A Question regards composting!

Missie · « **on:** June 18, 2010, 14:48 »

Hello,nice day-not,rather overcast here,not much do do but weeding! anyway,A neighbour of mine keeps asking to put stuff in our compost bins,like yucca leaves-fern leaves,weeds,more weeds,poppies end such,are these any good for composting,i think that the yucca,fern etc are too slow to break down,as for the weeds,can the seeds from these come back or do they actually rot?!

any advice as always is appreciated.
Missie

savbo · « **Reply #1 on:** June 18, 2010, 16:00 »

you're quite right about the yucca leaves...someone has but Cordyline leaves in our site bins and they're going nowhere - and as you will see from previous threads most people don't put any perennial weeds in, though soft annual weeds without seeds are OK...

barbarella · « **Reply #2 on:** June 18, 2010, 17:23 »

Trouble is, as you haven't weeded them yourself, you will have to check through to see if she/he has put in any perennial weeds or seedheads. I don't even put annual weeds on my compost straight away - put them in a bin bag for a week or drown them in a bucket of water.

I agree with the other replies re yuccas, and ferns take ages to break down too. Don't your council supply green bags for garden waste collection? Or is it your lottie neighbour?

boosh · « **Reply #3 on:** June 18, 2010, 17:25 »

With the perennial weeds drown them in a bucket of water for about 5 weeks and then add them to your compost, be warned the sludge you end up with stinks as bad as comfrey tea.

Trillium · « **Reply #4 on:** June 18, 2010, 19:42 »

I'm with the others, most of the stuff is far more trouble than it's worth. Perennial weeds will happily reroot and any seed heads will spread them liberally within the compost, same with annual weed seeds. Only time I add weeds to mine is if they're just the leafy tops, no seed heads and never roots. Poppies can be just as bad if the seed head is thrown in. While I love poppies, there's a place for them and that is not everywhere in the garden. Same with fern leaves - loads of spores on the undersides.

Zippy · « **Reply #5 on:** June 18, 2010, 23:18 »

Perrenial weeds will only root if they have roots - I just twist off the roots and throw the leafy part of the plant to the compost. The roots go in the Nettle Tea bin to make smelly nutritious sludge.

Composting if built correctly will cook annual weed seeds.

compostqueen · « **Reply #6 on:** June 18, 2010, 23:20 »

I put some weeds in but no docks and never couch! I burn that

I like to drown the weeds or dry them out in the hot sun and then add them to the bin once they're cooked to a crisp

A lot of weeds end up in the chooks

Missie · « **Reply #7 on:** June 19, 2010, 00:32 »

Quote from: barbarella on June 18, 2010, 17:23

Trouble is, as you haven't weeded them yourself, you will have to check through to see if she/he has put in any perennial weeds or seedheads. I don't even put annual weeds on my compost straight away - put them in a bin bag for a week or drown them in a bucket of water.

I agree with the other replies re yuccas, and ferns take ages to break down too. Don't your council supply green bags for garden waste collection? Or is it your lottie neighbour?

It is a neighbour in the street I live in! No the council here do not supply anything for green waste,cardboard,plastic and glass-but no garden waste!

Missie · « **Reply #8 on:** June 19, 2010, 00:34 »

Quote from: boosh on June 18, 2010, 17:25

With the perennial weeds drown them in a bucket of water for about 5 weeks and then add them to your compost, be warned the sludge you end up with stinks as bad as comfrey tea.

I did not realise I could do this,I already have some Comfrey tea brewing for two weeks now-my word it is very strong

!(cannot wait to use it though!)

Missie · « **Reply #9 on:** June 19, 2010, 00:36 »

Quote from: compostqueen on June 18, 2010, 23:20

I put some weeds in but no docks and never couch! I burn that I like to drown the weeds or dry them out in the hot sun and then add them to the bin once they're cooked to a crisp A lot of weeds end up in the chooks

Unfortunately my chooks don't like them,they prefer the cabbages!I shall try the drowning thing though!

Missie · « **Reply #10 on:** June 19, 2010, 00:40 »

Quote from: Zippy on June 18, 2010, 23:18

Perrenial weeds will only root if they have roots - I just twist off the roots and throw the leafy part of the plant to the compost. The roots go in the Nettle Tea bin to make smelly nutritious sludge.

Composting if built correctly will cook annual weed seeds.

I am using brick crates kindly given to me by a friend,they are made of chestnut-really hard wood-or seems to be,we took the bottoms off and made a lid,the sides are slatted. We took some compost from the bottom-a year old and the previous years marrows appear to have self set-heaps of them?!!-And I thought they would rot away!

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A Question regards composting!

Missie

A Question regards composting!

savbo

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barbarella

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boosh

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Trillium

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Zippy

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compostqueen

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Missie

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Missie

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Missie

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Missie

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