Drowned Weeds

[applestar]

I've talked about this in other threads before, but it merits it's own thread, don't you think?

So for those of you unaware, HG recommended drowning weeds in a bucket of water, covered for mosquito (and flies too, BTW) control, before adding them to the compost pile. He didn't say specifically, but I take it to mean those with insidious roots and/or mature seeds that might "take over" in the compost pile.

I've been doing that -- 5 gal bucket of water covered with a quarter folded (4 layers) of burlap tied with hay string. Keep adding (shoving down with a shovel) until can't add anymore. Dump into the compost pile next time I remember -- usually about 1 wk after the final weed was added.

Uncovered another batch today -- HOO WHEE! STRONG! Not bad, mind you, though my DD7 was quite offended More like kimchee, rice bran pickles, sauerkraut, good barrel pickles, etc. Definite lactobacillus fermentation going on. Interesting because the batch before this one smelled like horse manure. If you've ever smelled fresh horse manure -- BEFORE they go rancid -- they have a sort of sweet cloying odor.

Oh yeah. I just remembered. It may have something to do with the fact that I added June drop plums and apples...

Fearing neighborhood reprisals, I spread the stuff out and covered with equal depth of leaves, then added my weekly kitchen scraps/napkins/paper towels and cardboard tubes (TP, paper towels) and torn up brown bags. After the excess liquid was soaked up, putting the lid on the compost bin was enough to moderate the odor, but I'm guessing in an open bin, you'd REALLY have to bury them deep!


HG, what's your take on this? Do you think 1 week in fermenting liquid, followed by composting is sufficient to neutralize the June drops?

[Charlie MV]

Were the weeds and seeds dead after a week?

[applestar]

I couldn't guarantee that the seeds were dead. The weeds were most certainly dead. Mushy, if you know what I mean. But like I said in your other thread, putting the drowned weeds and the highly aromatic drowning broth in the compost pile with lots of browns really kicked the pile into high gear and got super hot for the first time ever... and stayed hot. So that might have finished the seeds off.

[Toil]

apple, aren't you doing bokashi??

here is an option, with a result that is not so wet:

1) put weeds in a plastic bag together with some fermented bran or spritz a bit of full undiluted EM (optional).

2) Put a flat board on top. Put something heavy on the board to push out the air.

3)Don't use a drawstring, bunch up the end and tie a knot in the bag.

4)Forget about it for a month or more.

5)after a while the material loses lots of volume. You can either throw it on your pile, or try this idea I have not tested: mix the finished silage with more weeds, and keep doing that until your finished silage fills the whole bag.


The resulting silage will heat up your pile big time. Alternatively, you can gather a big pile of material, put a tarp on it, and put heavy stuff on the tarp. One day I will see if the silage can keep a pile going all winter. I figure I can fill several bags before winter. Then, a few days before I want to stoke the pile, I bring a frozen bag of silage inside.

[applestar]

PICKLED WEEDS! I LOVE IT!!!


-- I'll definitely give this a try.