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wuzoo

Compost using only weeds?

wuzoo
9 years ago

Hello guys! Just became a member and pretty excited about it! Ive been reading alot of the posts here for a while now but I have a question now that I wasnt sure the answer to. So inspired by the compost wacko post I decided to make a compost pile cause my dirty is dry ugly clay. I jog to the gym daily and cut through a meadow. I got lost once and entered a foresty area with weeds up to your hip or higher. I got an idea but i dont know if itll work.

I wanted to make a compost pile composed mainly of the weeds in that meadow. That foresty area had layers of leaves so I got my browns but im not sure if using weeds only will work as my greens? Im not sure if I need veggie scraps or other forms of greens to to have a good compost? There is a starbucks on the way too so I could pick up some grounds and add the occasional pile of veggies but if it was composed mainly of weeds as my greens would the compost be any good? or even work at all?

Comments (18)

  • renais1
    9 years ago

    I have done quite a few compost piles composed entirely of weeds, with no added extra browns. In my experience, the browns are not needed; weeds, especially older ones, don't have enough N to cause me problems. My biggest challenge with weeds is compacting them enough in the compost pile so that there are not so many large air spaces that no rotting occurs, and the pile dries out too quickly. I now use some older compost to cover a big pile of weeds just so I can enclose the new weeds, keep them moist, and get them held down. Have fun. By the way, I also feed lots of weeds in my worm bins; the worms appreciate the greens, and the weeds help to aerate the material before they rot.
    Renais

  • Kimmsr
    9 years ago

    Collecting those "weeds" might be illegal if you don't own that property. Removing them may also mean that meadow will not have any of those "weeds" in the future since the seeds that produce them might be removed.

  • Lloyd
    9 years ago

    Welcome to the forum.....I smiled at the "jog to the gym" comment, sounds uber-healthy.

    Weeds would be fine as an ingredient for compost. (I'd advise caution if they have gone to seed though.) Different plants have different nutrient requirements and getting various types of feedstock for your compost is a good goal. I try to collect the materials for my compost around this time of year. I get a great mix of garden materials as well as grass clippings and the start of leaf season.

    Lloyd

  • glib
    9 years ago

    the problem is the seeds. most weeds go to seed in late summer, fall. If you want to pick them, IMHO May is the best time, they will also be at their greenest.

  • renais1
    9 years ago

    There are some great, very large, pretty cheap shopping bag type products that work well for carrying big piles of weeds. IKEA large bags (on Amazon) are one example. Our Home Depot has some as well. Using these bags you will be able to carry lots of weeds at a time, and not be very inconvenienced. I will second the thoughts about weed seeds. Since I am never at the point where I have killed all the weed seeds in my compost, I spread out the finished material in a thin (inch or so) layer on the area I plan to use it, water it well, and let any remaining weed seeds germinate. There will still be some seeds left, but this procedure does seem to catch quite a few of them. One other thing I do is to leave patches of the weeds where they will not be too bothersome; many of the weeds are hosts to beneficial insects, and I want to be sure that I don't make the beneficials feel unwelcome. Unfortunately, I have so many weeds I could deal with, that I don't have to worry about removing all of them. If you are composting through the winter, you might want to consider spreading a nitrogen fertilizer over the pile after it has processed a while. I find the extra N really helps to keep the pile rotting in the cooler temperatures. As I mentioned earlier, my weeds, even fresh, never seem to have enough N content to really decompose well without some help. However, if you use some of the leaves on the ground as well, you will help with adding other nutrients, even if you don't need them as browns. Have fun with your project. It is always interesting to see how much of a difference one person can make in a landscape in a relatively short time span.
    Renais

  • greenthumbzdude
    9 years ago

    yeah those "weeds" could be wildflowers...I would atleast try to ID the plants in question...if you dont know take some pics and post.

  • renais1
    9 years ago

    I like the idea of ID'ing the plants you use for compost. That is something I do as well as I try to eliminate some undesirable (to me) plants, and encourage others. Over the years I have managed to almost completely eliminate tumbleweeds, which used to grow all over the place, and am making good progress with pigweed and bind weed. I have encouraged various coreopsis and asters, and certain grasses. One man's weeds are definitely another man's wild flowers. I know quite a few people who vigorously remove the asters and sunflowers, but don't mind bindweed, for instance. I would not worry about completely wiping out a variety of plant; seeds would come from surrounding areas, or from the soil seed bank. Do watch to see if you see some rare plants. I found some fairly rare ones as I worked which I took care to protect. If it is permitted, and you have an interest, you might also replant some areas you weed with seedlings of something more desirable. I put irises in one spot over 25 years ago; they are now beautiful plantings which receive no human attention other than admiration. In the Appalachians I have frequently come across small plantings folks have made in the woods; they often are quite beautiful and special.
    Renais

  • grossepointe
    9 years ago

    Hi all - I'm a first time poster on this forum - I usually lurk on the perennial forum.
    I have a compost tumbler - with fall coming, I would like to take advantage of all my hostas, ferns, and other perennials when I cut them down in the fall - do I need to let them dry out further? Should I plan on trying to cut them up into smaller pieces (which would indeed be tedious but I would just make the time, after I mulch all my leaves - oy vey) I do add quite a bit of my mulched oak leaves, but I hate to literally throw away all my plants once I cut them down. Thanks for your help.

