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Putting sticky weed in the compost heap, good idea or not?

Elizabeth36Elizabeth36 Posts: 7
in Problem solving
Will I be storing up trouble for following years.  The compost is usually more than a year old before I use it as a mulch etc 

Posts

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    cleavers?
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I think as long as it isn't flowering (or showing any seedheads), you should be okay. Personally, I would chop it up as small as possible.
  • pbffpbff Posts: 433
    If you mean Galium aparine, Cleavers (or Goose-grass as it is also known), then it is an annual weed and fine to compost provided it is not at the seed-bearing stage.
    Stems with seeds on should not be composted, as the seeds can remain dormant for a very long time.
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  • Elizabeth36Elizabeth36 Posts: 7
    Thank, yes cleavers and we have oceans of it, I think the wildlife using our wooded area do a good job of distributing it!
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    We've always called it Sticky Willy.
    I think it's a Scottish thing.
    Devon.
  • Green MagpieGreen Magpie Posts: 806
    We (I'm Scottish born) called it Sticky Willie, but my (grown-up) daughters found this produced to much sniggering from their kids, so they call it Sticky Weed in their families. And yes, I think it's OK to compost, as long as you are proactive and pull it up before it sets seed.
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    We call it Sticky Back 
  • ThankthecatThankthecat Posts: 421
    Always called it cleavers where I grew up in the south east, although I think my kids, who grew up in Devon, called it something different. I'd go ahead and compost as long as it's not actually got seeds - it's not exactly difficult to weed out if you do get a few growing in your borders next year :)
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I read somewhere it's the only annual weed which will regrow if you remove the top growth. No idea if that's true or not.
    Devon.
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    My mother calls it sweetheart vine because it's clingy.
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