[the spiv]

  :blush:Ok I have a compost bin and since about this time last year i have been putting different. Things in it. I put. Some sprouting potatoes in and alSo the soil from the bin i grew potatoes In now. The potatoes shoots did stick out of the soil in the compost bin which i was told made them poisionous will They affect the compost im trying to do or should i just take it down the tip. By the way it now smells like stagnent water  :

[Yorkie]

It sounds as though there are several issues here.

1. Spuds.  They won't affect the compost.  I think what you've been told is that when growing spuds in the ground /containers, you shouldn't expose them to the light because they turn green and poisonous.  Personally I'd put them in the green waste bin for the council if you have one; otherwise, leave them in the compost to degrade.

2. Soil from spuds.  Best practice isn't to put this on the compost bin as it might contain soil-borne diseases; I'd put it on the garden if you can.  Again if you can't, then it shouldn't do too much harm to the compost bin.

3. Compost smelling stagnant.  This is not good!  It sounds as though the compost might be too wet; is that possible?  Have you been adding lots of wet green material such as grass clippings - and not enough brown material such as paper & twigs?  I'd fork the material out, give it a good stir to mix it up and incorporate some more dry stuff to incorporate the air, and then put it back in.

[mattwragg94]

when potatoes go green they become poisonous - however they do not affect the soil that they are in. Have you been adding a balance of green and brown materials to the compost bin? if you only added green materials that may be what is creating the smell.

[sunshineband]

when potatoes go green they become poisonous - however they do not affect the soil that they are in. Have you been adding a balance of green and brown materials to the compost bin? if you only added green materials that may be what is creating the smell.

Snap with Yorkie there Matt 

[mattwragg94]

ooops 

[sunshineband]

ooops 

Read all the posts prior to answering, Matt 

-- you can check out any that are made while you are typing yours too, which can be helpful 

[mattwragg94]

well atleast we said the same thing

[the spiv]

Yep thats what i was told about the light and the potatoes as for the compost all i have been putting in was eggshells t bags veg peelings. No grass cuttings a bit of newspaper but it is crawling with allsorts wood lice Earwigs etc i wiil try turning it thanks