A properly maintained hot compost pile will kill weed seeds, as well as many other pathogens, so you can compost weeds without having to worry about them popping up in your garden beds. For hot composting to fully kill all weed seeds and roots, follow these tips: Turn the pile frequently.

Why should you not put weeds in compost?

The heat from your compost should damage and destroy roots and seeds so that your weeds will not propagate from the compost. However, for most of us, it isn't as easy as that. Unfortunately, most home compost bins do not get hot enough to destroy all seeds and roots.

Will compost kill weeds?

The composting process also naturally kills weed seeds. Properly managed, a compost pile should easily reach 140°F, which breaks down all organic matter, including weed seeds. ... These seeds can spread easily from one farm, field, or garden to another, multiplying the problem from one weed to thousands of new weeds.