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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] Growing potatoes in the compost pile

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  • From: "Laura McKenzie" <laurabrownmckenzie@worldnet.att.net>
  • To: "Healthy soil and sustainable growing" <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Growing potatoes in the compost pile
  • Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2006 10:52:04 -0500

We are very stressed for space here so my compost piles always do double duty. I made three "slow" compost piles late last fall. These aren't turned, are chock full of rotted wood from the forest along with kitchen scraps, weeds, and leaves. These were topped with silt carried up from the dry branch next to our land. In February I planted potatoes into the silt (I put about 8 inches of silt on top of each pile).

The caveat of this method is that the piles are made in wire bins. They do not hold water easily. This would normally be an advantage because most springs have us drowning in rain in April, May and early June. But this year we're experiencing a drought. Some of the potato plants died early and only put out small potatoes. But there are a few left that are very healthy and thriving easily. Yesterday I pulled the dirt away from one plant that died this week. I harvested four 4.5 inch potatoes and a lot of small ones from the plant. Given water restrictions and lack of rain, I'm pleased.

I am considering putting several layers of cardboard around the inside perimeter of each compost bin the next time I use this method. My husband works in a very large office building and plain brown cardboard is an abundant material to be had. Doing this might help with retain water in each compost bin. BTW, the piles ARE slow but are showing signs in this hot weather of degrading now. The finished product will be used for seed starting more than likely.

And I have one very very hot pile going right now. When it cools I'll top it with silt and plant something in it. I haven't decided what yet.

It really gets me when people I know say they won't garden because they have little time or space. Tossing a bunch of leaves and sticks and kitchen scraps into a pile, putting a bit of dirt on top and throwing in a tomato or a pumpkin isn't all that hard work. As for space, most of our land is climax forest with 70 to 80 foot high oaks being predominant. Still I have found 7000 + square feet of garden space and about 85% of it is sunny enough to work well. Finding things to plant in the spots that get only 5 hours of sun is the challenge I haven't figured out yet.


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Laura's Homeschooling, Garden, and Genealogy Site
is found here: http://home.att.net/~ekyorigins
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