Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Welcome => New Across The Site => Topic started by: John on June 17, 2023, 13:42
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I was asked if it was possible to compost weeds as the writer had been told to never compost weeds because it would perpetuate more weeds. The answer, as with so many things, is that it depends. In this case on which weeds and how they’re composted.
Full post here (https://www.allotment-garden.org/garden-diary/8262/should-you-compost-weeds/)
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I will offer a third approach to composting weeds. I have a large bin (probably over 2 cubic yards), into which weeds, occasional grass clippings, and mulched leaves go. Nothing diseased, and no tomato haulms. It would be classified as a cold bin. The sides have large holes, as it is made from plastic lattice. I keep adding to this, and really only turn it when the bin is nearly full. That is about every 2 years. When it seems "done" the bin gets turned onto the soil a final time and cures. In the bin or on the ground, it is very biologically active (many worms, soil insects, isopods, millipedes, and so forth).
A new bin is started and the cycle starts over again.
The cured compost is mostly used as bottom material for new raised beds or for containers. Top material in the beds is usually municipal compost.
I never seem to have problems with weeds sprouting in that compost. I think you could consider this cold compost/long duration.
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Someone else mentioned recently your drowning weeds method John, and also said it made a great feed to water with. Getting something good from those perennial weeds would be very welcome
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Someone else mentioned recently your drowning weeds method John, and also said it made a great feed to water with. Getting something good from those perennial weeds would be very welcome
It's not my method as in I invented it, it's been around for many years. Sadly I'm not that clever :)
More of a tonic or supplement than a feed unless you're making nettle tea. That's nearly as good as muck tea.
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Plenty of nettles on my plot. I'll have to give nettle tea and weed tea a go
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Most of my weeds go into the chicken pen & when they’ve eaten, scratted through it pooped on it, it goes in the compost bin no1. All my bins are lined with sheets of phenolic foam & regularly reach 60 c , as & when I turn it through 4 more bins & then use it throughout my plot. If the chickens have had lots of greens & I put the weeds in the bin minus mares tail which just goes to the chickens.
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I chop off roots n seed heads but my compost bin works quite quickly