|
| I recently acquired access to a new garden for next season. The soil quality seems fine and it hasn't been used in approximately four years. At present it is completely overrun with weeds, most of which I can't identify. Lots of thistles and dandelions. My thought is to pull them all up and make a compost pile out of them. Would the weeds themselves be enough for a complete compost cycle to occur between now and next spring? What else should I think about adding? I'm unsure whether the weeds should be considered green or brown for the traditional compost proportions. |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
| They are green, unless you plan to have a hot compost pile or don't mind pulling weeds all season, go for it. Add plenty of fall leaves, some food scraps and coffee grounds wouldn't hurt either etc. |
|
- Posted by louisianagal z7bMS (My Page) on Sun, Aug 14, 11 at 23:51
| Weeds are green. Everything returns to compost, so even just greens will compost. But the process goes better and is less slimy and smelly with ideal ratio of greens/browns. I don't remember what the ideal ratio is, really, but if you can add some fall leaves and/or shredded paper/cardboard for browns. Have fun in your new garden after all the weeding is done! Good news: it is fixin' to get cooler, at least where I live. |
|
- Posted by maryrecord none (My Page) on Tue, Aug 16, 11 at 5:51
| Not really related but since we are talking greens and browns...are roots a green? I've been assuming they are but was never quite sure. |
|
- Posted by tn_gardening (My Page) on Tue, Aug 16, 11 at 10:11
| I'm reluctant to compost anything with lots of seeds (dandelions, crab grass, etc.). Even though my pile gets hot, I don't want to risk it. |
|
| "Would the weeds themselves be enough for a complete compost cycle to occur between now and next spring? " No. As Louisianagal says, weeds are "green". The ideal carbon/nitrogen ratio is 30/1. You need to add some "brown". I credit Dave Hall (who posts on this forum) with pointing out that "greens" are better thought of as proteins and "browns" as carbohydrates. Also recognise that the C/N ratio changes through the plants life. Stems can go from succulent to cellulosic for example, requiring more N to break down. The problem with weeds (any plant growing unwanted) is the persistence of seed or viable rhizome. If they sprout in the compost, I turn them back in. If they survive my imperfect compost management, I pull the few that sprout in the garden, figuring the benefit outweighs the hassle. If you have the space, these weeds can make a cold pile in a corner of the garden. Put some squash/vining seeds in the pile. If you have worms they will slowly convert your pile as it meanwhile grows melons. Any weeds that sprout are easily pulled and thrown on top. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Soil Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.