There's a Potato in my Compost!

There's a potato in my compost! 

Well, I put it there, but I didn't expect it to sprout up and become a baby potato plant before my eyes. But here we are. I was a lazy composter a few weeks ago, and when I found some squishy potatoes in the back of my pantry, I threw them in. 

So now what? Is this baby plant going to affect my compost? Can I transplant it for some baby potatoes in my garden? Let's talk about it. 

Potatoes grow underground, as they are a root vegetable. Given this, it makes sense that they didn't mind my dark compost pot. After asking around, it's not an uncommon occurrence. I also learned that ultimately, growing potatoes won't hurt my compost. In fact, a plant growing in your compost is often a sign that your compost is either finished or getting very close to finished (which I believe was the case for me). If this doesn't seem to be the case for you, it could also mean that your compost isn't getting hot enough, and it needs to be turned. 

Now, regarding the fate of that potato plant; it is not going to find a new home in my garden. Growing in the compost bin, where mold is a common sight, the potato could have come in contact with rotting food, bacteria, or fungus that could make you sick. So, I chopped it up and returned the organics material to my compost. Sorry, baby potato plant!

What have you found growing in your compost?

Blogger: Sam Plante