Troubleshooting · 28 of 30
Weed seedlings in finished compost
Weed seedlings germinating in beds dressed with compost that was cold-composted or never exceeded 55 °C.
01Symptom
Weed seedlings germinating in beds dressed with compost that was cold-composted or never exceeded 55 °C.
02Why it happens
The pile never held 55 °C for three consecutive days, so seeds survived. Common in cold piles, tumbler batches and piles turned too rarely.
03What to do
- 01 Use the compost as a top dressing and hoe the seedlings off at the surface while they are small.
- 02 Drown seed heads in a bucket for two weeks before composting them.
- 03 Run a hot batch: 1 m³ minimum, turned every second day for 18 days.
- 04 Keep compost from a cold pile out of seed-raising mixes entirely.