gazillion weeds or weed seeds in homemade compost

[KarenParticipant]

Hi Charles and everyone,

Does everyone also have this problem when using homemade compost that a gazillion weeds emerge after spreading onto their beds?

Charles, you are so gonna cringe when you see the weeds in the 2 pics. I have designated these 2 days to WEED!

I noticed that your compost heaps are covered with a piece of wood board, does it help with less weed seeds being blown into the compost heaps? Some of my compost heaps aren’t covered at all apart from the green plastic ones that comes supplied with their covers.

I do believe that perhaps cow manure compost has way much less weed seeds than horse manure compost and homemade compost?

[RhysParticipant]

I can’t say that my homemade compost is that bad. Sure you get some weeds, quite a few tomato seeds germinate too! But nothing like yours.

I bought a Nunki weeder from Implementations.co.uk to weed in between rows of vegetables: it’s a very handy little tool.

[StringfellowParticipant]

Karen, perhaps it is more what you are adding to your heaps as you build them, as opposed to weed seeds blowing in at the top?

After you have removed a few leaves for a salad you can probably get a good quality hoe in between the plants and bosh those weeds on a warm sunny day.

How’s your latest heap doing Rhys? I’ve just built one without any water; comfrey, straw, fresh manure, grass and weed clippings from some verges….fingers crossed!

[charlesModerator]

Helo all and Karen, I would have hoed about 10 days ago when those weeds were barely visible. Its quicker then, but what you have there is not unusual, made more difficult because probably these are new beds where you spread the compost just before planting?
I reckon to hoe off around 50% of all newly-germinating weeds in early spring before most plantings happen, at which stage its really quick to hoe.
Yes you need to weed now and will have time to plan next year’s quicker approach!
Also Tris is right, its about the heap’s ingredients and a lot of wed seeds are in soil attached to roots, difficult to avoid. My cow manure has lots of fathen seeds but most have now germinated. Rhys’ Nunki tool is good for what you need to do.

[DiParticipant]

Karen, i understand that cow manure will have more seeds than horse manure simply because of the extra digestion cows give their food due to that additional stomach. Horses don’t digest their food to the same degree, evidenced by their droppings when largely undigested food can be seen.

[KarenParticipant]

Hey all, thanks for all your input and feedback. I knew I had to get on top of the weeding before it gets way too overwhelming and difficult.

Finally was able to get it done today. Was armed with the Nunki weeder, Mira trowel and my trusty fingers. Stringfellow, you are very right that weeding around the lettuces are a lot easier once some leaves have been picked off. Just is a daunting task when sooooo many weeds are visible.

Rhys, I had loads of tomato seedlings in the compost spread too…. and worse still… loads of pumpkins seedlings too. Just wasn’t sure how they ended up in the compost heap and onto the beds. I managed to save some seedlings onto another empty spot…. just onlv hope that they will be Red Kuri pumpkins and not end up as the non edible decorative type. 🙁

The weed seeds in the compost could have been from previous weeds that were pulled out with SEED HEADS! That´s the only explanation I can think of.

Hey Charles, these beds were the ones in the previous post where we added the cow manure compost and then I took the finer compost from our compost heap and spread them on top of the cow manure compost. I definitely need to plan a lot better next year.

Hey Di, I thought it was horse manure that has more weed seeds than cow manure, because the cows could digest their food better? As I have observed from our cow and horse manure heaps that the horse manure has loads of weeds (green hay?) emerging as opposed to the cow manure heap.

[DiParticipant]

Karen, a long day. Yes, you are right. I assigned the extra stomach to the wrong set of legs! But you got my drift…. thanks

[RhysParticipant]

Tris – the heap is progressing fine – I turned the top half and it had broken down quite well and had brandling worms in it. I’ve started using a bit of it in the green bins to layer between the kitchen waste, the comfrey and the cardboard. Unfortunately, neither heap I made this year allowed a courgette plant to prosper – both got eaten by something or other, most likely slugs. But can’t blame the heap for that.

I”ve combined the two heaps now into one pile so I am ready to build another one.

[Don FoleyParticipant]

Hi All,

The ingredients you add to your compost are the key thing here I have found. But no matter how well you manage your heap you will get weeds, to a greater or lesser extent.
I have found the “stale seed bed” approach works really well and I only get a few weeds as a result.

Don.

[Cathy JudgeParticipant]

Hello all, my friend says to chuck everything into the compost with the exception of bindweed.
Would you agree? We also disagree on the diameter of stems etc to put in. Surely it is more efficient to leave out very thick woody stems? I would have thought you’d get a much quicker compost if you leave out stuff that takes longer to rot down.
Ps. Just ordered my Nunki weeder – very excited!

[StringfellowParticipant]

Everything goes into mine; bindweed and horsetail included; I think the more variety the better! All rots down fine. F.C. King recommended including wood in the heap. I could be wrong, but I think he felt it added fungal activity and quality?

Air gaps seem to be key to making a good heap and twigs can help create them. I usually coarsely screen my compost once finished, so any big stuff goes straight into the next heap. Charles is conducting some interesting trials at the moment.

Thanks Rhys and Don.

[charlesModerator]

Cathy I take an axe to wood brassica stems to cut and/or split them, yes they rot better in small pieces. Like Stringfellow I add bindweed etc, and he is well organised.

[Cathy JudgeParticipant]

Thank you Charles. I understand some weeds need to reach high temperatures to ensure they die. If this is the case I do question whether my less than perfect compost will do the trick?

Looking forward to seeing your wonderful garden on Sunday.

[charlesModerator]

Its not only warmth that causes weed roots to die, but being covered over as well so they have no light, and as long as you are adding ingredients all the time, you can safely compost roots of bindweed, couch grass etc.

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