Which weeds can i compost

Temperatures of 55 to 60 C to F will kill most weed seeds. Rule 3: If you are not hot composting, kill the weeds before going to the bin by drying them in the sun. Put them on a piece of cardboard or newspaper so they do not spring back to life.

A few days of dry sun and the weeds are toast. The cardboard or newspaper will start decomposing and you can toss that in the pile too. Rule 4: Quarantine diseased plants in their own compost pile. The bacteria or fungi that cause the disease are starved, poisoned or consumed by the enthusiastic compost micro-organisms. And the thermophiles, high temperature microbes, are the most lethal.

Rule 5: Noxious weeds buttercup anyone? The contents of the bucket can be added to the compost bin My favoured approach or t he liquid is then strained off to be used diluted as a plant food see Plant Liquid Feeds and the sludge added to the compost bin. This method requires a hot sunny summer to work most effectively. Spread the perennial weeds, or their roots, on a dry flat surface such as a concrete paving slab in full sun.

To be on the safe side, if there are not too many of them, I like to smash and flatten the roots with a club hammer to assist the drying process. Once smashed they can be left on the concrete slab, moved to dry on a wooden cover on the top of the compost bin if a new Zealand or pallet bin is being used or dried on a rack made of discarded plastic bread crates see photo.

After two or three weeks in hot sunny weather the roots will be sufficiently baked to be safely added to the compost bin. If damp or cool the drying time should be extended. Carry on Composting. Making Rotbots 3. Making Seedballs 4. Indoor wormery 5. Painted bin 6. Compost Quiz 7. In addition to keeping seed heads out, plants that reproduce from their roots should be avoided as well. A great example of this is Canadian thistle.

Canadian thistle can be a nightmare to eradicate from flowerbeds and gardens. Its long, tenacious roots can produce hundreds of runners and buds to create a seemingly endless supply of new plants. But beyond those few precautions, there is little worry when adding weed greens to your pile!

This Is My Garden is a website dedicated to spreading the love and knowledge of gardening around the world. We publish two new garden articles each week. This article may contain affiliate links. There is certainly a lot of debate on the pros and cons of putting weeds in a compost pile.

Just get in touch with me once a month. I have read and agree to the terms and Privacy Policy. Not a member? Sign up and start saving! Did you get a PIN from us? Enter it here to complete your registration. No PIN? No worries: Enter your zip code and we'll go from there. But don't worry if you're not; you can still earn rewards online. Register with Facebook. Already a member? Sign In. By Recyclebank July 18, To compost weeds effectively you have to breakdown the process.

The key is heat. Mijares Dear E. There are four things to be aware of when working toward a strong compost pile: 1. Do you compost weeds without using plastic bags?

Let us know in the comments below.