Composting invasives? Japanese honeysuckle, kudzu....

Hey all
wondering about the best way to compost invasive plants like Japanese honeysuckle and kudzu, the front of my property has them in abundance. Obviously I would harvest in the spring before they blossom and set seed, but I am wondering if it would be worthwhile to build a big steamer or something to thoroughly kill the vines and insure they don’t grow in my gardens after I chip and compost them. Have thought about just drying them to death but seems like roasting or steaming would make the process go along quicker and not take up space

Ben,

For my 2 cents, I like the idea of drying to death, but I would suggest doing it in a tub or something so that if the there is just one plant that aren’t 100% completely dead, regrowth won’t take over the garden bed.

I would want to make certain those plants are really, really completely dead.

Eric

Eric Hanson wrote:Ben,

For my 2 cents, I like the idea of drying to death, but I would suggest doing it in a tub or something so that if the there is just one plant that aren’t 100% completely dead, regrowth won’t take over the garden bed.

I would want to make certain that ... she's not only merely dead, she's really most sincerely dead.

Eric

Fixed that for you.  Sing in your favorite Munchkin voice...

Was thinking a drying rack is in order to keep it well off the ground. Kudzu is one thing, but that honeysuckle seem to take root just by looking at it. I can’t believe anybody actually plants the stuff

Ben,

Japanese honeysuckle is incredibly invasive stuff.  Every year I need to clear some from my trees.  I have some now that needs clearing.  I certainly wouldn’t want any in my garden.

Eric

Yeah it’s nasty, smells nice, blossoms make a wonderfully refreshing tea, but nasty.... keep ripping it up to keep it from progressing back into my land

Trace Oswald wrote:

Eric Hanson wrote:Ben,

For my 2 cents, I like the idea of drying to death, but I would suggest doing it in a tub or something so that if the there is just one plant that aren’t 100% completely dead, regrowth won’t take over the garden bed.

I would want to make certain that ... she's not only merely dead, she's really most sincerely dead.

Eric

Fixed that for you.  Sing in your favorite Munchkin voice...

I see what ya did there, and I love it

I think I may try my hand at building a big rocket powered steamer, and giving it a try..... it’s tough stuff, but can’t possibly survive steaming..... I have had success with fermenting it in barrels with urine, but that takes months and quite the stink when unloading into the compost

I've been fighting Japanese honeysuckle for nearly a decade.  I'll never win because it had such a head start and covers a lot of my woods edges and open bramble land.  But I can vouch for the fact that clippings don't re-root.  The roots can be pulled up to some extent and they also just dry out and die.  I chop and drop and it's obvious where I've worked.  

I presume you don't keep animals, or at least not enough of r the right kind to munch their way through the clippings.
If I was going to go as far as to use fire , I think I would make them into biochar.
A trench could be dug right near where they grow, and after quenching, filled back in.

Ruth Meyers wrote:I've been fighting Japanese honeysuckle for nearly a decade.  I'll never win because it had such a head start and covers a lot of my woods edges and open bramble land.  But I can vouch for the fact that clippings don't re-root.  The roots can be pulled up to some extent and they also just dry out and die.  I chop and drop and it's obvious where I've worked.  

yes it’s an uphill battle... but it does keep the soil nice

William Bronson wrote:I presume you don't keep animals, or at least not enough of r the right kind to munch their way through the clippings.
If I was going to go as far as to use fire , I think I would make them into biochar.
A trench could be dug right near where they grow, and after quenching, filled back in.

No I have only been at this land for a few years now, and haven’t gotten to the goats yet. Biochar sounds like a good idea, been wanting to build a hookaway retort for making charcoal anyhow

I'm in the other 'corner' of the country... the PNW, where we have English ivy, japanese knotweed, bindweed, etc... all in my garden! plus eager beaver stinging nettle, quack gass, etc.  Smalller stuff, including roots, truly drowns to certain death in a 55 gallon barrel... effluent/tea is good fertilizer.  Larger, rougher mass, including Hamalayan blackberry, can be dried and reduced to charcoal, then urine-inoculated into biochar.