[Novice]

Firstly - apologies for my ignorance...
Over the years, my predecessor had piled up all the old grass etc he's skimmed off the top of the ( then ) full sized plot
The result is, just under a 1/4 of my plot banks up to about 3 feet high.
I have dug over 3 beds so far, and wondered if I could "re-level" the plot, using the nice stuff which has rotted down in my "mound"
I was planning to level it down, and just spread it around the uneven bits.
Is that OK to do, without digging it ?
Thanks

[John]

First - no need to apologise! Asking is how we gain knowledge.

Sounds like a good plan to me!

Despite 'no digging' being fashionable again my feeling is that it does a lot of good digging over but then again, my heavy clay needs it.

Do check that you haven't got a mass of couch grass roots in the pile - these look like white thin spaghettii. You don't want to be spreading a problem,

[olde9856]

If you have time or can be bothered with the work it would be a good idea to get a large holed riddle and riddle the soil spade by spade into a barrow. It will make life easier in the long term as you will get rid of large stones unwanted roots etc. I did this with 2 raised beds I made last year and I have not needed to do anything else to them simce.

[Novice]

Again..thanks for you feedback. I will be up there tomorrow after work ( luchtime finish on a Friday - hooray !! ) and seeing if I can borrow a barrow to start moving my mound. I don't think I have couch grass, as I haven't found any roots like you described John, but I have come across white roots which are coiled like a spring...most odd - any ideas ? I've quarantined these for disposal, as I don't think they're going to be friendly !!

[John]

Roots - drown 'em!
I'm quite serious - for things like dock and dandelion seem to be like Arnie the Terminator - they come back from the dead. So I stick them in a barrel of water or even the comfrey barrel. After a month they don't come back again.
That way you get the benefit of the nutrients they have 'stolen' without the problems.

[Novice]

John - as ever, thanks for your advice..the curly spring like roots are now out of quarantine, and in a bucket of water.
Here is today's starter for 10:
I've unearthed a HUGE pile of nettle roots...can I compost them ?
The only other organic waste is the dead nettles that grew out of them.
Thanks in advance....

[John]

Hi, nettle roots aren't usually too bad but I'd prefer some really dry weather to make sure they're dead. I often leave things like that on the path for a week or so before composting.

Sounds like you're winning at least.