Spud compost?

Jo · « **on:** July 03, 2007, 08:37 »

Hello all!
I'm a bit of a newbee (learning fast though!) and I was wondering if it is okay to compost my potato tops cos I've heard they're poisonous!?

Is there anything else that looks innocently compostable but is a no-go? I don't want to end up poisoning the soil ... and me and mine!

GrannieAnnie · « **Reply #1 on:** July 03, 2007, 08:43 »

Hi Jo, I know of at least one person on here who composts her tops, but I think maybe not many at a time. but I never compost mine, just in case! However, saying that, rhubarb leaves are supposedly poisonous, but lots of people and one of my books, say it is okay to compost them! The other thing not to do, is you can put perennial weeds on there, but not their roots, so I have started to put the roots in a bucket of water to drown them well, and after a couple of weeks the drowned roots go on the compost heap and the water on the garden as there are nutrients in the water from the roots!

WG. · « **Reply #2 on:** July 03, 2007, 09:05 »

Potato haulm (solanin) and rhubarb leaves (oxalates) are both poisonous to EAT. They are both perfectly safe to compost.

Annie · « **Reply #3 on:** July 03, 2007, 09:57 »

I compost mine too just make sure you remove all the mini potatoes in the ends of stems as they willsprout and grow!

GrannieAnnie · « **Reply #4 on:** July 03, 2007, 10:47 »

Both okay to compost?

? Jolly good!!!!! I'll go down in a minute and put all those haulms I dug up Sunday on the heap. And stangrely enough, I didn't get any of the little seed pods this year, but had loads last year.

WG. · « **Reply #5 on:** July 03, 2007, 10:49 »

Nothing will re-grow if your compost heap gets nice and hot. The wee tatties will get cooked.

richyrich7 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 03, 2007, 11:32 »

I always compost mine unless they are diseased, then they get burnt.

milkman · « **Reply #7 on:** July 03, 2007, 14:02 »

I compost mine too!

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Spud compost?

WG.

WG.