Weed seeds in compost and mulch - Pre-emerge??

I got a great load of free mulch from the city recycle center, dumped in on top of a bunch of rye grass (no where else to put it), until I got my bins ready to store it. When I raked it up I got tons of rye grass seeds in it. I want to use it for compost as well as mulch so my question is, since it's all carbon based plant material (brown), would it work to mix a pre-emerge fertilizer in it and water it in good? My thinking was that the nitrogen from the fertilizer would help break down the mulch and the pre-emerge would hopefully stop all that rye grass from sprouting. Am I off track here? I'm a newbie at this.

Hello Artdollist, when you say pre-emerge fertilizer, I suppose you are talking about chemical fertilizer. I you are, and you want to make organic compost, you would be defeating the purpose by using chemicals.
However using the fertilizer like you said would make compost for you, and possibly kill the seeds since that is one of the uses for it, but remember, the purpose of compost is not just to add organic matter to your soil, it is meant to feed your plants with food as it occurs in nature.

You could accomplish the same thing by using manure instead of the fertilizer, and be sure the compost heats up, that will kill the seeds too, without adding chemicals to you compost.

I hope I helped, let me know if you have other questions.
Josephine.

thanks for your reply Josephine. Unfortunately I don't have a hot compost set-up, just the "pile it in a bin and let it go". I'm not deadset on staying organic so I wasn't really as worried about the chemicals as I was about having that perenial rye coming up in everything. However, I looked on the weed seed list on some pre-emerge yesterday and rye wasn't listed as one of the weeds it would effect so I guess that's not a solution either. This is my first year of serious gardening so I have a lot to learn. Should've had the forsight to kill that rye before I piled the mulch on there.
But hindsight is 20-20 and I'll know next time. thanks again...pam

Hi,
Below is a message I left on another forum. You should be able to adjust the bacteria/fungi balance (same as the carbon/nitrogen balance) to get rid of the grass, OR perhaps the heat from the pile will destroy the seed. So, yes, you do need a balance for the compost to work. You also need air (turning). AND, any chemical additive will be an impediment to the workings of the heap.

Much of the SFI information is free. Another link is:
http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/pages/g00030.asp

If you like, I could provide more links.
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I've been using compost tea with other organic fertilizers and some additional sources of microorganisms in my vegetable garden and with my shrubs and trees.

This method is extremely effective. If you can get the right balance of bacteria and fungi (which isn't hard, really), you'll find less weeds, diseases, and pests! With compost tea, even the rabbits leave my garden alone.

Go to:
[HYPERLINK@www.soilfoodweb.com]
for more.
Lois

Try adding corn gluten meal to the pile.

1. It has proven pre-emergent properties
2. It is an excellent source of nitrogen (10%) that will heat up your piles.

Hope this info is helpful.

best of luck,
Don

Thanks for all the info. I have a ways to go before I'm anywhere near knowledgeable about this stuff. This year is my first vegetable garden as well. I found this site a couple months ago and just joined. Love it!! I'll read up on all the links you all provided. Thanks again...pam

Lois:
are you using your compost tea as a spray?
if it works on bunnies does it also help w/deer??
Thx!
tt

Yes, we use a spray. I have no proof that it works on deer, but I'd bet on it. A very healthy plant is of much less interest to any pest than a weak one. Our belief (which has been documented) is that "pests" are actually nature's garbage collectors. This includes insects, diseases, etc.

I would think a nice, juicy, healthy daylily would be much more appetizing to a deer than a spindly, sick one. *slurp*