Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: rachelsco on June 26, 2011, 17:40

Title: weeds and their roots on the compost heap
Post by: rachelsco on June 26, 2011, 17:40
this is my first year having an allotment. i am being organic, and everything is going well (i think) so far.  i keep weeding and disposing of the weeds and their roots in plastic bags and then to the tip, i wanted to put them on the new compost heap ive made over there, but will the roots die back as well as the greenery? these weeds are young and small and pre making seeds.  there is alot of mares (?) tail and bindweed in the stuff im pulling up, i shouldnt put those in should i?

also, should i put some layers of newspaper or card inbetween the layers of greenery?

thanks any advice appreciated
Title: Re: weeds and their roots on the compost heap
Post by: sunshineband on June 26, 2011, 17:48
Anything that is an annual weed can safely go in the compost, roots and all. Avoid the roots of any perennial weeds (Like marestail and bindweed etc ), or seedheads of anything as most compost heaps don't get hot enough to kill these off.

Perennial roots can go in a bucket of water until the start to rot, and then add them to thr heap, with the water.

Shredded paper inc newspaper can be mixed in with the greenstuff, and helps balance green/brown ingredients.

Hope that helps

Sunny
Title: Re: weeds and their roots on the compost heap
Post by: Trillium on June 26, 2011, 18:01
Definitely no roots or seeds/seedheads of perennial plants in the compost. And no seedheads of annuals either. Both will give you grief next year.

And do dampen the paper, dry matter layers a bit before adding the next. This helps heat up the pile
Title: Re: weeds and their roots on the compost heap
Post by: rachelsco on June 26, 2011, 18:23
my computer did a strange thing, so if this gets posted twice im sorry. ???

thanks for your replies, now ive got a better idea, so its two bags from now on, one for compostables and one for the tip. im glad as the more compost i can make myself the better, it seems to go against the grain to have to buy it.   ;)