Bonfires

[Mrs Soup]

We had a revised set of rules from the council this week. Tagged on the end was:

"No bonfire shall be lit ... nor any refuse burned on site and that all deleterious or waste material shall be deposited in waste receptacles provided for such purpose"

Anyone come across this and how it is likely to work in practice? My particular concern is japanese knotweed - we now have no way of disposing of it.... ???

[Mrs Soup]

[Eristic]

You abide by the rules to the letter. Put all your deleterious rubbish plus anything else you don't want in the recepticle provided (and beside it and on top of it and nearby and not so nearby) so that the council can take it all away.

[Bjerreby]

I don't light fires either.

I put most weeds on the compost heap. Those that I suspect can spread, I put in black plastic bags and leave them for 12 months to rot, and then put them in the middle of a new compost heap. If the compost heap is properly built, it will heat up to 60 degrees C, and any weed seeds are destroyed.

[lavenderlux]

Bonfires aren't allowed on our site.   Most weeds can be composted or perennial ones put in bags and left for a year (as already suggested).  We have a field owned shredder and use this for shredding woody material like fruit bush prunings with the material being used in compost heaps or on pathways.  We have a skip twice a year for other material.  Bonfire smoke is extremely unpleasant to other plot holders and nearby property owners. If there is a particular problem with Japanese Knotweed, why not ask the Council allotment's officer for advice on disposing of this?

[kenkew]

I have never - ever had reason to burn anything on any allotment I have owned. Ever.
(AH! One exeption...I burnt down a flee and rat infested hut once)

[Mr Smith]

Personally I don't  burn anything but others on our allotments do, now I'm not a grass but one day the council will be sending letters out, ;)

[raisedbedted]

Never have bonfires partly as I see no need and partly as the old boy near me has breathing difficulties anyway.

The plots are surrounded by houses yet plot holders see nothing wrong in burning their newly pulled weeds and cut grass even at 3pm on a sunny afternoon.  They also tend to light the fires and then leave before the householders come round - have let a few in before now and lent them my hosepipe  :)

[pippy]

We are a small site with only 10 plots, but most are hedged on all sides.  The council site rules state that the hedges should be kept below 1.5 metres, there is no rule about bonfires and they do not provide skips etc for removal of this waste.  There would be nowhere to put them if they did.

My plot neighbour and I try to amass our hedge clippings in one bonfire to hold around the bonfire night time of year so it doesn't cause too much nuisance to local households.  When I first got the plot some of my hedges were completely out of control so there was quite a lot of wood to burn!

I don't burn weeds etc but a few others on the site seem to have bonfires 2-3 times a week in April.  Waiting for the council to get complaints .... :-\

Interestingly one thing that is in our rules is thet no glass is allowed on the plots, so we couldn't have greenhouses unless they have perspex or polythene covers.  I guess all site rules have their quirks!

[kingston boy]

My particular concern is Japanese Knotweed - we now have no way of disposing of it....


Japanese Knotweed is a reportable weed and should be eliminated by the council. The roots go down over 5 ft if left so get the council to get their proverbial out.

[cornykev]

No fires here 99% of weeds get composted in Daleks or 2 year pallet bin, knotweed I have never come across so I don't know but hedge clippings Pippy are a must in your compost bin, others on site have fires but a communal fire on guy Fawkes night should be sufficient, we do have a skip and I only throw away rogue spuds, marestail and disceased plants.      ;D ;D ;D

[Tee Gee]

"No bonfire shall be lit ... nor any refuse burned on site and that all deleterious or waste material shall be deposited in waste receptacles provided for such purpose"

The bonfire part I can understand but what happens to the deleterious material including knotweed and such?

Is it  composted and sold on to compost makers to add to the compost we buy so that they can reduce their carbon footprint?

I know where I would like to leave my footprint! >:(

[pippy]

The hedge clippings seem a bit woody - don't they take a long time to rot down?  I tend to clip them then leave them on the paths round the edges of the plot for a month or so in the summer as they suppress the weeds  ;).  Then they are gathered up in late summer and piled up.  

As I said though, it was more like 6 foot branches I was taking off for the first year as the hedges had been left to their own devices for too long - no choice but to burn them!  Maybe now I could try them in a darlek?

[Robert_Brenchley]

They'd take years in a dalek. Not much you can do except burn them.

[Eristic]

Is it  composted and sold on to compost makers to add to the compost we buy so that they can reduce their carbon footprint?

Yes.

[Bjerreby]

The hedge clippings seem a bit woody - don't they take a long time to rot down?  I tend to clip them then leave them on the paths round the edges of the plot for a month or so in the summer as they suppress the weeds  ;).  Then they are gathered up in late summer and piled up.  

As I said though, it was more like 6 foot branches I was taking off for the first year as the hedges had been left to their own devices for too long - no choice but to burn them!  Maybe now I could try them in a darlek?

I've invested in a mill to shred hedge clippings. It has a sharp cog that presses against a flat plate. I am not kidding, it would eat a broom handle. All hedge clippings come out the other end about 2 cm long and ready for composting.

[kenkew]

........or for making pathways?

[Jokerman]

they let us burn what we like...

a bit too much really, the guy behind me keeps buring cables and selling the copper as scrap   :(

[Mrs Soup]

Thanks for all the replies and advice. Below is an update on the situation:

There is no receptacle provided, and no plan to do so by the council. the clause has been added due to complaints about another site. Our site is 36 plots and in reality we have very few fires, maybe six of so generally in the autumn.  Mostly the old boys who don't compost. I've never needed one as I do the things you've all suggested.

the council officer who deals with knotweed has been notified of our site, so I'm waiting to hear.

[BarriedaleNick]

Although we allow fires on our site most of us rarely do so although I do have the odd quick barbeque.
It just seems unnecessary and more lilkely to annoy those around us who dont benefit from the site.
Anything nasty like bilghted toms gets bagged up,  taken home and binned.  Anything else gets composted.

[daxzen]

dont burn the roots of pernicious weeds - drown em!

per the romans via bob flowerdew

get  a big water butt and put the weeds in them - covered with water - after a month they will be rotten and dead!

Free plant food

Deter mosquitos with some vegetable oil pur over the top