[Dimblebee]

Hello Everyone, I'm hoping you can advise me
This year we've decided to work on our compost heap. We inherited one (large wire mesh) when we got the allotment. Yesterday I built another bin (wooden) and started to turn the old one into the new to see what it was like.
I couldn't get the fork into it-matted with roots! The bin is surrounded by nettles and brambles but after a quick Google i think the real culprit might be the tree behind it coming up to steal the nutrients. Or maybe the nettles?
What should I do now? I'm considering:
Empty it as best i can and put down impermeable membrane to stop it happening again-but what about the useful creepy crawlies!?
Can I still use the compost i cut out even though it has tiny roots throughout?
What would you do?

[8doubles]

You should have a lot less root trouble on a new and active compost heap, the heat and ocasional turning will see to that.

[Christine]

Hello Everyone, I'm hoping you can advise me
This year we've decided to work on our compost heap. We inherited one (large wire mesh) when we got the allotment. Yesterday I built another bin (wooden) and started to turn the old one into the new to see what it was like.

That was the right thing to do with the old heap even if it wasn't successful

I couldn't get the fork into it-matted with roots! The bin is surrounded by nettles and brambles but after a quick Google i think the real culprit might be the tree behind it coming up to steal the nutrients. Or maybe the nettles?

Likely the nettles she says from experience

What should I do now? I'm considering:
Empty it as best i can and put down impermeable membrane to stop it happening again-but what about the useful creepy crawlies!?

That's what I would do and not to worry about the creepy crawlies, they seem to appear even from a new start heap.

Can I still use the compost i cut out even though it has tiny roots throughout?

I'd use any of the compost that you can get down to that state as a mulch on somewhere like uder raspberry canes or round the base of fruit bushes. If done now, the weather will sort it out over the winter and you can rake off anything untidy in spring and put on the next compost heap

[Dimblebee]

Thank you both for your advice. Composting seems such a fine art and I'm always worried with what I'll end up putting on our veg but putting it round the fruit bushes sounds like a good idea!

[jezza]

Hello just shake the good stuff out if you've any leaves they make good compost as the photo shows after 9 months jezza

[Dimblebee]

Oh wow, thank you! If my compost eventually looks like that I will be happy! Need to buy myself a seive....

[Ema]

Nettle roots are distinctively yellow.

If the are yellow I would be tempted to spray the neighbouring nettle plant on a warm day wait 2 weeks and then turn your heap. If you don’t want to spray or it’s something else then chop it up and sort all the roots from the compost