What to do with old compost heap - an unknown quantity???

Wizwoo

We have an old compost heap on that side - it was there before we moved in and is about 4 ft x 4 ft open wooden frame and about a meter high. The thing is the couple who had our house before us weren't gardeners and we've found all sorts of rubbish in it - broken pots a whole plastic bag of mini bark chips (?) and about half way down a load of pine needles from a tree they cut down.

What should I do with this stuff. We've removed as much of the plastic / pottery stuff but without knowing what's in it would you put it on your beds?

Grudge_Turd

Remove as much rubbish as possible and slowly put it in your brown recycling bin, dont put too much in as they wont take it if it is too heavy!

Lotus-eater

I swear I'm having deja vu, did you post this before?

Anyway, I would take out the rubbish and use it, why not?

Wizwoo

Hi Lotus-eater,

I did add this to a message about digging over my garden (and creating a new bed) but no one got back to me about this specific issue.

The thing about using it is that I've had some bad experiences in the past. Someone on freecycle was giving away a load of compost that I then used on my beds- but I think they must have used someof that stuff that helps retain / absorb water and I had moulds of this gooey stuff all over the place.

Yuk!

Is there anyway of testing it / checking it?

Lotus-eater

If it looks like compost I'd use it. What do you want to test it for???
I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill.

fimonkey

Hey Wizwoo,

I use the moisture retainer stuff in my hanging baskets. Never had a problem with mould before. .. just my two penneth worth and always thought it was wonder-stuff!

Patchwork_Quilt

Bag it up and get rid of it if you are unsure. However, if there are pink healthy-looking worms in it and weeds on top, it should be ok

theoretica

I would use it, as you are digging it out you can sort out the unfortunate bits by eye and feel (wear gloves). I always have to sort compost as I dig it out as there are a few bits that need another year. Pine needles and bark chippings would be good in a bed where you want an acidic soil- I would mix them in a bit more and put them fairly low down. Plastic doesn't sound so helpful though.

If you want to get rid of it you could offer it to someone less fussy on Freecycle.

Wizwoo

Thanks for all your help.
Finmonkey - I should have said mounds (not moulds) of goo. To be honest I had no idea what it was and it was someone on here that suggested that this might be the answer. Once dug in it was OK though (but the soil I had then was heavy clay - so not good for it in the winter) it just looked a abit scary.

With regards to being fussy - it's not that - it's just a real lack of knowledge. I've bought bags of compost but never seen any in a composter. I really have no idea what it should look like plus what could be the possible implications (could I be creating future probelms).
We've looked at getting a composter and only now have the space. It's just this one is just in the wrong place (and is falling apart).

No sign of any worms in there at all though.

cjb02

It should be ok to use, once the rubbish is removed. any larger bits, put back in to another composter or garden waste council recycle bin.

Patchwork quilt has a good point, look for life in it. if there are worms and other creepy crawlies (and weeds) in there. then that's a good sign (that's the test you want), if it is totally rotted down, there wont be any worms in there though as they will have moved on to more food.

If you really are not sure, put it all in the council recycle bin, but I feel that would probably be a waste, especially if you are growing flower/veg/any kind of plants in your garden. You could also sample a bit, put some round a small area of your garden or around one plant and give it a few weeks to see what happens. I am sure it will be ok.

ALIBOBSY

A sieve might be the answer. A fairly quick way to sort out any obvious bits of plastic or rubbish that is no good and the resulting fine compost will then look and act much more like the bagged stuff from the shops.
Mind you my Dad was obsessed with sieving when I was little, use to help him so love sieving lol. He used to do all the top of the veggie patch and the beds as each go dug over lol. He sieved out so many bits of stones and bricks ove the years that he eventually used these to build a path up the garden (stones down cement over the top lol). Now thats what I call recycling.

Don't you love it when something reminds you of a happy childhood memory. I recently rediscovered gardening and growing your own and all those happy times ome flooding back

ali x