Controlling weeds in compost heap

I have a rental property with a compost. The tenants have been putting weeds with seeds in it for many years, and bindweed grows over the top of the compost. In an effort to revamp the garden now, I am tempted to use the apparently beautiful soil from the bottom of this compost, but I'm concerned about spreading weed seeds. I did take out some of the soil and put it in a bare area of the garden. Left unplanted, it sprouted many weeds in two months. My questions:

• Is there anything I can do to get rid of the weed seeds in this compost without using chemicals?
• Would it be garden suicide to use this soil in a foundation planting or herbaceous border?
• If I obtained soil from a commercial source for these two areas, what kind of soil should I order?

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Mulch: a garden miracle

Sometimes I really miss the obvious. For years, I piled grass clippings and raked-up leaves in one corner of our yard while struggling to fight back weeds overtaking the garden in another. Finally the light dawned and I began to redistribute the piles of waste onto the beds as mulch. Now the garden is gaining a lovely sense of order with all the yard waste being recycled into a barrier that adds nutrients to the soil and protects it from invading weeds, erosion, frost and summer drought. more...

When is a weed not a weed?

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Weeds in pavers

I resurfaced my large driveway with interlocking pavers a number of years ago. Ever since then I have been plagued with weeds of all sorts. Some appear to be coming from seed, others from underground roots. What can I do? I don’t want to spray. more...

Clover taking over

I recently overseeded some bare patches in my lawn and now this strange weed seems to be popping up all over the place. The plant looks somewhat like clover and is easily removed when pulled._What is this mystery plant? How can I control it? more...

Weed control

I'm going crazy trying to keep my garden from being overrun by chickweed, shepherd's purse and other weeds. Is there a strategy I should be using? more...

Purple Loosestrife

When gardeners get together and discuss the Marsh Monster and the Beautiful Killer, they are not talking about the latest horror movie doing the circuit. Chances are they are discussing how to get rid of purple loosestrife, a pesky – but beautiful – plant. This weed with the tightly clustered pink-purple flowers still grows in many urban gardens, and is still causing trouble in Canada’s wetlands. more...