Burning up weeds

[Forage420]

Hi everyone (my first post),

I always deal with weeds by throwing them on the rubbish but I would rather burn them on site. I've collected quite a few mounds and I was thinking about creating a wire net out of chicken wire suspended from bricks off the ground and burning them with a load of old dry timber.

I was thinking that as it's offground even in wet seasons anything on the wire will dry out quickly as it's not in contact with the soil and the water runs right through. It's also kinder on all the midgys running around which I don't like the idea of burning alive.

Is this a hairbrain idea or will it work? I'm hoping that any support bricks used won't explode from heat and that the wire will stay in one piece and not split.

Any feedback most welcome

[lottie dolly]

Hi forage,welcome to the vine,the bricks will be fine,thats what we use just so air can travel under the heap,i have composted a lot,but have a lot they i WILL have to burn,cannot say about the chicken wire,what we have is a large bit off heavy metal with lots of slits/air holes in,this is layed on top of either 2 bricks high or this year we trying breeze blocks,we have old wood to burn,so this will get started first,then when it's going well,slowly add the dead weeds,otherwise it is liable to just smolder and annoy peeps,all i can suggest ref you question is,try a small one and judge for yourself how it behaves,the beauty of having it raised off the ground is,you can rake out the ash to keep air flow to the fire,and will burn quicker.

[SusieG]

Hiya Forage, a very warm welcome to the Vine from me ....

Ditto to what LD said above re using bricks to raise your 'basket' off the ground .... I'd just ask if you've checked when you can actually have a 'burn-up' on your site, think there are usually rules ....?

Do you have such a large amount of weeds then that there's too much to compost...?

[Forage420]

Thanks very much for the info gals.

Yeah my plots at least 5mx5m so 25m2 + I have a fruit cage at the bottom I built from scaffold poles.

I've gotten into conversations with people about some of the weeds being almost invulnerable and I thought the best option and to reduce chances of accidentally re-seeding areas as well is to burn them all up, so it sounds like this is a goer. I was going to have a go today but it's pouring with rain. I was thinking 2-3 bricks high, one at each corner and in the middle with bricks on top of the wire netting just to hold it in place.

The site rules for burn ups is posted on the communal shed so I'll make sure to abide by the times. No rush really. At the moment I've about 2m2 of weeds in a big mound so when the weather improves I'll build the platform and leave them there indefinitely until I burn them up. I weed entirely by hand I've never used weed killer, hate the stuff.

I was always under the impression that weeds can last for years and years even in the worst conditions and that once you put them back onto the ground as compost they start up again ??

[Nicos]

If you are going to do that, please check for hidden hedgehogs blissfully dozing away

Oh...and how rude of me....sorry!
Welcome to the Vine from me too

[SusieG]

.........whereabouts in the world are you, Forage...? What are you growing/intending to grow there...?
And have you got any photos of your plot ~ yes, we like photos...!!!