[meriad]

I have just taken on the other half of my allotment (It originally was one plot that was split; I had one half and and elderly couple the other half; they have now given it up and I was lucky enough to get it back to make it one plot again).  But in the short time the provious people stopped working on it; it's become quite overgrown with weeds and couch grass and I'm in the process of clearing it all.  But what does one do with all that grass and weed?    Can it just be piled onto one pile in the hope that it all rots away or should I - bag by bag - take it home and put it into the garden recycling bin?  My compost heaps aren't established enough to provide any form of heat / composting to break them down so just wondering what best steps would be

Thanks!

[Potterer]

Hi. I bag mine up and leave the bags ( folded at top to seal) in an out of the way place for up to a year at which point I have extra compost. You can also submerge the roots under water for a good while to drown them before putting them onto the compost heap, so they don’t regrow. I gave up doing that though as they stink and I would inevitably get smelly water on me whilst dealing with them!

[snowdrops]

If you’re having heat like me you could leave them on the surface to dry & then burn them or if they’re really frazzled you could add to the compost then or look at hot composting methods Berkeley being one of them but it takes a lot of effort, but you’ve got the room on your new half plot.

[New shoot]

You can compost in bags as Potterer suggests.  In a normal compost heap, they re-grow, but in total dark, they fester together into some decent stuff given enough time.

A weed bath also works, but is incredibly smelly.  If you do get the water on you, you'll know about it   

[meriad]

thank you everyone!  I have enough bags I can put it into and leave in an obscure corner of the allotment; so I'll try that approach    And best is; it's easiest for me as well rather than lugging it all home so win win 

[jaydig]

I have several water butts around my shed, and in one I drown all the nettles I pull up, and in another I drown all the weeds, a third one is used to make comfrey liquid.  Hey presto!!  lots of lovely, free liquid manure.  Just be careful you don't splash yourself with it because it doesn't half pong.