Check out our new brochure on noxious weed disposal.

Toxic, Noxious WeedsDry material of some toxic plants remainstoxic for years. It is best to dispose of toxic,noxious weeds to prevent accidental exposureand poisoning. Poisonous plants left on sitecould harm people as well as animals that mayfeed on the dead plants.For all toxic, noxious weeds, wear protectiveclothing and eye protection to preventaccidental exposure. Do not compost or put inyard waste.Examples of toxic, noxious weedsPoison hemlock (Conium maculatum)–Remains toxic for several years after beingpulled. Bag and remove entire plants.Tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)–Driedplants are more palatable to animals so besure to remove plant material from pasturearea. Toxicity of the plant remains when it isdried and baled in hay.Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)–Wear protective clothing and eyewear–do nottouch plant parts as they contain a toxic sap.Carefully bag plants and dispose.Houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale)–Watch <strong>out</strong> for the seeds that readily stick toclothing and shoes. Plants should be removedfrom site as dried plant parts are still toxic.Spurge laurel (Daphne laureola)–Clip andbag stems with seeds to avoid inadvertentlydispersing the seed during control work.Aquatic plantsNoxious weed control in aquatic areastypically requires a permit, please contacty<strong>our</strong> county noxious weed control boardto learn more before controlling aquaticnoxious weeds.A number of aquatic noxious weeds, likeEurasian milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)and Brazilian elodea (Egeria densa) canbe dried <strong>out</strong> on dry land, far away fromwater, and when dry, composted or addedto gardens. Make sure to contain allplant parts while transporting plants asmany aquatic, noxious weeds can spreadvegetatively by small plant fragments.Contact UsIf you have questions ab<strong>out</strong> disposingnoxious weeds or noxious weeds ingeneral, we can help. Please contact us at:WA State Noxious Weed Control BoardP.O. Box 42560Olympia, WA 98504360-725-5764http://www.nwcb.wa.govEmail: noxiousweeds@agr.wa.govOr contact y<strong>our</strong> local county noxiousweed control board:Noxious WeedDisposalGiant hogweedflowerheadwith seedsbeing baggedfor disposal.Use a strongplastic bag.Thomas B. Denholm, New JerseyDepartment of Agriculture, Bugwood.orgWashington AdministrativeCodes (WAC)Sections WAC 16-752-620 and WAC16-752-515 of Washington’s quarantinelaw allow the transport of quarantinednoxious weeds for the purpose of disposalto sanitary landfills and other appropriatelocations.King County NWCBThis <strong>brochure</strong> is based on Guidelines for Disposal of TerrestrialInvasive Plants by The Connecticut Department of Energy andEnvironmental Protection and the University of Connecticut,2011; Methods for Disposing Non-Native Invasive Plants, InvasivesSpecies Outreach Group, University of New Hampshire 2010.Cover image: Frances Lucero, King County NWCBwhat to do withnoxious weedmaterialDisposal methods of noxious weedmaterial can vary depending on theplant species, growth stage of the plantand quantity of plant material.

Disposing noxious weedmaterialControllingnoxious weedscan generatesmall to largeamounts ofplant material.Properlymanaging andhandling this material, as well as soil thatmay contain roots or seeds, will help preventthe spread and reestablishment of thesenoxious weeds. Conduct as much noxiousweed control as possible before plants flowerand develop seed. Also, by controllingnoxious weeds earlier in the season, beforethey are finished growing, there will be lessplant material to manage.For questions ab<strong>out</strong> disposal and controloptions, contact y<strong>our</strong> county noxious weedcontrol board for information and assistancethat is specific to y<strong>our</strong> county. Somecounties have specific disposal requirementsor provide financial assistance to residentsdisposing their noxious weeds.General TechniquesIf plants are flowering, cut and bag flowerswhen possible to prevent seed developmentand dispersal. Seal bags and put them inthe trash. Noxious weeds that are treatedwith herbicide may be left in place withsome exceptions (see toxic, noxious weedinformation).Woody and Herbaceous Material:Small amounts of woody plant materialthat do not have seeds and do not spreadvegetatively, can be controlled by pulling orcutting plants and leaving them on site withroots exposed to dry, making a brush pile,chipping or burning. If seeds are present,leave on site and pile and cover with a tarp orburn, and monitor the area for <strong>new</strong> plants.For small amounts of herbaceous materialsthat do not have seeds and do not spreadvegetatively, plants can be composted, pulledand bagged, pulledor cut and left onsite to dry with rootsexposed (as long asplants are not toxic).For large amounts of material with<strong>out</strong> seeds,pull or cut plants then pile, tarp and monitorthe area for any re-spr<strong>out</strong>ing material.Drying: Plant parts with<strong>out</strong> flowers or seedsthat will not spread vegetatively, can be lefton the ground and monitored as they dry <strong>out</strong>.Plant parts that don’t have flowers or seeds butmay still spread vegetatively should be left ontarps, pavement or other surfaces that preventthem from taking root in the soil.Pile and Tarp: For large amounts, pile plantmaterial on sheet of plastic or tarp andsecurely cover with another tarp to preventlight and water from reaching plant parts andto keep plant parts contained. Leave plantstarped until material is completely dried <strong>out</strong>.Bag and Trash: For toxic plants and smallinfestations of noxious weeds, the entire plantcan be removed and sealed into a plastictrash bag and disposed. When possible, allowbagged plants to rot in a sunny location, thendispose of in regular trash.Municipal Yard Waste: Some city compostfacilities may be hot enough to kill noxiousweed material. Contact y<strong>our</strong> local countynoxious weed control board or wastemanagement to see if this option is available.When moving noxious weeds in a vehiclefor disposal, make sure to secure plantmaterial so none can escape duringtransport. Clean the vehicle and equipmentof any noxious weedmaterial to preventthe spread of seedsand vegetative parts.Also remember toclean y<strong>our</strong> shoes andclothing of any seeds,plant parts and soilthat may contain noxious weed seed andpropagating plant parts.Chipping and Compost: Woody plantsthat do not spread vegetatively can bechipped and left on site to compost. Chipbefore plants flower and develop seed.Burning: May be an option, especially forlarge amounts of plant material. However,burn only in accordance with all federal,state, and local laws and ordinances andpermits. Monitor weather conditions priorto ignition to avoid hazardous fires. It isnot advisable to burn some plants, such astoxic plants.Thurston County NWCBComposting at HomeMost home compost piles do not get hotenough to kill seeds or plants, so only addnoxious weeds that do not have flowersor seeds and do not spread vegetatively.Do not home compost toxic plants. Anumber of <strong>our</strong> noxious weeds can spreadvegetatively by plant fragments. Forexample, roots, stems and leaf parts ofthese species can develop roots and spr<strong>out</strong><strong>new</strong> plants, which can escape compost pilesas well as illegal dump sites and spread intonatural areas. Do not put these noxious weedsin home compost piles. Periodically monitory<strong>our</strong> compost area for any escaping weeds.Examples of vegetatively spreading noxiousweeds: yellow archangel (Lamiastrumgaleobdolon), purple loosestrife (Lythrumsalicaria) yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus),knotweeds: Japanese, Bohemian, giant andHimalayan, (Polygonum cuspidatum, P. xbohemicum, P. sachalinense, P. polystachyum)and f<strong>our</strong> selections of English ivy (Hederahelix ‘Baltica’, Hedera helix ‘Pittsburgh,and Hedera helix ‘Star’; Hedera hibernica‘Hibernica’).Yellow archangel growing in a natural areafrom illegal yard waste dumping. Cut stemscan form roots at the leaf nodes and quicklygrow and take over a <strong>new</strong> area.