  • wuzoo
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    haha, not uber-healthy just uber-poor :P havent bought my first car yet.

    Nah these arent flowers theyre more like grasses. Its the texas brush country. Mostly just buffalo grass and little bluestem. I just imagined their compost value would be low since theyre the type of obnoxious weeds that grows in the worst conditions.

    Is there any organic way of adding Nitrogen? Like without adding the chemical powders? But by the looks of it with mostly wild grasses and some veggies I can get a good compost so im happy :)

  • lazy_gardens
    9 years ago

    Wuzoo ... regardless of your opinion on the worth of the weeds or grasses, you need to find out who owns the land and get permission.


    ANECDOTE: A friend had a lovely study plot in a wooded area ... plants identified and tracked ... someone who thinks like you came in and cut off half of her test plants ... probably for the pretty berries for some cxraft fair crap.

  • Lloyd
    9 years ago

    Should have just left me with the image of a marathon runner trekking through the woods, over hills and dales, heading to the gym.

    ;-)

    Organic way of adding Nitrogen....pee on it dude.

    Lloyd

  • wuzoo
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    HAHA if only. My jogs including sidestepping thorny bushes...hopping mad when a thorn pierces my shoe, all in 100 degree weather. haha

    The pee will also handle part of the moisture situtation correct?

    Lazygardens- no disrespect to you but trust me. No one is worrying about the grass Im going to take. Ill be taking from several locations to not totally obilerate the fauna. But as you said so yourself those plants were stolen for the berries. What we have here is considered nuisances. Its the texas brush country. No one is performing studies in 100degrees weather or even caring about what I do to their weeds. Plus its not a private ranch or anything :)

  • Laurel Zito
    9 years ago

    I don't think it will be top notch compost with only weeds. I found weedy grass without seeds did not make good or much compost because it lack bulk and fiber. Think of it was having spaghetti in your cereal bowl vs. shredded wheat. The shredded wheat is filled with fiber and swells up. But, it could make compost that you can consider to acceptable or ok, depending on what your expectations are. There is no right or wrong just better compost or worse compost outcomes. I like a lot of bulk with it, because I have a lot of plants and sandy soil and the compost does not last very long out there in the garden.

  • toxcrusadr
    9 years ago

    No need to add N, but pee is great, since it is essentially wasted down the sewer. Watch out you don't overload it - if you're in a dry climate and try to make up all the moisture needs with pee, it's a losing battle and you'll end up with salty compost. I assume you're adding all your kitchen scraps, they have good moisture and N.

    Most of us will kinda look at you funny if you propose adding any kind of purchased fertilizer to a compost pile. The idea is to recycle wastes to make free compost, and the env. and $ benefits are lost (or at least reduced) if you buy manufactured products to put in. It does work in a pinch, but this does not seem like that kind of situation.

    grossepointe: Definitely compost your plants at the end of the season! You don't have to chop them if you don't want to, but tougher ones will compost faster. Snip into 6" pieces with clippers, or cut them down with a hedge trimmer taking 6" whacks. Or if you have a lot, get an old stump and a $10 garden machete (military surplus is a great place to find them), and whack away. Also, feel free to post your questions as a new thread, it gets more attention that way.

  • wuzoo
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    tropical_though: dang. Thats exactly what I was thinking would happen. :/ I mean regardless itll be some form of compost which is better than others. I decided to make to compost piles. One will be primarily weeds and other items occasionally. The other is where Iôm focusing most of my good stuff like veggie scraps, coffee grounds etc.

  • nancyjane_gardener
    9 years ago

    I'm with the others about weeds with seeds! Unless you're really good about your mixes and getting a HOT pile you'll just be spreading that seed around! I'm a lazy composter.
    I used to haul all of my seedy weeds and invasive pests like nasturtium and morning glory out to the far end of my field. Also stuff I don't want to find if I dig into my pile with my hands such as roses. Now I have garbage service and send those things off to be made into compost the HOT way!
    You say this stuff is a nuisance. Do you want it in your garden? Be SURE it's seed free! Nancy

  • pyromanic
    9 years ago

    What temps kill seeds?

  • Kimmsr
    9 years ago

    Depends. The seed, moisture, and time all influence what will render the seeds not viable. Some seeds may never be killed while others die quickly.

    Here is a link that might be useful: composting to kill seeds

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