I have used homemade compost to sow seeds in. Compost is great, it's rich in nutrients and retains moisture very well. The only drawback is that it can also contain plenty of seeds.
It's easy to kill those weed seeds. Fill a 5-gallon bucket halfway up with compost (or use whatever large container you have on hand.) Have the bucket of compost outside, but closest to your kitchen door. In the kitchen bring a full kettle of water to boil. When the kettle is boiling, remove it from the flame and take it outside. Carefully and slowly, to avoid splashing, pour the boiling water into the bucket of compost.
Put a lid on the bucket....it doesn't have to be on tight, it's just to help hold the heat and steam in as long as it can. The boiling water and steam will kill the weed seeds. If you don't have a lid for the bucket then use a large piece of aluminum foil, or use an old towel or blanket draped over the top.
Let the bucket of compost sit overnight so it is cool when used the next day. You can now use the compost for sowing seeds confident that the weed seeds have been killed. Also, another benefit of the boiling water treatment
is that it will kill many soilborne diseases that might exist in the compost.
U.S. Enviromental Protection Agency
Compost Website of William Edward Cureton II
Our dear friend Bill!
captaincompostalabama.com
