Topic: Dead Weeds, dig in or remove?

[Aylana]

My new plot (still get excited everytime I say that) was sprayed with weedkiller before I took it on, so is now just a lumpy mass of dead weeds and grass.  Is it safe to just dig them in or should I remove them all and try and get the roots out too?  Is it likely that bits of the roots have survived and are just waiting to plague me in the future?

[the_snail]

It depends on the type of weed and the type of weed killer used.

If it was a systemic weed killer (Like Roundup) that contains glyphosate then it would have killed the pland from the top all the way down to the root. Then personally I would think you are ok to dig it in. But if it is something like couch grass or bindweed then to be safe I would take out any root you see. If you miss some then you can say atleast it might be dead.

The_Snail

[grawrc]

Difficult to tell at this time of year what is dead and what is dormant waiting for more hours of daylight and more warmth to grow again. Also, when was the weedkiller applied? Weedkillers tend to be more efficient when weeds are making active growth, so again I wouldn't count on everything being dead yet.

Any real nasties I would try to remove as the Snail suggests.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I dig everything out and compost it. It sounds as though you've got far too much for a dalek, so pile it up, cover it with black plastic and leave it for a year or so.

[Meg]

I dig everything out, compost but couch grass roots etc I put in bags take home for the bin. There are books and probably a site that you can see pictures of what you can put on compost.

[delboy]

If you have a spare, preferably black, dustbin, put water in it and throw even the couch grass and bindweed into it, cover the bin and leave it for 6 months or more through spring and summer, and the roots of these nasties will be stone dead without glyphosate use.

Putting them on a standard compost heap is, on the other hand, asking for trouble!

Or burn them!

[Robert_Brenchley]

I find that two years in the compost heap will kill them as dead as anything. When I spread it I pick out whatever's still alive, and chuck it back in; it never survives the second incarceration. If I do miss something, it's so weakened it doesn't establish itself, and comes out easily when I harvest whatever I'm growing just there.

[grawrc]

Me too Robert. I find that works every time.

[Aylana]

Thanks everyone!  This site is great, so many helpful people!