Tweet
hi all i have got my allotment recently and every spadeful of earth i turn over seems to be full of glass! there is too much to pick out (tiny shards to big pices)maybe a smashed up greenhouse before me? anyway what kind of problems could this cause? could it contaminate my potatoes , onions etc? sorry if this seems a naive question but I'm just starting out. many thanks.
-
-
I am always picking glass out at my two plots and no harm has been done yet. The site was a council garden dumping area and there is allsorts coming up all the time. Just pick out as it appears.Gardening ..... begins with daybreak
and ends with backache
-
that's a enthusiasm boost. can it grow inside anything? or am i been paranoid :-) thank you for quick reply!Comment
-
-
do stones ever grow in potatoes? cant imagine eating a potato with a shard of glass in but surely cant be too careful?Originally posted by PAULW View PostComment
-
I have yet to find anything growing in any veg that I have grown from seed in the ground. The plant just seems to push it out of the way as it grows. The comercial growers dont get things inside so why should we.Gardening ..... begins with daybreak
and ends with backacheComment
-
The only thing that you are going to get glass in is your finger tips but unless it is really new glass the edges have usually been taken offComment
-
The potato (or other root veg) usually has a dimple or a notch where it grew around a stone. Occasionally root veg will "fork" and become two smaller carrots/parsnips either side of the stone.Originally posted by lola & tom View Post
I suppose that something really sharp might lodge in the potato, but most likely only in the skin and therefore visible when washed or peeled.
I have very gravelly soil full of quite sharp stones (the stones will slice skin off my knuckles if I'm not weaing gloves) but I've never seen a stone embedded in any veg..Comment
-
thank you for all the helpful replies they have put my mind at rest now
atb tom.
ps sorry if the question seemed daft as i am new to this.
Comment
-
...not a daft question at all!...just mind those fingers - and make sure your tetanus is up to date ( just in case)
"Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple
Location....Normandy FranceComment
-
No, you should worry more about slugs in spudsOriginally posted by lola & tom View Post
Most allotments have debris and broken glass on them. Mine does: when I weed I have 3 buckets - 1) weeds 2) big stones 3) glass & shreds of plasticAll gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.Comment
-
If you are overly worried Tom, run it through a sieve a small area at a time. It will be time consuming though.sigpic“Gorillas are very intelligent, but they don't have to be as delicate as chimps -- they can just smash open the termite nest,”
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Official Member Of The Nutters Club - Rwanda Branch.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from my ZX Spectrum with no predictive text..........
-----------------------------------------------------------
KOYS - King Of Yellow Stickers..............
Comment
-
At least it might slice up the damn slugs! bonus if you ask me!
Comment
-
Ours is also an ex-tip and has lots of glass and rubbish. By the looks of some of the other plots I'm the only one who bothers to try and get it out. I usually chuck it to the edges with the intention of collecting it later. I have one of those plastic tubs you get bird feed in which I sometimes take round with me. I like the 3 bucket idea, or maybe a 3 compartment bucket so it's less cumbersome, hmm...
Like the OP I was a little concerned initially, but it doesn't seem to do any harm. More annoying than anything.Comment
Comment