It's a very spindly potato plant that is reaching for light. It's very
common for potatoes to sprout and grow in your compost pile. I used to get
squash, tomatoes, potatoes and cantaloupe plants creeping up the corners or
trying to make it out the cracks. Many times, I would transplant the plants
and get some free veggies. The kids and I used to get gourds and pumpkins
every spring after throwing leftovers from Halloween in the compost. I had
the same bin you have, plus two round bins. I moved last September to a new
home and haven't set up my round bin here yet. My husband has been throwing
huge amounts of old flowers in a pile for me on the back of our property, so
I do have a pile started. I just haven't been adding my household scraps
like I used to in my old bins. Too many other projects first. I own and
operate a residential flower design and planting service, so I remove all
their old flowers and bring them home in bags. Luckily, I have 1.5 acres of
land to work with now.
We're working on clearing some of the property to create gardens in the back
and to possibly put in an inground pool. I was desperate for fresh veggies,
so I used a small area off the back of my screened in porch that had some
ditch lilies growing. They had the whole area mulched but it was weedy, so
I planted some Celebrity, Better Boy, Grape and Yellow Pear tomatoes; some
Cayenne, Jalapeno, and Green Peppers; Green Pole Beans and Straight Eight
Cucumbers. The pole beans and cucumbers will grow up a trellis along the
edge of the porch and I'm also trellising the other side of the porch for
the grape and yellow tomatoes (they get very long and viney). I also
planted a rosemary bush by the back steps and put lemon thyme, lemon grass,
Greek oregano, chocolate mint, and dill in large pots on the back deck. I
am growing about 50 Genovese Sweet Basil plants in a window box that I am
going to pot up today and give some to friends. The rest will go in a very
large pot for me. I've been pinching the tops to make them fuller and using
it in fresh chopped tomatoes, olive oil, black olives, garlic, chianti red
vinegar and feta cheese (what a delicious dish served over cous cous).
Ironically, my husband just called me a few minutes ago from the San Jose
Airport. He's been in Sunnyvale since Monday in business meetings. He
works for Network Appliance and is heading out this morning on a 6:20 am
flight back here to Raleigh, NC. He says it's been very cool and breezy
there; I wish that were the case here. It's been 90 and very humid with
code orange ozone warnings (breathing is difficult for asthmatic people).
Today is a little better with a cold front moving in creating thunderboomers
and a few hit and miss showers. Won't stop me though; I've got basil and
flowers to repot today on the back porch.
Sorry this is so longwinded - must be missing some adult conversation. I
pity my poor husband when he gets home tonight! Good luck with your
volunteer plants and composting. Have fun.
Penny
Zone 7b - North Carolina
"Allan Carhart" wrote in message
...
I almost named this post "Little shop of horrors" :-)
I have a compost going in my backyard, where I seem to have plants
spontaneously growing.
I am an amateur at composting, but I am doing what I've read.
I do put water on it, turn it with a hoe, and on cold
days I could definitely see steam rising from it.
What seems out of the ordinary is a pretty lively plant, maybe a weed,
growing from inside the compost. This thing is huge!!
Rather than trying to post any photos on this group,
I went ahead and made a little website with photos of the mystery plant.
If you think you can help me identify it, please check out this URL:
http://www.carhart.com/allan/plant/
Please let me know what you think.
Allan Carhart
a l l a n . nospam @ carhart.com
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Am I to understand there will be no side dishes with our frozen waffles?