Author Topic: Composting - stupid question follows... (Read 4013 times)

JerryB · « **on:** July 16, 2004, 13:36:59 »

Sorry for the stupid question but.....can i add the contents of my weekly weed harvest to the compost bin or should i burn/dispose of them? ???

aquilegia · « **Reply #1 on:** July 16, 2004, 13:40:53 »

Annuals without flowers/seed heads are fine. The tops of most periennials are ok (but not things like bindweed, horsetail, etc). The roots of periennials are a big nono.

I put all my weeds into old compost bags turned inside out (so the black is on the outside). When the bag is full, I tie the top and leave it in the sun (yeah, right!) to cook. The extra heat should kill the roots and any seeds. When this has turned into stinky liquid, it's poured onto the compost heap - aparently it's a great activator.

gilgamesh · « **Reply #2 on:** July 16, 2004, 14:45:39 »

"Slow" composting won't deal with seed, roots etc. "Fast" composting will. Unless you are really, really confident, I'd say "Leave it out", but normal greeen weeds are no problem.

An alternative to "blackbag cookery" for suspect material in to immerse it in water and leave it to rot for a month or two, add the resultant stinky slime as an activator to Ye Heap.

Multiveg · « **Reply #3 on:** July 16, 2004, 18:29:00 »

The drown it method - just make sure you have a peg!!!!
I don't think stinky is a strong enough adjective for it.... Hope you have a strong stomach!!!

tim · « **Reply #4 on:** July 16, 2004, 18:51:28 »

My only comment here is :
The soil contains more weed seeds than you will ever put in.

So? Don't worry too much? = Tim

gavin · « **Reply #5 on:** July 16, 2004, 22:00:13 »

Yup, I'm with you Tim.

Bindweed and marestail I wouldn't put on to the heap - but virtually anything else goes on. Next year, I HAVE to hoe out the wind-blown and bird-borne weedlings - and the compost borne weedlings come out at the same time; no extra work.

All best - Gavin

PS Most of the old guys around me would share your fear of weed seeds - and their beds were level with, or 3-4 inches lower than their paths/ground level. My beds were 6-8 inches higher - and that's after barrowing loads of MY compost into THEIR beds!

Mrs Ava · « **Reply #6 on:** July 16, 2004, 22:00:33 »

I'm with Tim, except I don't compost mares tail, I could certainly live with that not coming up everywhere! So everything, except mares tail..ooo...and bindweed ends up on the compost!

jo2 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 17, 2004, 10:37:07 »

What about potato and tomato tops can they go in?

Mrs Ava · « **Reply #8 on:** July 18, 2004, 11:02:58 »

I believe you shouldn't really compost spud tops becuase of the risk of spreading lurgies, however, if my spuds have been clean, I have bunged the tops on. Don't bung old spuds on mind as the darn things grow! I had one of my best crops from 'composted' spuds! I don't know about toms, I would say the same really, if they are clean and disease free, then I can't see a problem. I am happy to stand corrected.

Doris_Pinks · « **Reply #9 on:** July 18, 2004, 11:11:42 »

And how about brassica leaves when you have club root? I am assuming I can compost the leaves cos the disease is soil bourne?

Ceri · « **Reply #10 on:** July 18, 2004, 12:29:04 »

On the basis I cannot bear to bin anything compostable, I bring potato haulms home and use them in my garden compost heap. As my garden is small and doesn't create enough really to make decent compost this helps a lot. I have two heaps at the lottie - one for 'good' compost, one for 'bad' - seedy weeds, marestail etc. I intend to fill this up with the nasties, cover securely with dpm and ignore it for a number of years. Or next summer I might cut a little hole in the cover and try for some big pumpkins. I'd be interested if anyone knows how long without light marestail can live. I'm guessing the answer will be - forever!

sarahr · « **Reply #11 on:** July 18, 2004, 19:01:43 »

I was reading in the Kitchen Garden magazine the roots of the marigold -Tagetes minuta are said to combat weeds. Aparently it is reputed to kill ground elder, couch and convolvulus. It also has a lovely scent.

cleo · « **Reply #12 on:** July 18, 2004, 22:14:50 »

the operative words being-"are said" "apparently" and "reputed"-sorry.

Stephan

sarahr · « **Reply #13 on:** July 19, 2004, 10:29:43 »

Oh have you used them then? It was an article on this man that is in charge of some organic gardens somewhere and he was growing them because of this.

gilgamesh · « **Reply #14 on:** July 19, 2004, 12:30:50 »

Club root & composting. If you are going to use the compost on the area that the leaves came from, the additional infection is trivial, but if you are going to use it elsewhere, I can't see that its worth the risk of spreading the disease. There again, any soil on your boots will do that anyway. For the record, I do compost tomato and spud haulms, because I have enough straw / rabbit & hen byproduct / wood shavings to fill a bin a week, but nothing like enough green matter to balance it. The shavings mean that it's a two-year process for me, and it gets considerably hot in the early stages (especially when a certain amount of horsedung tea is added to damp it down & set it going). As to weed suppressing plants, I don't know how much good they do, but I don't suppose they can do any harm.

Multiveg · « **Reply #15 on:** July 19, 2004, 13:21:53 »

The compost display at Ryton (HDRA) had potatoes growing out of them. Looks like i am going to have a nice crop of potatoes from my heap.

Marestail - did I read somewhere that this can be made into a hair conditioner?????

cam · « **Reply #16 on:** July 19, 2004, 13:29:42 »

All the Old Boys in my complex say as long as its healthy throw it on the compost,and to use the Marestail like a comfrey/nettle solution,certainly smells like it,going to try it out anyway.

Multiveg · « **Reply #17 on:** July 19, 2004, 18:14:50 »

Marestail is rich in silica, and is good as a foliar feed..

A fellow allotmenteer on my site is thinking about a compost looooooo - he said he watched the allotment tv program on sky/cable/digital/non-terrestrial and this one allotment site had a compost loo...

feet of clay · « **Reply #18 on:** July 19, 2004, 19:17:43 »

Used a compost loo in Oz while touring rainforest. It didn't smell but there were lotzzzzzzzzzz of tiny flies! I didn't stay too long!

Phil · « **Reply #19 on:** July 19, 2004, 22:27:29 »

I visited a composting toilet in Dudley, West Midlands - there was no smell and no flies. Very different climate to the Australian rainforest!

Nice to be here, by the way, making my first post. I'm fleeing from the BBC boards, like many others.

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Author Topic: Composting - stupid question follows... (Read 4013 times)