If you can, I would put some barrier on the ground beneath the compost. I had the same problem with tree roots coming up into a planter the other owner had put right beside a tree.I just did away with the planter.

It won't hurt the tree, those roots will just go elsewhere.

Thanks! What kind of barrier did you use? They sell plastic that has tiny holes in it to allow water drainage and to prevent grass from growing up into your garden, but do you think the roots would grow through it? The bed is about 4x25 feet. I should of asked this question last week, because now I am going to have to rake out leaves to put down the barrier. If I don't do something, then next year I will have even more roots.

The weed barrier should help at least for awhile. It might depend of what kind of trees you have. Are they sending up suckers or is it just fine roots?

I think concrete blocks are only about a dollar apiece and would keep out any kind of roots. Would that work?

I have never tried landscape cloth for you purpose so I don't know if it would work. I have been buying woven plastic heavy duty landscape cloth off the roll at a local garden center. It is black with a fuzzy texture on the bottom side. It is what the nursery uses as a barrier to set their pots on - much tougher than the flimsy plastic sheets with holes. Hitting it with a shovel would not make a hole.

Christie-I think I would need a 100 blocks to layer the compost pile, so I couldn't afford that. But, I do like the idea of buying a little at a time and laying them down each year. Because Helen is right a shovel would tear any plastic I put down unless it was heavy duty.

It got me thinking that I do have some old wood. I could put down some concrete blocks and then lay the rest with wood until I could afford more blocks next year. You guys are great! Now I can have my compost back. No more fighting the trees for it. Thanks Gldno, Christie and Helen you have helped me solve my problem.
Ann

Ann, I thought I posted yesterday; either didn't hit send or something.

I was thinking of something solid, like a sheet of treated plywood. You could just start small with one sheet and either toss some onto it or start your new pile. Anything with cracks will just suck up the feeder roots between. Or put some landscape cloth under whatever you do use. You just want a solid barrier. If you have a smooth surface, it will help you when scooping or shoveling up the finished compost. Hope this makes sense.

Let us know how you work this out.

Gldno-you are right I would have to put down some sort of cloth under the blocks to keep the roots from coming up between them. That would cost more money, but I do have four sheets of plywood in my building out back. I had it left over from building my shed, since the compost is about 4 feet wide I am going to shovel out the leaves I just put in (only about two feet high) and then lay down 3 sheets of plywood end to end. I have no room to start a new one anywhere else. I believe that it will solve my problem. Thanks you everyone for your great ideas!! It will be so much easier to get to my compost now. You helped me alot.
Ann

Old carpet would also work. You would have to discard it after a number of year because it will disintegrate. It lasts quite a while. Speaking of tacky stuff; I have some sheer curtain panels from my mother's house. I plan on trying them in spring for a row cover. My dogs will be running around the yard with them because that is what they did when I covered my lettuce for the freeze.

helen, our dog is the only reason I had to fence the entire garden. He digs holes! I have very tacky feed bags laying by my lettuce to cover it when the temps dip.....tacky could be my style of gardening!

I may be the most tackiest of them all. I use old shower curtains and sheets that have paint all over them with holes to cover my roses and plants in the spring when we have a freeze. My front yard looks horrible. The holes are from using the sheets in the backyard my dogs played tug-a-war with them. The first year I lived here I put out towels and nice sheets to cover my plants and someone took most of them. Switch to trashy items after that.
Ann