[Half a plot man]

As a newbie i am unsure what is good and bad to go into the compost heap. Now i am starting to clear a lot of weed etc from the plot - can this go into the compost bin or can it be burnt? Or do you just dipose at the local tip???

[mumofstig]

I do it like this: any weed tops without seed on, can go in the compost. Anything seedy or roots are burnt or tipped

[sunshineband]

Exactamundo , Mumofstig 

Perfecct rule 

[Half a plot man]

Ah! Thanks for the advice...

Another question, can you add ashes from burning bins to the compost heap? Or are they destined for the tip also???

[fletch]

As long as it's just regular plant material I've burnt I always spread my ashes onto my beds and lightly fork them in.

*Not sure if that's correct but it's what I do  *

[sunshineband]

Woodash or plant ash is a good source of minerals I think 

[Elcie]

I give most of my weeds to the chickens these days.  In fact, it means I am struggling for greens!

[Trikidiki]

sunshineband is correct. The ash is fine on the ground or in your compost. It has all the minerals that were in the weeds to start with. It will be alkaline so don't use it on your spuds, brassicas will be ok.

Don't use ash from a coal fire though.

I put everything on the compost heap except couch grass and bindweed.

My plot is fairly well tamed so there are very few weeds which get to the seeding stage anyway. If there are a bunch of seedheads they go in an old 5 litre paint pot with some water and when it has become a sludgy mess I'll bung them on the heap assuming most of the seed will have rotted by then.

I seive the compost so any dandelion or buttercup roots that do make it through first time get chucked back in for another cycle. Annual meadow grass is probably the biggest problem as you can chuck it on the heap with no seed then it sprouts seed heads as soon as you turn your back..

[JayG]

Can't usually summon either the inclination or the energy to argue, but even if I could I wouldn't disagree with a word of Trikidiki's advice (or Mum's, come to that XXX)