Compost Heap

[becky2812]

Some of you may have read in my post at easter time, that I took on a hugely overgrown allotment!
Well after a couple of months of very hard labour, it now resembles a working allotment, and I have already enjoyed home grown crops from it!

My question is now about my compost heap!! I had decided to go down the hard work route, and dug out every bed by hand (there's still more to do!) rather than to rotovate. Because this took so long, I wasn't really thinking about compost, I just made a huge pile of absolutely everything that I dug up, This included the rotting crops from the last person, the old potatoes and onions and all the weeds.

I know nothing about compost so presumed this would just all one day become usable comost! Now i have read up on it, it appears that all the weeds and potatoes are a problem.

What do i do? burn it all?? dig through it to remove weeds?? I am totally confused??

[Two_Sheds]

Potatoes and perennial weeds (like couch, bindweed etc) will regrow if put on the compost heap. They are best drowned thoroughly into a disgusting brew before being slopped onto the heap.

Annual weeds & kitchen peelings can go straight on the heap.

There are 100s of older threads on composting, if you fancy browsing through

[becky2812]

I think 80% of my compost heap is couch grass. great!!
If i cover it up and leave it a year or so will it all die??

[Flummery]

I think 80% of my compost heap is couch grass. great!!
If i cover it up and leave it a year or so will it all die??

Sorry no - the roots will come back and haunt you!

[Two_Sheds]

If i cover it up and leave it a year or so will it all die??

Sorry, I wasn't clear.
Couch grass will live in the compost heap.
To kill it, you need to drown (for a few months) or scorch (on a path, in sunshine, for several days).

[becky2812]

Oh Dear!!!! this 'heap' is the size of a small shed!!! and would take weeks to dig through to get all the couch grass out of it!!

[Jardiniere]

one of my compost heaps is by default (my fault) a potato patch-growing so prettily i dont want to move them.

[binley100]

Do you have a space next to it to start another one. I'm thinking if you gradually seive it you could take out the nasties. It'd be a right ball-ache but bit by bit you could be starting a new heap at the same time.

[maypril]

I think 80% of my compost heap is couch grass. great!!
If i cover it up and leave it a year or so will it all die??

Assuming it's a decent sized heap, if you fork it over once a week, I'd have thought the temperatures would rise so high as to kill off the couch grass roots and seeds.

[becky2812]

well i think the plan is.... build a proper compost area next to it, and slowly start to move it over weeding as i go! it may take a long time, but at least it will be done properly!

[Two_Sheds]

That's the way.
At least you didn't do what my neighbour's done: turned the couch grass over in situ, then when I said it will regrow, he plonked it in his Daleks: now they are full of it too

[Bigmallly]

As I didn't know what couch looked like, I decided to have a search & came across this.....cool.

[binley100]

I want one .............

[Two_Sheds]

As I didn't know what couch looked like....

lol at you.
The reality ain't so pretty

[becky2812]

When i first got the allotment, a couple of friends started to help me dig out the beds. They soon gave up when they saw how insistent i was that all the couch grass had to be dug up! i had to try really hard not to let them see the look on my face when they were snapping it instead of following the roots through the soil, and i ended up re-digging the areas they done anyway!
My new obsession in life is wiping out couch grass!!!