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G'Day All from Down Under!
We all have problems with weeds overrunning our gardens. Even in my neck of the woods in Oz where we have had drought for years the weeds continue to flourish, but after decent rain 'they go mad'.
If you believe, as I do, that weeds take so much goodness out of the ground, this is what I do to 'get my own back' and have the weeds return that goodness they have extracted.
Using a trowel or spade carefully lift the weeds out of the ground and remove as much of the soil as possible from the roots. If the weeds have ripe seeds, try not to vibrate or shake the weeds too much as this will cause the ripe seeds to fall to the soil, ready to bring on the next generation. Transfer the weeds to a boil-proof bucket, metal drum, or old saucepans or pots. Boil a kettle or two of water and scald the weeds, pouring enough boiling water over the weeds so they are fully submerged. Stir with an old stick to ensure the boiling water kills all living cells in the weeds and their seeds.
When cooled, strain off the water – now fully enriched with nutrients – and feed it to your choicest plants, either neat or diluted with some water to stretch it out a bit more. The boiled weeds are now ideal mulch for plants, and if piled up a few inches thick they present a sterilised mulch for plants. Alternatively, the boiled weeds can be composted for later use.
Aside from exacting revenge on those dreaded weeds you will see just how much soil is left behind when you strain off the water from the weeds. For many of us with poor soils or stoney ground it sure hits home that all that soil would otherwise have been thrown away if the weeds were simply disposed of in the usual way.
Do try the 'recipe' and report back here what you think.
Cheers.
Janek
We all have problems with weeds overrunning our gardens. Even in my neck of the woods in Oz where we have had drought for years the weeds continue to flourish, but after decent rain 'they go mad'.
If you believe, as I do, that weeds take so much goodness out of the ground, this is what I do to 'get my own back' and have the weeds return that goodness they have extracted.
Using a trowel or spade carefully lift the weeds out of the ground and remove as much of the soil as possible from the roots. If the weeds have ripe seeds, try not to vibrate or shake the weeds too much as this will cause the ripe seeds to fall to the soil, ready to bring on the next generation. Transfer the weeds to a boil-proof bucket, metal drum, or old saucepans or pots. Boil a kettle or two of water and scald the weeds, pouring enough boiling water over the weeds so they are fully submerged. Stir with an old stick to ensure the boiling water kills all living cells in the weeds and their seeds.
When cooled, strain off the water – now fully enriched with nutrients – and feed it to your choicest plants, either neat or diluted with some water to stretch it out a bit more. The boiled weeds are now ideal mulch for plants, and if piled up a few inches thick they present a sterilised mulch for plants. Alternatively, the boiled weeds can be composted for later use.
Aside from exacting revenge on those dreaded weeds you will see just how much soil is left behind when you strain off the water from the weeds. For many of us with poor soils or stoney ground it sure hits home that all that soil would otherwise have been thrown away if the weeds were simply disposed of in the usual way.
Do try the 'recipe' and report back here what you think.
Cheers.
Janek
(Wouldn't surprise me...)
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