[rachelsco]

18 months into  having my allotment my hubby has got around to digging the area about 15ft by 15 ft where the previous tenant had piled up turves to a height of about 6ft. (this is what my allotment neighbour says).  The top is fully nettled, and old fence panels are leaning against it, anyway there are 6 toads living there, so how best to carry on as it looks like their home will be demolished if he continues. 

by the way when the nettle roots peter out in the 'mound' it seems to be pure compost, is this normal?

thanks for your ideas folks

[devonbarmygardener]

I would try and keep a small area for nettles and toads perhaps.
Toads would be very beneficial since the local news just said that April's weather was perfect for slug breeding so we're having a major outbreak this year apparently!!
I have a wood pile just behind my shed and there are nettles growing there. Nettles are apparently the only place for red admiral butterflies to breed on.
I know I'm a cattypiddler hater but I do like to see the butterflies fluttering about.

Just wish they didn't pick my greens to lay their eggs on!

[azubah]

The turves would rot down to form great compost.

[Kirpi]

I would leave the turves to rot down to a wonderful loam you can use on your growing areas. In the meantime you could grow squashes and pumpkins on top of the heap so you are not wasting good growing room.

While this is happening, I would set out an area in shade to be a nice damp area of logs and ground cover plants, maybe even a small pond, so the toads will migrate to the better habitat.

Then you can take down the turves area bit by bit as you can.

Toads will find the darkness and damp under your shed if the base off the ground as it should be to stop it rotting.

Toads need dark and damp and something like piled logs to hide under. They don't need water like a pond, whereas frogs need water in which to breed, live and hibernate.

[angelavdavis]

You could create a small pond just using an old bucket, buried with a piece of wood at an angle in it so any creatures can escape if they fall in.  This could be in the middle of a flower border or corner out of the way, but it means that you are likely to get toadspawn next year so they will hang around.  In addition, as mentioned, a pile of stones or wood will also provide them with shelter (they do like soil though). 

Sounds like the turves have rotted down nice and I would simply pick out the nettle roots and reuse the compost.  Nice to have a surprise.  On my plot, I had a similar mound, but sadly mine consisted of solid clay and stones!  Oh well!!  You can't win them all!!!!

[rachelsco]

thankyou for your replies.  i am going to try to persuade my army of toads to stay by leaving thema small patch of nettles and giving them a sunken old bucket with something in it for them (or others) to climb in and out of, in the hope that they will reward me with toadspawn .  i must admit i rarely see a slug on my plot so they must eaten up by the toads.  how lucky i am, lol, (touchwood)

[Trillium]

Wish I was lucky enough to have resident toads. I used to have one but haven't seen it for about 2 years despite leaving it nice broken clay pots to live in. Suspect the resident garden snake ate it 

[tosca100]

Lucky you....built in slug protection.

Don't let anyone mess with your toads though, they are a protected species. Good for you wanting to keep them happy.