I am growing potatos in tyres and they are thriving. One stack is 5 tryes
high and still going. I started running out of soil to throw in the tyres so
last weekend I went round to a mates compost bin to dig some compost out.
Its typical back yard compost, a large mound of material slowly rotting down
with a humus of material on top, better stuff further down and a covering of
weeds.

I scraped back the weeds and turfed the top humus to one side before
extracting several sacks worth of the better stuff. I took it home and have
started shoving it in my tyres.

Anyhow, on the sunday night my friend called asking if I had a pumpkin plant
in my sacks. His lad had come home from a weekend with his mum & rushed up
the garden to see how the pumpkin plant he had growing in the compost pile
was doing. It was a giant pumpkin he was going to enter a competition with.
He came back down the garden in tears, some how the pumpkin plant had
'dissappeared'.

During my dig I had assumed the pumpkin plant was another weed and likely
turfed it to one side. The lad was distraught and I felt sorry for him, but
at the same time I did have to laugh.

rob

"George.com" expounded:

During my dig I had assumed the pumpkin plant was another weed and likely
turfed it to one side. The lad was distraught and I felt sorry for him, but
at the same time I did have to laugh.

Why laugh? The poor guy was letting the pumpkin grow - I think it's a
shame. I've let all types of cucurbits grow in compost, they're
easily recognizable and while they probably won't produce anything
like the parent, it's always interesting what develops.
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

"George.com" wrote in message
...
I am growing potatos in tyres and they are thriving. One stack is 5 tryes
high and still going. I started running out of soil to throw in the tyres
so
last weekend I went round to a mates compost bin to dig some compost out.
Its typical back yard compost, a large mound of material slowly rotting
down
with a humus of material on top, better stuff further down and a covering
of
weeds.

I scraped back the weeds and turfed the top humus to one side before
extracting several sacks worth of the better stuff. I took it home and
have
started shoving it in my tyres.

Anyhow, on the sunday night my friend called asking if I had a pumpkin
plant
in my sacks. His lad had come home from a weekend with his mum & rushed up
the garden to see how the pumpkin plant he had growing in the compost pile
was doing. It was a giant pumpkin he was going to enter a competition
with.
He came back down the garden in tears, some how the pumpkin plant had
'dissappeared'.

During my dig I had assumed the pumpkin plant was another weed and likely
turfed it to one side. The lad was distraught and I felt sorry for him,
but
at the same time I did have to laugh.

rob


Why did you have to laugh? Are you normally permitted to access the
neighbor's compost bin?

In article ,
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:

"George.com" wrote in message
...
I am growing potatos in tyres and they are thriving. One stack is 5 tryes
high and still going. I started running out of soil to throw in the tyres
so
last weekend I went round to a mates compost bin to dig some compost out.
Its typical back yard compost, a large mound of material slowly rotting
down
with a humus of material on top, better stuff further down and a covering
of
weeds.

I scraped back the weeds and turfed the top humus to one side before
extracting several sacks worth of the better stuff. I took it home and
have
started shoving it in my tyres.

Anyhow, on the sunday night my friend called asking if I had a pumpkin
plant
in my sacks. His lad had come home from a weekend with his mum & rushed up
the garden to see how the pumpkin plant he had growing in the compost pile
was doing. It was a giant pumpkin he was going to enter a competition
with.
He came back down the garden in tears, some how the pumpkin plant had
'dissappeared'.

During my dig I had assumed the pumpkin plant was another weed and likely
turfed it to one side. The lad was distraught and I felt sorry for him,
but
at the same time I did have to laugh.

rob


Why did you have to laugh? Are you normally permitted to access the
neighbor's compost bin?

While searching for compost thief found this...

Bill who has a lid on his piles and is invited by his neighbors to take
all that rotten stuff away. Even leaves in plastic bags! We live in a
wooded area and we now have leaf pick up. Crazy.

...........................

http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deput.../compost_sum/s
ubmit.htm

My Rottin' Poem
by Leigh T

I love my compost pile!
It thrills me to the bone
To think that yesterday's wilted slop
Will enhance the crops I've grown!
I garden with a passion,
And I compost with a zeal.
I collect the coffee grounds at work
And treasure every peel.
In my cellar I compost in winter
To my son's dismay.
Though sweet to me, the smell can chase
Unwanted guests away.
My pile in the summer
Is a different sad, sad, story.
The dog next door gulps the gourmet treat,
Then regurgitates in glory.
The egg-shells never make it
To calcify my plants.
The birds steal most of the precious shards
Or they're toted off by ants.
The peels get strewn about my lawn
By some midnight compost thief.
I try to promptly pick up the stuff,
Before the neighbors give me grief.
My composting efforts without a bin
Have been daunting, to say the least.
By the time the stuff finally starts to rot,
It gets eaten by some beast.
So you see, kind folks at DEP
Why it's for a bin I pray.
If I can clean up my compost act,
The neighbors might let me stay!
*

--
Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA
"Energy is the only life and is from the Body and Reason is the bound
or outward circumference of Energy.
Energy is Eternal Delight"
William Blake

"Bill" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:

"George.com" wrote in message
...
I am growing potatos in tyres and they are thriving. One stack is 5
tryes
high and still going. I started running out of soil to throw in the
tyres
so
last weekend I went round to a mates compost bin to dig some compost
out.
Its typical back yard compost, a large mound of material slowly rotting
down
with a humus of material on top, better stuff further down and a
covering
of
weeds.

I scraped back the weeds and turfed the top humus to one side before
extracting several sacks worth of the better stuff. I took it home and
have
started shoving it in my tyres.

