Weeds have many nutrients so they are a great addition to the compost pile, but you do not want compost filled with viable weed seeds. The best time to take care of weeds is when they are small and have not established deep roots or seed heads (easier to pull, too, especially if ground is still moist).
Rule 1: Compost weeds before they go to seed. Rule 2: If weeds have already gone to seed, compost them in a hot compost pile. Temperatures of 55 to 60 C (130 to 140 F) will kill most weed seeds. Rule 3: If you are not hot composting, kill the weeds before going to the bin by drying them in the sun.
You can add clippings to the backyard compost pile. Composting involves mixing grass clippings and other plant materials with a small amount of soil containing microorganisms that decompose organic matter. Grass clippings are excellent additions to a compost pile because of their high nitrogen content.
-- both weed and garden plants -- can survive during the cold composting process. However, Grimm points out that garden soil already has thousands of seeds, so cold compost can actually have fewer per volume.
Soft green wastes, like grass clippings, weeds etc can work well as worm food, but it is best to moisten them, mix them with 'brown' materials like fall leaves or shredded cardboard, and let them rot for a bit.
This experiment found that glyphosate alone was more toxic to earthworms than were either of two Roundup® formulations commonly used in urban settings.
When the experiment was over, the scientists discovered that the use of Roundup did have a negative effect on the natural burrowing time of earthworms. Patterns were found in the data. One pattern that emerged was that most of the concentrations of Roundup were statistically significant.
A: You can hot compost them to kill off weed seeds and roots. Q: Can you put weeds into a compost pile? A: You can, but you'll have to wait for the weeds to break down to use the compost. This can take up to two years for some weeds in a cool compost heap.
Although sun-drying weeds for 2 to 3 weeks or soaking them for 2 to 3 months kills the weeds and their seeds, it won't break them down completely. Compost that's 115 to 140°F can kill 90% of some weed seeds within hours to days, but these weeds won't be fully composted.
You'll be amazed just how quickly weeds can grow in compost. Weed seeds or roots that have been left near the surface of the pile will germinate and start to grow. Invasive plant species have adapted over millennia to grow in the harshest conditions.
Cardboard in the compost heap
Roughly torn into pieces cardboard will rot down well in the compost heap so long as it is mixed in with greens and not layered. Corrugated cardboard works even better because the corrugations hold it open until they decompose.
As a rule of thumb, actively decomposing materials should be turned every three to four days. Materials with slowed microbial activity can be turned less often. In tumblers, turning two times a week resulted in higher temperature and faster decomposition than turning once a week or once every other week (Figure 1).
Using Bleach to Kill Weeds Permanently
Apply one cup of bleach, undiluted, to the afflicted area. Wait until the weeds turn brown before pulling them out of the ground. Run water around the area to flush the bleach, especially if you are trying to grow plants or grass in that area.
Compost tumblers were designed primarily for grass clippings as the tumbling action aerates the grass and assists in its rapid decomposition. If you don't have one, either spread the clippings thinly over garden beds or pile them up separately, moistening them down between each grass-catcher load.
A broad leafed weed, is both edible and medicinal. The young leaves can be eaten raw, steamed, boiled, sautéed, or made into a tea. The leaves can be crushed and applied topically for insect bites or minor burn relief.
Try to pull weeds and compost them before they go to seed; otherwise, dry out the weeds or create a hot compost pile to destroy the seeds. Your hot compost pile must reach temperatures of 130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit for three days to effectively destroy the seeds.
Banana peels are a great ingredient for your compost or worm farm, adding lots of nutrients to the organic recycling process.
Test whether the compost is ready...
Decomposition will be complete anywhere from two weeks to two years depending on the materials used, the size of the pile, and how often it is turned. Compost is ready when it has cooled, turned a rich brown color, and has decomposed into small soil-like particles.
In cold composting, you simply keep adding material to your compost pile without turning it. It is in contrast to hot composting, where you turning the compost pile regularly to create heat during the composting process.
Hot composting is an aerobic (with oxygen) process whereby oxygen-needing microorganisms use heat to rapidly decompose organic wastes. In contrast, cold composting is an anaerobic (without oxygen) process when microorganisms that don't need oxygen to live slowly ferment organic wastes.
Answer: There should be no problem using your compost if you used the herbicides according to directions and if the ones you used are those commonly used in combination with fertilizer to kill broadleaf weeds in lawns.
It degrades at a relatively rapid rate in most soils, with half-life estimated between 7 and 60 days [12]. Many studies have indicated that the presence of glyphosate in the soil can enhance microbial activity [32,33], while some studies have also shown the toxic effects of glyphosate on soil microorganisms [34].
Does Roundup Poison the Soil? Roundup manufacturer Monsanto claims the use of their product is safe and does not result in toxic soil. However, one USDA microbiologist begs to differ. According to Robert Kremer, phosphorus-rich soil can result in glyphosate teaching into the groundwater and contaminating it.