So you’ve just spent a cool spring morning pulling up fresh, nitrogen-rich weeds in your garden and yard. Should you head for the green waste can on the side yard, or toss the weeds into your compost pile?
The issue of whether or not to add weeds to a compost pile comes up frequently. I’m not being coy when I say that there’s honestly no right or wrong answer. It’s more a question of timing as well as the type of weed you have in your hand.
I can only tell you why you might and why you might not, and what I do with my weeds. I do add weeds to my hot compost pile, but most of the ones I put in there have not gone to seed. I try to pull the weeds up before they have any seed heads, and it’s all good as far as I’m concerned (I’m determined to have their short, weedy lives have some meaning).
If one or two weeds with seeds get in there, I don’t stress about it because, for the most part, hot piles fry the little seeds to death before they can rear their ugly heads again. That said, I won’t throw any weeds into my cold pile that have gone to seed. That’s just asking for trouble.
Keep in mind that some weeds propagate themselves from their rootstocks or even from pieces of root. One way to prevent this type of weed from procreating is to pull the weed and lay it on the open ground in the sun. This lets the roots dry out completely until they’re all dried out—that is, quite dead. At this point when it’s thrown onto the compost pile, it’s as a brown instead of a green.
Fine Gardening Recommended Products
Ashman Garden Cultivator (1Pack)
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Solid Build—The Ashman Garden Cultivator/Tiller is strong in construction so that it can withstand heavy work in the garden. The blade and the shaft are coupled well for deep digging and uprooting the soil from the depths. It serves the purpose of cultivation very well. Create a blooming crop and watch it blossom and reap the benefits. Sharpened Fine piercing Blade—The blades are razor sharp and are made to pierce into any kind of soil and to serve digging, loosening soil, and weeding. The blades are rust-proof and have chip-resistant coating enhancing durability. Use it to control weeds, bury crop residue in the soil, and for preparing a proper seed bed.
High-Quality Design—The thoughtful design incorporated to shape the blades in L shape helps dig deep into the soil and rip it from beneath for cultivation. This helps a lot when weeding. Dig well and plant well. The handle is made to fit in the hand well and can be held tightly to apply push and pull forces effectively. Practical Utility—The garden cultivator is made with “practical utility” as the core of its purpose. It serves all the necessary purposes when gardening. Helps mix soil, which will loosen it up, providing more nutrients for the crops.
A.M. Leonard Deluxe Soil Knife & Leather Sheath Combo
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MULTITASKING DUAL EDGES: a deep serrated edge and a tapered slicing edge ideal for tough or delicate cuts. DURABLE 6-inch stainless steel blade withstands 300 lbs of pressure. TWINE CUTTING NOTCH, DEPTH GAUGE MARKINGS & spear point - no need to switch tools when using this garden knife. LEATHER SHEATH: heavy duty, protective, clip on sheath to keep your knife convenient and secure. LIFETIME WARRANTY.
Bonide Captain Jack's Neem Oil, 32 oz Ready-to-Use Spray, Multi-Purpose Fungicide, Insecticide and Miticide for Organic Gardening
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MULTI-PURPOSE BUG KILLER—Bonide Neem Oil is a perfect pest control solution for any garden dealing with mites, flies, mildew, and more. This product is a three-in-one fungicide, miticide, and insecticide. READY TO USE—This product is conveniently ready to use when it arrives. The spray nozzle makes this product easy to deploy and can even be used up to the day of harvest. KILLS ALL STAGES OF INSECTS—Bonide's 3-in-1 Neem Oil is great because it kills the egg, larvae, and adult stages of insects while also preventing the fungal attack of plant tissues. DORMANT SPRAY—In addition to being useful for ridding your garden of insects and other pests, this Neem oil makes a great dormant spray to help protect your plants throughout all seasons. ORGANIC GARDENING—Derived from the Neem seed, our product is great for use on roses, flowers, vegetables, fruits, herbs, indoor houseplants, trees and shrubs. It's approved for organic gardening.
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