[Growster...]

After digging four beds at 'Growster's Patch', (new plot), it's clear that although the topsoil is in pretty good heart and digs well, there is no heavy couch grass infestation as previously thought - yet anyway...

What is obvious though, is that grass seed from the last year's grasses - all died off and spreading like mad - are germinating happily in the new beds, and causing a hoeing blitz every now and then. That's not really a problem, as it is controllable.

Has anyone else chopped off large surface grasses and composted them, by which time next year, the grass seed will have died out in the compost heap? I remember doing it years ago on the original plot, but cannot remember what the heap looked like - or if it worked!

There will be an assortment of other stuff going in as well, so it won't be all grass and annual weeds.

If so, I have enough to create a really large one-off heap for next year, which I could do with, as the manure won't last for ever...

[Fisherman]

Turn the chunks of turf upside down in a block with the roots pointing upwards. If you have other materials that need composting place it in layers between the turf. Manure is also good to place between the  layers of turf if you have any available. The grass will die off in the centre of the block but may grow out at the sides unless you have something to put around it like black polythene. If not just slice off the sides with a spade periodically and re-compost. The heap may take more than 12 moths to fully break down but it will be an excellent growing medium which you can return to your plot. Maybe use it as a mulch for several seasons which will help keep the weeds down and also feed your plants.

[Growster...]

Thankyou Fisherman. That's sound advice!

Last time, I remember using a cross mattock to chop off everything about an inch below the surface, and although it takes a long time, it did actually work - to get the top cleared at any rate!

I've just found another head for a Chillington Hoe, and have half a mind to sharpen it to an edge, and try using that for a change - it has a wider cut after all...

Isn't your method very much like a John Innes one?

[Fisherman]

Hi Growster, yes composted turf was / is sometimes used as a component in John Innes compost. Years ago I helped to look after a cricket pitch and when replacing damaged turf we used a tool that had a blade the same shape as the ace of spades in a deck of cards. This was laid flat on the ground then using a slicing motion the turf was cut an inch or so below the ground and then lifted. It was really hard graft especially when cutting a large area. The turf was composted down and then used as a top dressing on the pitch in autumn. If your plot is very large I would hire a turf cutter which cost about £30 a day. It will save you loads of time and can be set so as not to remove too much top soil.

[sunshineband]

When we made a huge sandpit for the children at school, we took off all the truf first and then just stacked it under the hedge, grass side to grass side to make layers.

Watered the heap occasionally when the children's water trays were beign emptied, and two years later we had really good loam. Had to sieve it as there were still some clumps in there, especially near the top, so I would guess that leaving it even longer would reduce this issue.

[mumofstig]

I got my plot last spring and piled the grass and roots up in one corner. It will be good enough to return to the beds when I do the winter digging later this year
As others have said there was a bit of regowth from the sides, but nothing that a chop now and again didn't cure

[Salmo]

Your alternative is to put the grass carefully in the bottom of the trench as you dig. The grass and seeds will rot. Most weed grass seed does not survive more than a year if buried.

My approach to soil with a lot of weeds is to keep moving it so that more weeds germinate and can be hoed off.

[Growster...]

All good sense Friends, and many thanks!

I don't mind the graft actually, it's good for the soul occasionally, and there won't be much planting done on 'The Patch' until the new year, so I'm enjoying doing a few square yards at a time.

It'll be a different story when I have to tackle the blackberry growth, which is 6' high, 20' long and 10' wide...

That's when I'll treasure the Kevlar gloves which were somehow left in the shed of 'Plot Growster'! Their fantastic!

[compostqueen]

I would not make an enormous compost heap as they take too long to heat up, if ever. I think small is beautiful in the case of compost.  Some of my best work is in those dalek bins 

[Growster...]

Now I hadn't thought of thet CQueen...

The heap we're adding to is about 5' square, and has a lot of last year's stuff on it (from the previous tenant), plus some weeds which were chucked on back in the spring, by someone who noticed the plot was unregistered!

I'm not too worried about all that, but there are corrugated iron sides which will help a bit to conatin the heat.

Just for the record, I have an insulated panel compost heap which was filled to the brim with fresh horse manure back in April. It got so hot, we could hardly touch the inside metal sheets...

My chum Dennis, next door, says that sometimes stable manure just defeats itself in rotting down and becomes sterile, but I don't have a clue what he's talking about...

[sunshineband]

I hope he meant it got so hot it killed all those weed seeds that make it through the 'digestive transit' and back onot the plot, ready to grow 

[Growster...]

Yes, I hope so as well KC.

There were also a lot of wood shavings there as well, which is why we're keeping it for a long time, to break them down as well.

The heap slumped by about 40%, which is about the same as I do on occasions after a couple of hours with the spade...

BTW, the stable manure is free for anyone who calls by, and they've got forty stables - mostly full...

[compostqueen]

Folks turn their noses up at horse poo on our site but I don't. It's lighter to handle than cow muck which seems almost impossibly heavy to shift (for me being a weak and feeble girlie)  I don't mind if it comes with straw as it all rots down eventually.  Horse poo has more viable weed seeds in it so I like to put it into the daleks which get very hot and hopefully kill off weed seeds.

When your compost heap slumps it's a good sign that it's cooking. To get it steaming you can add a few spadefuls of grass mowings and cover it back up. Adding comfrey leaves will also stoke it up   

[Growster...]

Good on you for the memo about comfrey in the heap CQ. I've just collected some seed from several comfrey plants - definitely the wild variety; not Bocking, and will be nurturing these for exactly that.

Of course, they'll fling new seed everywhere, but it's a small price to pay for something which is better than NPK usually...

[Growster...]

Welcome to the real answer to GQT Carlmj!

There are more discerning people here, who have some defined ideas on composting, and they'll no doubt offer advice, but in general terms, persistent weeds like couch and docks, may enjoy staying in your heap(s), and wait until you spread them back to grow agauin, whereas annual weeds, grass etc will probably rot down very nicely.

Nettles are great, but bindweed may survive, unless you are generating enough heat, which you may well be in both your heaps.

If you define your situation, and put it up as a separate post (just click on 'new topic' at the beginning), you'll see quite a lot of good advice - and envy, because 5 bins plus a brick heap is luxury!

Also search for com[post, because just recently, there have been loads of comments and posts posing different questions - and answers!

Kind regards!