Weedy Compost

[Plot103]

OK. I know now that I did the wrong thing but what can I do about it?

When I got my allotment last June, it was quite overgrown with weeds and in a rush to get it cleared so I could start planting before it was too late, I just put everything into the 2 Dalek-type compost bins that the previous tenant had generously left there. "Everything" meaning just that, including horsetail, couch, dock and nettle roots. The bins have now settled right down and apart from the very top layers seem quite well rotted (though still with identifiable material in there) but what can I do with this compost? I don't think I dare spread it about generally.

Ideas I've had so far involve either restricting where it goes or destroying it.

1. Dig a pit and fill it with the compost, pile the soil back on top and plant something that would like the conditions. Pumpkins, perhaps, and then deal with any weeds as they come.

2. There is also an old bath tub on the plot. I could put something in the bottom to help drainage and put all the compost in there and then use glyphosate to kill anything that did come up and then plant something like comfrey to use as a kind of second generation fertiliser.
Actually, forget the glyphosate, I dont think even horsetails can put down 6 foot deep roots in a bathtub. I can just pull them up.

3. Spread the compost out in an even layer over an unused patch and build a big fire on top and then dig it all in.

4. The local council are currently providing a skip on the allotment site.

[Two_Sheds]

when you turn your daleks (I do mine in spring) rake through it all and pull out any obvious roots (the thick white brittle ones of bindweed & couch, plus dandelions, plus the thick yellow roots of perennial nettle) and put them in a water butt to rot down - it'll take a few months, but it'll work

Then you can just pour the slurry onto your patch when everything in it is properly dead

[Flummery]

You can sift the roots out - those garden sieves with a decent sized mesh are fine.

[Dottie]

I like the bath idea, as you can see how it develops and control accordingly, as marestail is tough. I'm not into using weed killers, but if any weeds dare to pop up on my no-dig beds, I remove them from my plot immediately. But TwoSheds drowning method sounds good, if you end up with quite a few and don't have anywhere on your site to dump them. Once in your bath, you could keep the soil covered with cardboard etc, and grow your courgettes through.

When I took on my half plot (July 07) it was full of couch grass, as tall as me (nearly 5ft), so maybe like you it seemed too much to remove off the plot. I'd initially been pulling it out and had a pile at the end of my plot (drying out?), but as my whole plot needed serious digging, clearing of stones etc, I dug a large deep pit (10' x 3') along the opposite end boundary that I'd put up posts and plastic coated wire fencing and dropped the lot in there. I then topped it off with the soil I'd dug up, covered it with cardboard and carpet and left it until I'd dug the rest of the plot. That old pit now supports along the fence 2 blackbereries (end archway) tayberry and 3 loganberries, as well as rhubarb plants that sit in front of the berries and some elephant garlic coming through this year, for the flower heads.

Over the last few years I've added layers leaf mulch (loads), chicken/straw manure (3" or 4"), plot compost and autumn last year some substandard woodchip (collected for my paths, but found it was cut up too fine to last more than a season). The rest of that boundary is at least another 10' and also has loads of blackberries and rhubarb plants along it, but not planted on a couch grass pit. Not 1 bit of couch grass has popped it's ugly head up along this boundary and you can't tell which side was ever a couch grass pit. I dug the pit before I knew about this helpful site, so I just hoped it would do the job, but I had never known couch grass before getting an allotment, so really had no idea if it would work.

All the options you've listed I'm sure will work, but having just remember the freebie skip, I'd go for that. As you've mentioned lots of weeds and it's the less labour intensive option, thereby giving you more time and energy to get on with planting and growing.

[Plot103]

Thanks for the replies. My main worry has been the Horsetail roots as they are brittle and look like small bits of thin twig so could be easily missed and I've read that there only needs to be a tiny piece of root for a new plant to start growing. I can't bear the thought of wasting all that goodness, though. The bath tub is becoming my favourite option. I hadn't thought of growing courgettes in there. Maybe need to add something to the compost itself to help drainage?

[Kristen]

My main worry has been the Horsetail roots as they are brittle and look like small bits of thin twig so could be easily missed and I've read that there only needs to be a tiny piece of root for a new plant to start growing.

If your plot is completely clear of Horsetail then don't use it. If its got Horsetail anyway then I personally would use the compost - the benefit outweighs the annoyance of the horsetail (which will probably take forever to completely eradicate anyway)

[di]

I'm with Kristen on this...if your plot already has it(which it obviously does as you got it from clearing your plot last year),then I'd go ahead and use it.
doubt very much,however thorough you thought you were,that you managed to eradicate it in just one attempt.

Do as TS and Flum suggest and rake out the obvious roots and soak to kill,but don't waste some good compost worrying about a few weeds.

We've got a similar heap that I'm going to be using this year...although I am strict about not letting marestail into it...I'll be putting it on an area that's not had too much work put in.

[gillian62]

I have spent 2 afternoons getting rid of loads and loads of nettle roots. I wasn't sure whether I could compost or not. As I wasn't sure I have put the separately until I get some words of advice please.

[taff]

put them in a bucket or barrel of water to rot down. Use the liquid for feed, also when they're completely dead, either put the lot on your compost heap, or strew it around your plants to feed them.
or wait till the summer and put them on a path to dry out completely, frazzle and die

[Jono]

I finish rotting my compost down in black plastic sacks.

I've not done it myself, but my neighbour puts all his weeds in his compost bin, and still uses the compost.

[Two_Sheds]

my neighbour puts all his weeds in his compost bin, and still uses the compost.

You need to be careful with "all weeds". Bindweed, couch grass & dandelions all definitely carry on growing in compost heaps

[Jono]

You need to be careful with "all weeds". Bindweed, couch grass & dandelions all definitely carry on growing in compost heaps

Aye, that's why I don't do it. I've got tonnes of couch grass on my allotment, its a constant battle without adding to my compost!

He's adamant it works out fine, but I'm not so sure.