Author Topic: what to do with pernicious weeds?  (Read 14009 times)

what to do with pernicious weeds?
« on: 30 May, 2016, 12:05:17 pm »
We have a few weeds growing in our garden and I pull as much as possible (ground elder, some weird thing with red stems that spreads, brambles).

Garden is small, so I can't just pile them in a corner. What to do with this stuff when I pull it out?
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #1 on: 30 May, 2016, 12:27:48 pm »
Stick it in a brazier to dry out over the summer and then burn it in the autumn.

Pancho

  • لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ
Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #2 on: 30 May, 2016, 12:35:51 pm »
Council green-waste composting service?

Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #3 on: 30 May, 2016, 01:46:50 pm »
Council green-waste composting service?
They don't take these sorts of weeds.

I might have to set aside some sort of space for a brazier - although there really isn't room. And what is this dry out of which you speak? I live in the north. We have damp and not so damp.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #4 on: 30 May, 2016, 04:35:34 pm »
And what is this dry out of which you speak?

Get one with a lid.
If you can layer your 'wet' weed roots with twiggy stuff (brambles?) it'll dry fine.

Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #5 on: 31 May, 2016, 09:29:18 am »
some weird thing with red stems that spreads,
Shining cranesbill?

I'd just put anything like that into my brown bin or onto my bonfire heap.  The only thing that gets special treatment is my lovely Japanese knotweed, which gets spreads out on a tarp to dry, then immediately burnt.

I'm unleashing the power of glyphosate on my garden at the moment, though...

Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #6 on: 01 June, 2016, 04:11:58 pm »
some weird thing with red stems that spreads,
Shining cranesbill?
That's the stuff.

Not sure we have room for a brazier.
Enough paving to park two bloody cars out front, a patio area large enough for 10 people around a bbq, 'fire pit' area big enough for 15 but hardly any ruddy garden space. Shouldn't complain, on the bright side it only takes 5 min to mow the lawn.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #7 on: 01 June, 2016, 06:59:20 pm »
What do you do with grass? The plants and leaves can be composted safely.

caerau

  • SR x 3 - PBP fail but 1090 km - hey - not too bad
Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #8 on: 01 June, 2016, 07:53:47 pm »
What do you do with grass?


Biscuits if you can't do a reefer.
It's a reverse Elvis thing.

Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #9 on: 01 June, 2016, 08:00:37 pm »
What do you do with grass? The plants and leaves can be composted safely.
You can compost grass. It's best if you mix it with woody stuff as you put it on the heap. Newspaper will work at a pinch (not that we get those these days)
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #10 on: 01 June, 2016, 08:42:17 pm »
Council green-waste composting service?
They don't take these sorts of weeds.

Are you sure? Knotweed is a no-no, but anything else will be ok in a hot composting system such as they will use..
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #11 on: 02 June, 2016, 08:37:03 am »
Council green-waste composting service?
They don't take these sorts of weeds.

Are you sure? Knotweed is a no-no, but anything else will be ok in a hot composting system such as they will use..
100% certain. No 'invasive weeds'. That rules out Ground Elder,

Grass and woody stems go into the green bin for the council composting system.

Seems I've been mislead by google - Shinings Cranesbill is a native plant so technically not a weed and not invasive. So I can chuck that in the council green bin.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #12 on: 02 June, 2016, 03:18:35 pm »
I've got far too much couch grass at the allotment - I'm having a go at sticking the roots in water for about 6-8 weeks. Apparently the juice makes a good feed, and the mush will be fine to compost. 3 weeks in and it stinks to high heaven.
(At home it's fine to put it in the council bin - but in the garden it's mainly bindweed.

I wonder if 'invasive' from the OP's council means stuff like Japanese Knoweed?)


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caerau

  • SR x 3 - PBP fail but 1090 km - hey - not too bad
Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #13 on: 02 June, 2016, 03:26:44 pm »
Invasive could cover just about anything that's a weed - a weed is kind of invasive by definition surely.


Presumably anything that can regrow from just a small piece of root or is what they mean I guess.
It's a reverse Elvis thing.

Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #14 on: 02 June, 2016, 05:27:56 pm »
York defines invasive as:
 
Quote
Invasive weeds such as Japanese knotweed, Giant hogweed and Ragwort (seek advice on safe disposal from the Environment Agency)
The first two are non-native and the third is toxic to livestock.

I don't think ground elder, couch grass or bindweeds count.

caerau

  • SR x 3 - PBP fail but 1090 km - hey - not too bad
Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #15 on: 02 June, 2016, 06:24:16 pm »
Well quite - since they are native withholding them from compost heaps is not going to stop them.
It's a reverse Elvis thing.

Aunt Maud

  • Le Flâneur.
Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #16 on: 03 June, 2016, 05:34:16 am »
Ragwort is a vital food plant for the exceptionally beautiful Cinnabar moth.

Pancho

  • لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ
Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #17 on: 03 June, 2016, 12:55:29 pm »
Ragwort is a vital food plant for the exceptionally beautiful Cinnabar moth.

Is that the red & black moth? I find loads of these - probably because we're surrounded by ragwort, then.

Aunt Maud

  • Le Flâneur.
Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #18 on: 03 June, 2016, 08:42:29 pm »
That's the one.

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #19 on: 03 June, 2016, 09:52:39 pm »
I've just discovered that the eurocrats are trying to ban glyphosate for home use.  AAAGH!  VOTE:LEAVE!
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #20 on: 04 June, 2016, 07:10:40 am »
I've just discovered that the eurocrats are trying to ban glyphosate for home use.  AAAGH!  VOTE:LEAVE!

Yeah, round up the usual suspects  ;D

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #21 on: 04 June, 2016, 07:34:15 am »
Glyphosate on the pernicious weeds, cause I can never guarantee getting all the root, particularly thistles and bindweed in my garden,

As for composting, home heaps generally don't get hot enough to deal with those and sterilise them completely.  I tend to mix shredded office paper wate in mine when I have lots of grass.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Aunt Maud

  • Le Flâneur.
Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #22 on: 05 June, 2016, 06:02:34 am »
If you can find a barrow load of wood chip, grab it, as it makes a compost heap heat up nicely.

Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #23 on: 06 June, 2016, 09:01:09 am »
I've just discovered that the eurocrats are trying to ban glyphosate for home use.  AAAGH!  VOTE:LEAVE!
Or stock up...

Re: what to do with pernicious weeds?
« Reply #24 on: 09 June, 2016, 09:56:46 am »
I've just discovered that the eurocrats are trying to ban glyphosate for home use.  AAAGH!  VOTE:LEAVE!
Our home-grown Green Party are one of the main campaigners against glyphosate, as are 38degrees, etc, etc.

I'm really not sure what evidence is that it is so terrible. All weed killers are toxins.
<i>Marmite slave</i>