[mrswashi]

Hi
Can I put weeds that I've pulled up in the compost bin or is that the daftest question ever?
Thanks
Mrswashi

[Kirpi]

I put annual weeds and perrenial weed leaves in the compost, but anything perennial which can take root or seed I submerge in a dustbin of water and make a nice weed tea for my veggies.

[allotmentann]

Personally, I avoid putting in the nasty perennial weeds too. Also, watch out for those pesky annuals that leave seeds all through the compost. If you do put annuals in, be sure to remove old flower heads or anything going to seed.  The more weed and seed free your compost, the less work you will have in coming years. But using the goodness in some way is a good idea, either drowning as Kirpi does, or dessicating in the sun, or even drying out, adding to a bonfire and using the ash are things that you can do.

[Beetroot queen]

I compost small amounts of weed but I am always worried that they may seed or sprout so it is only a few. I bring the rest home and send them to the tip, they can compost them for me 

[sunshineband]

Ripe seeds heads I avoid putting in, but perennial roots get dried on the path in the sun for a week or two -or go to the tip if it keeps raining- and some fatter ones like dandelions get a good bashing with a lump hammer, then into the bin they go

They never recover 

[savbo]

I have a mesh sheet above the compost heap and leave grass clumps and other weeds on there to dry out...has actually worked this year!

sav

[boldondig]

After years of pulling and digging out bind weed , thistle  etc - I play safe and put everything in old compost bags and then take them to the tip

[mrswashi]

Thankyou all. I too have lots of bindweed on my plot, so will probably stick to what I've done so far......the tip!
Mrswashi 

[savbo]

bindweed and horsetail never go in my heap...

[JayG]

I'd add grass clippings to others' lists of things I wish I hadn't put on the compost heap, but only when I cut it a week later than I should have and some of it had gone to seed (a little goes a long way!  )

[Armleywhite]

In the half plot I've just inherited, it's full of dandelion, and I mean full.  Digging it over now and removingas much of the plant and root as I can.  Sending the lot to the council tip.  This is going to be a long job

[gremlin]

I don't compost bindweed or horsetail roots. I would take the seed head off dandelions.  Everything else goes in.  I'm not throwing the "goodness" in the weeds away.     

Where I have been caught out this year was composting my slug riddled and unusable Lady Balfour spuds. The whole batch went in the bin in September and was dug-in in January and now I have got spud weeds coming up everywhere.   Doh!  Brain must have been hibernating.

[bravemurphy]

good tip I had for bind weed is put a bean stick in the ground by it , let it climb up , when it gets half way paint it with weed killer.

Good bye bind weed 

[mrswashi]

Thankyou Bravemurphy 

[shed head]

is it safe to compost marestail and bindweed as long as no roots go in?