My New Dug Patch (Newbie)

[reddy246174]

I have dug up a patch of my lawn to make a bed for some cauliflower and cabbage seedlings ready to plant out under cover (or so I hope)
And need some probably really basic help.

I have taken out pretty much all the grass and weeds clumps, brushing off the soil where I can, and dumped it too the side of the bed. I read that annual weeds are okay in composter but not other biannual (is that right?) and because it's all a mess and I don't know the difference between different weeds I don't nkow what to do with all the stuff?

Any ehlp greatly appreciated.

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Reddy. Welcome on board! I never put any weeds at all in our compost bins. So no need to tell the difference!

[dinky_doo]

i dont compost any weeds i spent so much time digging them out im not gonna pt the little buggers back in any form

theres only one kind of wed a dead one

hello by the way

[reddy246174]

Thanks

Thanks peeps - what would you do with the grass/weed/soil that I've taken out.
I haven't got a garden waste bag btw.

And thank you for welcoming me so warmly. I have really enjoyed what I've done today - getting back to nature et. al. Good for the mental health as well. Suffer from depression and feel better for a couple of half hours in the garden.

Reddy

[Lesley Jay]

It is good Reddy getting out in the fresh air and a bit of peace and quiet without the phone ringing. Nothing to beat it!

As for those weeds. You don't want to lose the soil so I normally give them a good bash to get as much soil off as possible then pile them up and let them dry out. You can go through them again when they are dried up with a rake to shake more soil off them and then set fire to them. Make sure your neighbours haven't got the washing out!!

[reddy246174]

Thanks.
Answered my question like a pro.

I will be own quite a bit more and hopefully as well getting help be able to help others and enter the disscussions later on.

Reddy

[Lesley Jay]

Reddy you will enjoy this forum. Aswell as all the information and help that is here we also have a really good laugh!!

[Snadger]

Oh dear, here I go again bucking the trend! Not like me is it?

I compost all weeds, annuals, biennials and perennials

As long as there are no fruiting bodies on them (One years seeding, seven years weeding!) and you don't compost the roots of dandelions etc I can't see what the problem is? What else are you going to do with them?
Are we saying that grass cuttings are no good for the compost heap? Full of annual meadow grass seeds?
Even dandelion roots can go on as long as they have had a couple of days in the sun to dry out!

My compost heap has newspaper, wood chippigs,weeds ,vegetable waste,grass cuttings, egg shells, bits of turf and God knows what else!

And to coin a phrase from Mr Kipling "I make exceedingly good compost!"

[bramble]

Hi reddy and welcome to the vine. Just know you're going to enjoy the chat and advice on here. Good luck with your veg. Just leave all the weeds to the side to rot down. Guy Falks night is coming soon so get ready to burn them then. perhaps you could cover them with some plasti to kep the rain off until then.
Regards, bramble.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Hello Ready and welcome to the Vine! I dug up my back lawn at the beginning of the year - got a skip to take most of the grass/weeds, but as for the rest have spent ages "borrowing" my neighbours brown wheelie bins - so the council would collect it all. Almost got away with it - the next to last lot, I got red stickered - I'd put too much in the bin and they couldn't lift it!! DDL

[nick the grief]

Hi Ready,

Welcome to the vine. You'll find it different on here. Unlike some forums we (well me) don't take it to serious all of the time, but you'll get good advice none the less. I agree with you about gardening as a relaxation. By wife suffered a similar problem a few years back & whils t she wouldn't take over the veg plot & allotment ( I did try to get her to but...) she did find it very satisfying doing containers - baskets & tubs - luckily I happened to have a few spare plants (well about 60 od Fuchsia's etc) so I could indulge her plaesures for once

Hope you enjoy your stay with us & don't be frightened to ask any question - it may seem daft to you but it won't be to us.

[Earthbabe]

Hi Reddy and welcome to the vine. I don't compost all my weeds. If I did there'd be no room for anything else. (Ha!Ha!) As for the perennials like dandelions, doc leaves etc. they tend to get offered to the rabbit first and then added as rabbit droppings.

[Alison]

Read somewhere that it depends how hot your compost bin gets as to whether it's OK to compost weeds etc cos they need a minimum temperature to make sure they won't come back. Seem to remember it was something to do with how fast you filled your bin and what combination of stuff you put in. I'm guessing that somebody else out there knows far more about this than I do so hope that they can advise.

[JennieAtkinson]

Hi Reddy and welcome!
I don't compost any weeds or Alchemilla Mollis! (Ladies Mantle) I did the first year and really am regretting it.
Glad you enjoy your garden - it can be a great lift to the spirits.

[SueA]

Hi Reddy & welcome.
If you've got a lot of lawn turf squares that are fairly weed free you can just stack them on top of one another in a corner with the grass side down or grass to grass with the top one facing down & leave it to rot down & you will get a nice loam in a year or so. I try not to compost any perennial weeds or weeds with seeds on them in the compost bin for fear of it not heating up enough to kill them so if you have a lot like that I'd just sneak a bit each week into your normal dustbin!