Incinerator: Necessary or Not?

[JamesMc86]

Morning Everyone,

I have just taken over a 5 pole plot at my local allotment. Digging is underway and I will probably have a few questions on my plans soon!

I did have a question about equipment though. I am planning to compost (as I imagine most people do) but I think certain things cannot be composted such as weed rhizomes.

I was recommended to look at incinerators as we have a lot of grass we have cut down (5' high in places!) but I'm being cheap and don't want to buy one just for that one use (as I'm sure I could rot that down or use as a mulch over winter).

My question is, do you regularly have stuff to burn once you've got going, or can I save the money and dispose of the grass a different way.

Thanks,
James

[Bill HH]

Whats wrong with an old fashioned bonfire? I have a particularly nasty neighbour on one side, so I wait till the wind is in his direction before lighting up.

[rustylady]

Compost the grass.

Weed roots that shouldn't be composted include dandelion, dock, bindweed and couch grass. These roots can be laid on the ground to dry out in the sunshine and then disposed of. They don't take up much room though, so hardly worth buying an incinerator.

I had an incinerator (still have half of it - the rest rotted away) and very rarely used it.

[Martin H]

Our allotment site only allows bonfires once a year, so I just pile stuff up out of the way and wait for it to rot down. I don't have any logs so everything will eventually turn into compost or mulch and in the meantime I'm sure some of the wildlife will find it useful.

[PyreneesPlot]

We have had three fires in four years, and compost everything (eventually). We currently have a huge heap of branches waiting to be shreaded, but it is easier when you have a lot of space.
My neighbour has a small garden and a fire at least once a week.

[Alison]

I've never had a fire as I find smoke very antisocial. Anything I don't compost goes in the council green bin.

[Two_Sheds]

I think certain things cannot be composted such as weed rhizomes.

we have a lot of grass we have cut down (5' high in places!) ...can I save the money and dispose of the grass a different way.

I compost everything.

Everything*

5ft high grass? Really? Is it bamboo?



*by weed rhizomes, I think you mean couch grass roots, which can survive drowning in a bucket (one method of weedkilling) and bagging up in black sacks.
Couch, and horsetail and bindweed, is easy to kill if left on a dry path, roof or whatever for a few days until crisp & dry. Then it can go on the compost heap.


Burning is anti-social & polluting, and wastes precious nutrients. Sure, you get a bit of ash leftover, but a lot of the goodies literally go up in smoke

[alldigging]

Don't burn stuff if it can be composted! It's an insane waste.

We had people throw tons of couch grass roots and soil away - mine was piled up and left and I'm not barrowing out tons of good soil.

[Veggielot]

Before you consider buying one, check the rules for your site first to see if you are allowed first.I thought that I was allowed to use mine occasionally as long as the wind didnt blow the smoke towards the houses nearby. I have now been told that I cant use it.

[alldigging]

Rules are usually put in place to ensure no nuisance is caused by smoke. The problem is that some people think they know better and just have bonfires when they want, night after night.

[Nicos]

Although I love the smell of bonfires I really worry about how many hedgehogs I'm inadvertently going to bake at the same time

Having been up two hourly feeding 2 rescued babby hedgehogs and now getting them ready for release, I'm going to be really concerned where they will choose to hibernate!

One good thing about an incinerator is that you know for sure there won't be a hedgehog in it!!

[JamesMc86]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm going to save the money then and not bother buying one.

Problem with the couch grass roots is that I have dug 1/4 of the plot and removed 3 bucket loads! Think I shall take these down the tip to be composted by them, it does seem a waste to burn it all off

[Alison]

I wish I only had 3 bucket loads of couch grass, could remove that much every day and it still grows back

[zazen999]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm going to save the money then and not bother buying one.

Problem with the couch grass roots is that I have dug 1/4 of the plot and removed 3 bucket loads! Think I shall take these down the tip to be composted by them, it does seem a waste to burn it all off

As two sheds said, leave them to dry out or drown them and then they can be composted.

We do have an incinerator but only to burn the hawthorn that we continually have to chop back. I'm trying to slowly get rid of the big branches and plant it up with edibles instead. In about 10 years I might just get away with it.