Compost Pile Taties!

[GoDawgs]

The old and very sprouted, egg-sized potatoes that were tossed into one of the compost bins a month ago are sprouting. I think I'll keep hilling them with leaves and start using the adjacent compost bin. If it gets real frosty I'll toss an old sheet over them.

It's nice to see something actively growing!

[jtjmartin]

I love when LIFE unexpectedly happens!

Jeff

Looks pretty happy!

[taboule]

Nice bonus, unexpected and free ;>)

[salix]

Such a pretty sight when I am looking at a lot of snow!

[GoDawgs]

Well, just keep that image going. This morning it got down to 28 and the plants are sort of blasted. We'll see how or if they come back. I didn't cover them on purpose just to see if they will or won't. An experiment that didn't cost me anything.

[Nan_PA_6b]

We all buy the best potting medium, mix up our own special blends of ingredients for potting mix, and all they really need is compost?

[brownrexx]

I have had potato plants mostly killed by frost and they came back.

[GoDawgs]

I also wonder if there are any sweet potatoes in that pile. All summer that bin was covered with sweet potato vines up until frost. All will be revealed when I fork the bin contents into it's next door neighbor in March.

[bower]

I tried to grow potatoes when I first moved here, and they just turned black and perished, I gave up trying to grow them in the soil as it seemed infested with some dreaded potato disease. But many times I have had potatoes volunteer in my lazy compost piles, and got some very clean and lovely potatoes from them! Treat yourself to a shrimp ring, and toss the tails in your compost to prevent potato scab. One year I also planted potatoes deliberately in an old compost pile... they grew well but my harvest was not as good - marauding pests maybe slugs? got at them before they were dug. I don't know if that is because it was an older compost pile, but was not a problem when they volunteered from the peelings I had tossed out.

Also if there is any heat left in the pile just now, then they may have a better chance against that bit of frost. Lucky you with potatoes growing in January!!

[taboule]

Bower, I've had similar positive experiences growing straight in a compost pile. For experimentation a few years ago, I had many tomato seedlings left and zero space to plant them (I always start many more than I can plant and give away.) So I had 2 choices, either terminate them, or grow them in the compost pile. And it was a batch that wasn't ready -else I would have used it/spread it in the rest of the garden.

Well I grew 4 or 5 plants, in a tight 5x5 box, and they all grew and produced. Zero watering (except from rain), zero maintenance, and they still survived diseases better than the ones I baby'd.

[bower]

Taboule, I planted some leggy Peacevine seedlings in a compost pile one year. "Hippie style" we called it. Laid the long stems down and covered with earth let them come what may. It was a good summer and they roamed happily around there and ripened a nice lot of cherries in September. And the spring after that my Mom asked for a Peacevine and I said sorry, I didn't start any. Then I went out and lo behold a little seedling in the compost pile!! I potted it up and gave to her. What mother wants....mother nature provides. It was true to seed, too.

[taboule]

Bower, wonderful story. The magic of low expectations, coupled with good luck