New Allotment! Compost Heap and Tidying Advice Appreciated

[Newt]

Hi All!

I'm Newt. I finally took over an allotment plot 2-3 weeks ago after struggling to find any local allotments with waiting lists shorter than 7 years! Used to help my great-grandparents with their allotment when I was a kid, and managed my mum's veg garden after she got bored of it, but it's been about 15 years since I moved out of home and a while since I had to manage anything more than about 5 square feet of concrete! So I'd really be grateful for advice and will be reading everything on here.

I'd really be grateful for some advice re: the compost heap the previous owner of my allotment made as it's... in a bit of a state.



Unfortunately I don't have any close-up photos of the compost heap, but you can see it to the left of the shed in this image. The issues with it right now are:

• The compost heap is over-full which has caused the pallet at the from to tear away from the rest of it and lean alarmingly, with anything added to the heap falling out the sides
• The walls of the heap - pallets and some old corrugated iron - are badly rotted and rusted from damp and poor management.
• The heap actually extends back about 8 feet from the front pallet right up to a brick wall I can't reach, and the back half of it looks like it only accidentally became part of the heap
• The contents of the heap don't appear to include much actual compost. The bottom 60% of it appears to be compacted clay soil moved by the previous owner when flattening out a space for the shed
• There is a vast amount of trash dumped in the top half of the heap and we keep finding more of it
• The shed door faces South, meaning that the compost heap is always behind the shed and in full shade, so no warmth or sun ever gets to it

30 minutes digging in the compost heap produced this pile!

Am I right in thinking that this heap is in need of dismantling, clearing of rubbish and wholesale removing in favour of a smaller one in a better location? And can anyone suggest sensible steps I should take in tackling it?

[DannyK]

No pictures!

[Jungle Jane]

You're probably right though,dismantle,use what you can from the heap,sounds more like a rubbish heap

[burnie]

I can see the pictures. To answer your question, I'd dig out the "compost heap" and build a good one and at least you'll know it's worth having. If there's nothing worth having get some pallets(you might find some for free) and put the heap where it gets some sun on a clean bit of earth. Dig out the old heap, if there's anything any good spread it on the veg patch and let the winter do it's work.

[Greenleaves]

Interesting burnie, I can't see them either??

[bario1]

I can't even see links, never mind pictures!

Sounds like the whole heap needs flattening, use what's useable and dispose of the rubbish... and you'll have a lot more space afterwards!

[veggiechicken]

Hi All!

I'm Newt. I finally took over an allotment plot 2-3 weeks ago after struggling to find any local allotments with waiting lists shorter than 7 years! Used to help my great-grandparents with their allotment when I was a kid, and managed my mum's veg garden after she got bored of it, but it's been about 15 years since I moved out of home and a while since I had to manage anything more than about 5 square feet of concrete! So I'd really be grateful for advice and will be reading everything on here.

I'd really be grateful for some advice re: the compost heap the previous owner of my allotment made as it's... in a bit of a state.



Unfortunately I don't have any close-up photos of the compost heap, but you can see it to the left of the shed in this image. The issues with it right now are:

• The compost heap is over-full which has caused the pallet at the from to tear away from the rest of it and lean alarmingly, with anything added to the heap falling out the sides
• The walls of the heap - pallets and some old corrugated iron - are badly rotted and rusted from damp and poor management.
• The heap actually extends back about 8 feet from the front pallet right up to a brick wall I can't reach, and the back half of it looks like it only accidentally became part of the heap
• The contents of the heap don't appear to include much actual compost. The bottom 60% of it appears to be compacted clay soil moved by the previous owner when flattening out a space for the shed
• There is a vast amount of trash dumped in the top half of the heap and we keep finding more of it
• The shed door faces South, meaning that the compost heap is always behind the shed and in full shade, so no warmth or sun ever gets to it

30 minutes digging in the compost heap produced this pile!

Am I right in thinking that this heap is in need of dismantling, clearing of rubbish and wholesale removing in favour of a smaller one in a better location? And can anyone suggest sensible steps I should take in tackling it?

[IMG]https://imgur.com/jqyQLRL[/IMG

[IMG]https://imgur.com/iFv9Uaw[/IMG

These are the links. You can see them if you "reply with quote" but not the images! I've had to remove the last ] as the copied links disappear if its there

[Jungle Jane]

Thanks for the links,I can see the photos now,bits of netting come in handy for peas & recycle the plastics & cans,the soil can be used,bits of brick are handy or recycling centres take wood,rubble,old electricals etc.

[KevinM67]

I can't see anything either - is it a device thing ?

[veggiechicken]

https://imgur.com/jqyQLRL

https://imgur.com/iFv9Uaw

They're links to images on imgur so you have to copy the links and put them in a search thingy. -
EDIT - my links work for newt's images

[lolie]

I can't see anything either - is it a device thing ?

It's a syntax thing. To get the imgur link which works on BB code, you have to select "get links" from a drop down menu and then select the forums option. Sometimes it takes a while for the "get links" option to appear if you've uploaded a high resolution photo.

[Jimny14]

From what I can see from the pictures (cheers VC) it looks like you've got the bones of a good plot, nothing a good tidy, weeding and general titivate wouldn't sort. Compost heap wise it appears you have something closer to a rubbish heap. I'd be inclined to make a new heap sort the old one, bin the rubbish and put anything compostable in the new one to give you a head start.

[Jay-ell]

Them images didn't show because thee links were links to web pages rather than directly to an image and the forum soft ware just goes "Nah, that's not an image"

Anyway looks like you need to start a new compost bin and work your way through the pile of stuff you have to riddle out the rubbish and cart it off to the tip.

[KevinM67]

https://imgur.com/jqyQLRL

https://imgur.com/iFv9Uaw

They're links to images on imgur so you have to copy the links and put them in a search thingy. -
EDIT - my links work for newt's images

Cheers VC - can see them now.

Anyway, what was the topic again ?

[Newt]

Thank you all so much for the advice!

Sorry about the pictures - I must have messed up the way I posted them.

Yeah, the allotment plot itself is in pretty good shape considering - I'm planning to alter the layout of the beds to be easier for me to work, widen the path to the right as it's too narrow for a wheelbarrow, and generally tidy it, but so far digging out the beds is going pretty quick and easy.

There's definitely a lot of trash in that compost heap though! I've got a few days off work now so hopefully I can get it decently cleared, or at least easier to access and work on!