potatoes in my compost bin

[dinky_doo]

hi i have potatoe peelings in my compost bin and they are sprouting they have long shoots and some of the peelings have roots too, will they be ok left where they are as i am going to take this compost to the plot when its done .

[Alice]

If they are not completely composted they will continue to grow into potatoes DinkyDoo. They will come up in the middle of your beds among whatever is growing there. I just don't put potato peelings in my compost anymore. I put them in the council compost bin. I think they break down ok if you get the heap hot enough.

[zazen999]

On the other hand, I put all my stray sprouting potatoes and peelings with large sprouts into a spare bed and see what come up; sometimes a crop sometimes not. Or, if they are at home, they go into largeish pots which get filled with soil as the potato plant grows.

[moggssue]

I guess then that such 'rogue' tatties are edible, assuming they get to a decent size?

[zazen999]

Yes, the original ones that they grow from aren't - but any grown from them will be fine.

[dinky_doo]

hmmmm i might pull a few out of the bin tonight and plant a few in a bucket at home and see what happens

[The Doctor]

Personally, I never put potato or tomato anything in my compost bin. I just don't want to take the risk of spreading blight all over the plot.

[percy charlie]

none of my tatty peelings have sprouted but i add a layer of pony poo every so often to increase the heat and then this gets mixed in when it gets a stir, maybe that stops them sprouting, i also put rhubarb leaves in as they are compostable as toxin breaks down before the compost will be ready so this could also be why, i will keep a look out in case any appear.

[Fred Perry]

Potatoe,s in pots will give you a supply of small tastey salad spuds, after the flowers die you can tip them out at your leisure when needed. If the Compost bin is full for this period then why not plant some in the top layer and have large spuds growing as top cover, sort of Camoflage's the bin and looks good.
All the best
Fred P

[jacob marley]

I would think that growing potatoes in you compost is only storing up trouble in the future .
these are only my thoughts but where are you going to use the compost next year not on ground where you are going to grow Potatoes or in pots that are going to have Tomatoes in a bit dodgy i think .
the traditional vegatable to grow on compost was the old fashioned Marrow don't see it any more i may well be wrong but still think dodgy practice jacob marley