.