Composting Stinging Nettles

One of the joys of community composting where organic materials are dropped off by members  is that you never know what  you will find in the Reception bin or how much understanding of composting those delivering the materials will have. This week is a case in point  I had a load of stinging nettles amongst the other waste. These had reached full hight and had been pulled up so that the roots where included. As the roots will survive cold composting and may survive hot composting if high enough temperature is not held  it is better to separate the roots form the plants. The roots can then be dried and composted once they are dried up and dead or drowned.  On this occasion I am drying them on the rack shown which will be covered . This rack consists of old bakery trays rescued from a skip  at a local pub  and allows several layers of roots to be dried.

If pulling up nettles from your own plot it is easied to cut the tops off before pulling them up compost the tops and then pull up the roots. 

The remains of the plants can be chopped up and used to form a green accelerant  layer in the compost bin.

Details of drowning nettles and other plants  to make liquid feed are given at : http://www.carryoncomposting.com/142941460

 The photo shows some of the  roots on the rack at the tops ready to be taken to the bin and cut into short lengths.