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trudi_d

I'd like to use my home-made compost for seed sowing, but it's full o

trudi_d
11 years ago

{{gwi:2110464}}

This is a very, very easy fix.

I have used homemade compost to sow seeds in. Compost is great, it's rich in nutrients and retains moisture very well. The only drawback is that it can also contain plenty of seeds.

It's actually really easy to kill those weed seeds. I fill a 5-gallon bucket halfway up with compost (or you can use whatever container you have on hand that you think is fine.) I have that bucket of compost on the patio outside my kitchen door. Inside the kitchen I've got a full kettle on to boil. When I hear the kettle whistling I take it off the flame and take it outside and pour that boiling water into the bucket of compost.

Then I put a lid on the bucket....it doesn't have to be on tight, it's just to help hold the heat and steam in as long as it can. The boiling water and steam will kill the weed seeds. If you don't have a lid for the bucket then use a large piece of aluminum foil, or you can even use an old towel or blanket draped over the top.

I let the bucket of compost sit overnight so it's cool when I use it the next day. I can now use the compost for sowing seeds confident that the weed seeds have been killed. Also, another benefit of the boiling water treatment is that it will kill any soilborne diseases that might exist in the compost.

Good luck with your seeds!

Trudi

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