Do I Compost Seeds and Weeds?

It started as merely collecting leaves for my compost pile, gathering them up so I have plenty all next year. Once the leaves were moved, I noticed I had some overgrown weeds along my fence- so those had to go. I ended up with a large bucket of weeds, not yet dried out. It’s organic material, but it’s something I do NOT want to keep coming back; do I “contaminate” my compost by adding weeds?  

Some compost piles will get hot enough to kill off any weed seeds, leaving you with perfectly spreadable compost that won’t bring unwelcome friends along with it. If your compost doesn’t get that hot, it is possible that those weed seeds are still viable. This could go for any seeds and nuts, including acorns and walnuts which are especially prevalent this time of year. (Curious about composting nuts and shells? Read more here.)

While putting weeds in your compost bin may result in a few rogue sprouts, I do it anyway.

Weeds are plants. They are not a disease out to get you and your yard. They are great for covering up food scraps, which helps to keep any unwanted pests from visiting. They tend to break down very quickly and can bulk up my compost pile.

If putting weeds in your pile and hoping for the best doesn’t sit well with you, you can always pull weeds early, before they have a chance to seed, to put your mind at ease. You can also dry them out before putting them in your bin, which can help prevent growth.

The only guarantees in life are death and taxes… and weeds. So you might as well put them in your compost pile.

Check out this past blog post for more weed composting tips. Tell us in the comments, do you compost weeds? 

Blogger: Sam Plante