Monday, November 21, 2011

Weed Tea Problem

Two posts back I mentioned using the wheelie bins to make weed tea.

After about 2 months or so they didn't stink and so I thought the whole mix had become matured.

However when I scooped out some of the water- I found that was totally incorrect - IT STANK LIKE RAW SEWAGE. It stank so bad that my hands stank of the filth for days afterwards despite repeated washing using all manner of soaps and anti-bacterial agents - I didn't use rubber gloves.

I think what happened was that the top layer of water did in effect mature and stopped stinking - but the oxygen was not able to penetrate to the lower levels - but once I gave it a stir - the O2 got into the composting material and ripen the whole mix.

I emptied the dead weeds into the council green waste bins. And after a week, they still stink.

I've been slowly and very carefully removing the waste weed tea water and emptying into the compost bins to hasten the rotting process in those containers.

But the stink is so bad I wish I had a full haz-med suit.

I think a solution might be to use smaller bins - and keep them well away from the house and washing drying clothes area.

However the whole idea seems OK. The weeds looked totally dead and consumed, not sure about their seeds of course (only time can tell).

The compost bins are also rich with plenty of worms. Not sure how they take the weed tea but I suspect that it will help to hasten the rotting process of the contents of the static compost bins.

Post script 2012.

Looks like some of the oxalis bulbs are actually surviving being soaked in the stink. Incredible.

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