Weeds & what to do with them?

[SpacePotato]

Hey guys, just a quick question: I am currently clearing my newly taken on plot by hand (mission!) and am producing a massive heap of weeds such as grass, thistle, dock, stinging nettle, couch grass and dandelion. I am currently just piling them up and have noticed that within a couple of weeks the piles have started to dry out and break down. I understand that to compost weeds the heap has to maintain a high temperature to destroy weed seeds, however im concerned that my heap might not do this and then any compost used again on the plot will escalate the problem!wondered whether any had had any ideas? Currently i have about 3 5ft squ heaps which lots of couch grass (dread like roots) i am concerned that just being left in heaps out in the open weed seeds will be blown by the wind back onto the plot. The bottom of my plot seems to be just grass and i was thinking of spading sections (squares) and placing them face to face to decompose. Any ideas or suggestions would be great!

An excellent forum by the way, its made me chuckle quite a few times...

[SpacePotato]

[tim]

I hate to say this but, assuming that you don't have experience of compost heap management - not as simple as it might sound - I would suggest that you do not keep the roots of any of the things mentioned. Tops are fine - except later in the season when they will be carrying seeds.

Lots of advice under 'composting weeds' on the net - & in HDRA pubs.

[Aidy]

Buy yourself a incinerator and BURN, BURN, BURN them pesky things, then throw the ashes on the heap.

[aquilegia]

I've copied an idea from Bob Flowerdew - I drown all weeds with seeds or roots. I put them in an old dustbin and when it's full, I cover them with water. You have to leave them for at least 3 months and they rot down. You can dilute the liquid and use it as a liquid feed. And add the solid to your compost heap.

[tim]

And the roots are then gospel dead??

[aquilegia]

so Bob says.

Although I must admit I still haven't used the compost from it as I'm a bit scared. I plan to do an experimental test - mix some with potting compost in a pot and see if anything grows.

[busy_lizzie]

When we took on our allotment two years ago we inherited lots of big humps of soil in different parts of the plot.  when we dug into them they were full of couch grass.  The horrible thick as a wrist type roots which were all twisted together, it looked a nightmare.  We have gradually dug into them and burnt the roots, but it took a long time.  We have since found out that the previous tenant to us just used to pile his weeds in a heap and didn't have a proper compost area.  So please what ever you do, it is worthwhile having a proper area that is layered with the right sort of material and burn those horrible things, like couch grass, nettles etc. I would hate for you to make more work for yourself in the long run.  Good luck with your plot  :) busy_lizzie

[wardy]

Nettles make good compost, and plant food if steeped in water.  Again, according to Saint Bob  :)  Not to mention soup (from the tops), and then there's nettle beer (see nettle beer posts). 

[gavin]

Hi spacepotato - a cantankerous old git's answer.

I'd compost all the ones you've mentioned - but bindweed, ground elder and marestail - no!

Two type of compost heaps

1.  A hot compost heap should destroy seeds and a lot of the pestilential infections that our allotments are prone to.  But, it takes a bit of work and "skill" - and for those who get into it, almost as absorbing a hobby as the allotment itself.

2.  But a cold compost heap works too - albeit slower.  It won't kill the seeds - but that's not a huge problem!  Seeds are blowing in all the time, or you dig them up ---------- and what do we do?  Hoe them out.  We don't hoe out "dug-up-seeds" one day, "blown-in-seeds" another, and "cold-compost-heap-seeds" the third!  No extra work involved  ;D

A couple of wee things I'd add

- One big, long pile (1m high x 1m broad by however long) will work a lot better - lots of small piles, no.
- If you have the time and commitment, it is well worth turning the compost heap once or twice - you could be using the compost in 6-9 months, instead of a 12-18.
- Dock and dandelion, with their deep roots, pull up valuable micro-nutrients from the sub-soil; nettles and grass recycle major nutrients - store them, make them available to your veg ---- compost them!
- And USE your heap; don't let it moulder into a heap which gets taken over by couch grass or any other weed.  You can wait until the heap is properly composted - or even use it "half-done".

And one BIG comment - it infuriates me to see people carting off weeds (or otherwise disposing of them) off the plot.  To see paths, at "natural" soil level but 3, 4, 5, 6 inches above ACTUAL soil level?  How many tons of soil (and nutrients!) have been carted away and dumped on the communal heap, burned, or whatever. 

Compost the stuff - put it back on your beds when it's ready, and watch your beds rise.  If you're really good-hearted, or really good at composting, you'll find yourself "exporting" soil (barrowload by barrowload) to plots whose owners don't compost?

All best wishes - Gavin


And guess what?  I'm still hacked off at having barrowed 15-20 loads of beautiful soil on to a neighbour's plot three years ago!

[busy_lizzie]

Sorry, Didn't mean nettles (your right it does make good compost) meant thistles.  I bow to your compost knowledge Gavin,  and agree weeds do bring  good nutrients into your soil and the time to worry is when nothing is growing in it.  My husband loves his compost heaps.  We have three and he  turns ours regularly.   :) busy_lizzie

[wardy]

I really enjoy making my compost and it's a great feeling when it's "cooked" and you turn it out.  I always get a kick out of it.  I don't get out much  ;D

[gavin]

Who needs to go out!  Waste of time and money - go for the compost instead.

Yup, Wardy!  Addiction twice over - veggies and compost ;D ;D

All best - Gavin

[wardy]

Felt the need to go and commune with my compost today   Went to the plot and gave it a stir  ;D

[Clayhithe]

Gavin is absolutely right,  all the way.

Compost everything,  and hoe the weeds.

[Rose.mary]

If it is of interest to anybody, I have just heard that plants(weeds)won't grow in a blue light . So put perennials in a blue barrel and they won't sprout when composted.(?) ???
Rosemary

[Gillian]

Hi everyone,
After the advice here we've decide to make a compost bin on our site. How do we go about making a hot compost bin? Any tips?

[gavin]

I tried it on a "two-bay" compost bin built of pallets - if I were to do it again, I'd probably go for a "three-bay" system?

Build a heap in the first bay - in one go (stockpile material ready for the build

- good mix of nitrogens and carbons (garden weeds and horse manure are about the right proportion?)
- wet the ground first, and lay a layer of twigs for aeration
- add materials in layers (about 6 inches each?  Less of fresh mown grass); chop tough bits and stalks; end with a carbon layer. 
- water each layer - a handful should have the consistency of a wrung-out sponge.
- cover the pile (carpet, cardboard, whatever).

The pile needs to be about 1 metre cubed so that the heat build up.

A well built heap could reach maximum temperature in 3-4 days? 

When it starts to cool again, turn the heap into bay #2, so the cooler sides and top are now in the middle.  The heap should heat up again.

Repeat the turning when it starts to cool, this time into bay #3 (by which tme you probably have stuff in bay #1 ready to turn into now empty bay #2).

Apparently, if you turn the heap every 10 days, you should get compost in 4-6 weeks (!).  Turning once a month can give you compost in 6 months, though.


It's quite a lot of work - and frustrating as the reason I had so much for the compost heap was because there was a lot to do on the plot ----- yup, where did all those weeds come from! 

Satisfying, though (---- glad I tried it - but cold heaps are an awful lot easier!).

Sure I've missed something out, though.

Good luck with the project - Gavin