Anyhow, on the sunday night my friend called asking if I had a pumpkin
plant
in my sacks. His lad had come home from a weekend with his mum & rushed
up
the garden to see how the pumpkin plant he had growing in the compost
pile
was doing. It was a giant pumpkin he was going to enter a competition
with.
He came back down the garden in tears, some how the pumpkin plant had
'dissappeared'.

During my dig I had assumed the pumpkin plant was another weed and
likely
turfed it to one side. The lad was distraught and I felt sorry for him,
but
at the same time I did have to laugh.

rob


Why did you have to laugh? Are you normally permitted to access the
neighbor's compost bin?

While searching for compost thief found this...

Bill who has a lid on his piles and is invited by his neighbors to take
all that rotten stuff away. Even leaves in plastic bags! We live in a
wooded area and we now have leaf pick up. Crazy.


Actually, my question was a surrogate for a different one. Let's wait and
see what the response is.

"George.com" wrote in message
I am growing potatos in tyres and they are thriving. One stack is 5 tryes
high and still going. I started running out of soil to throw in the tyres
so
last weekend I went round to a mates compost bin to dig some compost out.
Its typical back yard compost, a large mound of material slowly rotting
down
with a humus of material on top, better stuff further down and a covering
of
weeds.

I scraped back the weeds and turfed the top humus to one side before
extracting several sacks worth of the better stuff. I took it home and
have
started shoving it in my tyres.

Anyhow, on the sunday night my friend called asking if I had a pumpkin
plant
in my sacks. His lad had come home from a weekend with his mum & rushed up
the garden to see how the pumpkin plant he had growing in the compost pile
was doing. It was a giant pumpkin he was going to enter a competition
with.
He came back down the garden in tears, some how the pumpkin plant had
'dissappeared'.

During my dig I had assumed the pumpkin plant was another weed and likely
turfed it to one side. The lad was distraught and I felt sorry for him,
but
at the same time I did have to laugh.

Ah Rob! You are indeed a garden bully! Nicely titled thread too (even if
it seems that some didn't recognise the irony)! Perhaps you can take the
lad under your wing and show him round your garden and show him how to
really go about growing pumpkins that he might be proud to enter into a
competition.

"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote in message
...
"George.com" wrote in message
I am growing potatos in tyres and they are thriving. One stack is 5 tryes
high and still going. I started running out of soil to throw in the
tyres
so
last weekend I went round to a mates compost bin to dig some compost
out.
Its typical back yard compost, a large mound of material slowly rotting
down
with a humus of material on top, better stuff further down and a
covering
of
weeds.

I scraped back the weeds and turfed the top humus to one side before
extracting several sacks worth of the better stuff. I took it home and
have
started shoving it in my tyres.

Anyhow, on the sunday night my friend called asking if I had a pumpkin
plant
in my sacks. His lad had come home from a weekend with his mum & rushed
up
the garden to see how the pumpkin plant he had growing in the compost
pile
was doing. It was a giant pumpkin he was going to enter a competition
with.
He came back down the garden in tears, some how the pumpkin plant had
'dissappeared'.

During my dig I had assumed the pumpkin plant was another weed and
likely
turfed it to one side. The lad was distraught and I felt sorry for him,
but
at the same time I did have to laugh.

Ah Rob! You are indeed a garden bully! Nicely titled thread too (even if
it seems that some didn't recognise the irony)! Perhaps you can take the
lad under your wing and show him round your garden and show him how to
really go about growing pumpkins that he might be proud to enter into a
competition.

Dad had a good laugh about it too. He had to go out the next day a buy his
lad another giant pumpkin seedling. The poor lad was totally bemused how his
pumpkin plant had dissappeared over the weekend. I was helping his old man
do some painting inside & got the envious job of painting slatted wardrobe
doors which was a shit of a job. Unfortunately Crooks compost heap looked
like a mound of weeds. Hard to differentiate what was a pumpkin plant and
what was simply unwanted. A typical back yard compost heap with things like
'organic' plastic bags, bits of wrapper & cigarette butts. Next time I
'borrow' some compost Crook will need to guide me past the replacement
pumpkin plant.

rob

ps I don't grow pumpkins, not too partial to the taste.

"George.com" wrote in message
"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote in message

Ah Rob! You are indeed a garden bully! Nicely titled thread too (even
if
it seems that some didn't recognise the irony)! Perhaps you can take the
lad under your wing and show him round your garden and show him how to
really go about growing pumpkins that he might be proud to enter into a
competition.

Dad had a good laugh about it too. He had to go out the next day a buy his
lad another giant pumpkin seedling. The poor lad was totally bemused how
his
pumpkin plant had dissappeared over the weekend.

Didn't the lad notice that the 'compost heap' had lost a heap of it's
contents in addition to his pumpkin plant?

I was helping his old man
do some painting inside & got the envious job of painting slatted wardrobe
doors which was a shit of a job.

Eeeew! Brings on palpitations jsut thinking of it!

Unfortunately Crooks compost heap looked
like a mound of weeds. Hard to differentiate what was a pumpkin plant and
what was simply unwanted. A typical back yard compost heap with things
like
'organic' plastic bags, bits of wrapper & cigarette butts. Next time I
'borrow' some compost Crook will need to guide me past the replacement
pumpkin plant.

rob

ps I don't grow pumpkins, not too partial to the taste.

But you are a good gardener from the things I remember you having written in
the past. I'm sure you could give him some tips on growing his veggies in
decent surrounding and with some care. I doubt whether you'd need to be a
pumpkin expert to give him better advice than he's getting now :-))