Old compost

[nickpgood]

Hi

I've just started working on a community allotment and have been tasked with sorting out the compost. Nobody seems to know a lot about it so i've investigated and found the old heaps are full of a very dry, quite fine soil which doesn't look much like regular compost at all. The project is a few years old and i am wondering if this is degraded old plants and grass clippings and this is just what they look like after a couple of years? Really i guess i want to know if this stuff is worth spreading around the garden or not??

Thanks

Nick

[Jeanied]

Hi Nick and welcome to the vine! Maybe you should look at the soil you are working with before considering if this stuff is any use. So if it is dry and fine will that help with what you are working with? My lottie site is good loam with some big-ish stones and it dries out quite quickly - so I'm after moisture retention. When you wet this stuff, does it hold the water? On the other hand, if your plots are a bit stickier then this could be just the job to dig in over the winter to open up the texture - not sure where you are located so this may be more or less feasible depending on your weather.

[Two_Sheds]

The project is a few years old and i am wondering if this is degraded old plants and grass clippings and this is just what they look like after a couple of years?

Why did you have community heaps in the first place? Was it for weeds? Even so, well-rotted, it's good stuff. Check it through for live weeds eg. couch grass and bindweed.
If there's none, then get spreading it on the plots. It'll do nothing but good.

[rustylady]

Hi Nick. Any compost is good compost, provided it's well rotted. You don't say whereabouts you are - you can put your location on your profile, that way it will show up on your posts - town or county will do fine.

[Guzzik]

Start spreading the stuff. Wont do any harm. Or, do a PH check on it first. Some or most, garden centres sell a wee tube with a "pill" in it for checking soil.