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help! potatoes growing in compost
Any suggestions as to what to do next?
background: I opened the lid of the compost bin this weekend and found all these white triffid-like tendrils reaching up out of the dark. Very scary. I traced them to a few rotten spuds I chopped up a while ago. I haven't done anything about it yet... but growing spuds wasn't exactly part of the game plan - tiny garden, etc I've read earlier threads about why not to put potato peelings on the heap, but since a) it's too late and b) I don't have a veg plot , I'm wondering what to do now and what this means about my compost (this is my first year gardening). Is the silo too dry? cold? something else? Will the spuds leech nutrients for their growth? (one shoot had even squeezed out through the hatch at the bottom and sprung a leaf already). If left to grow, will they produce more potatoes? In how long? And without any light? Or will this just take up all the space in the bin? Many thanks for any advice. Katharine |
#2
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help! potatoes growing in compost
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#3
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help! potatoes growing in compost
In article , Katharine
Mill writes Any suggestions as to what to do next? background: I opened the lid of the compost bin this weekend and found all these white triffid-like tendrils reaching up out of the dark. Very scary. I traced them to a few rotten spuds I chopped up a while ago. I haven't done anything about it yet... but growing spuds wasn't exactly part of the game plan - tiny garden, etc I've read earlier threads about why not to put potato peelings on the heap, but since a) it's too late and b) I don't have a veg plot , I'm wondering what to do now and what this means about my compost (this is my first year gardening). Is the silo too dry? No cold? no something else? No. Sounds good enough to me! Will the spuds leech nutrients for their growth? (one shoot had even squeezed out through the hatch at the bottom and sprung a leaf already). They will, but if you don't want the spuds, breaking the shoots off and putting them back in the heap will recycle the nutrients. If left to grow, will they produce more potatoes? Yes. In how long? At the end of this season. the size of potato will depend on the size of the piece of peel you started with and the vigour of the plant. You'll get at least marble size and possibly larger - marbles can be chucked back into the heap to grow into bigger potatoes next year. And without any light? They would like some light. Or will this just take up all the space in the bin? No, but it'll make it difficult to get compost out. If you have a single compost bin, best bet is to just break off the tendrils and let them rot down with all the new stuff you're adding. -- Kay Easton Edward's earthworm page: http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm |
#4
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help! potatoes growing in compost
Kay Easton wrote in message
thanks Nick and Kay. Advice much appreciated. I'll break them up and poke them in, I think, as I only have the one bin. I've also noticed quite a lot of ants and woodlice crawling around in it. Is that OK too? Katharine |
#5
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help! potatoes growing in compost
In article , Katharine
Mill writes Kay Easton wrote in message thanks Nick and Kay. Advice much appreciated. I'll break them up and poke them in, I think, as I only have the one bin. I've also noticed quite a lot of ants and woodlice crawling around in it. Is that OK too? Too dry You often get woodlice in the dry bits around the edges, but you shouldn't get them in too much of it. Try watering it, with water, water from cooking veg, tea, or 'recycled beer' if you want a good accelerator. -- Kay Easton Edward's earthworm page: http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm |
#6
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help! potatoes growing in compost
In article ,
Kay Easton wrote: In article , Katharine Mill writes Advice much appreciated. I'll break them up and poke them in, I think, as I only have the one bin. I've also noticed quite a lot of ants and woodlice crawling around in it. Is that OK too? Too dry You often get woodlice in the dry bits around the edges, but you shouldn't get them in too much of it. Try watering it, with water, water from cooking veg, tea, or 'recycled beer' if you want a good accelerator. Yup. But don't worry, anyway. I often find that there is a sheet of woodlice in my heap when turning it over. That indicates that it was too dry at that level in the heap, so the solution is just to wet it and let it rot down some more. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
#7
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help! potatoes growing in compost
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#8
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help! potatoes growing in compost
In article , Katharine
Mill writes (Nick Maclaren) wrote in message sx.cam.ac.uk... In article , Kay Easton wrote: good stuff. Time I revived that 'slops' bucket ;-) Just how much wee is required then? Is it just a high nitrogen activator to start the process off or should it be a regular additive, ie. a few pints each week? -- Paul Flackett Remove _bra to reply by e-mail. |
#9
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help! potatoes growing in compost
In article , Victor Meldrew
writes In article , Katharine Mill writes (Nick Maclaren) wrote in message sx.cam.ac.uk... In article , Kay Easton wrote: good stuff. Time I revived that 'slops' bucket ;-) Just how much wee is required then? Is it just a high nitrogen activator to start the process off or should it be a regular additive, ie. a few pints each week? The best compost I ever made consisted of lapsang suchong tea leaves, potato peelings and other vegetable waste, and about 2 pints daily of wee -- Kay Easton Edward's earthworm page: http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm |
#10
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help! potatoes growing in compost
Katharine Mill wrote:
good stuff. Time I revived that 'slops' bucket ;-) Can / should you still do this if you're using composting worms? Andrew -- Andrew Wells Replace nospam with my first name to reach me |
#11
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help! potatoes growing in compost
In article , Andrew Wells
writes Katharine Mill wrote: good stuff. Time I revived that 'slops' bucket ;-) Can / should you still do this if you're using composting worms? Why not? -- Kay Easton Edward's earthworm page: http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm |
#12
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help! potatoes growing in compost
The message
from Kay Easton contains these words: In article , Andrew Wells writes Katharine Mill wrote: good stuff. Time I revived that 'slops' bucket ;-) Can / should you still do this if you're using composting worms? Why not? If you add it directly they retreat into their burrows like pistons. -- Tony Replace solidi with dots to reply: tony/anson snailything zetnet/co/uk http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi |
#13
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help! potatoes growing in compost
In article , Anthony E Anson
writes The message from Kay Easton contains these words: In article , Andrew Wells writes Katharine Mill wrote: good stuff. Time I revived that 'slops' bucket ;-) Can / should you still do this if you're using composting worms? Why not? If you add it directly they retreat into their burrows like pistons. Yeah, but worms aren't usually in the top inch or two of compost. You were talking about Lumbricus, presumably? -- Kay Easton Edward's earthworm page: http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm |
#14
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help! potatoes growing in compost
The message
from Anthony E Anson contains these words: The message from Kay Easton contains these words: In article , Andrew Wells writes Katharine Mill wrote: good stuff. Time I revived that 'slops' bucket ;-) Can / should you still do this if you're using composting worms? Why not? If you add it directly they retreat into their burrows like pistons. That's because they were ****ed-on worms... Janet |
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