[lefrog]

Over december I decided to prepare a part of my raised bed using the "lasagna gardening technique" ( not not a pasta dish with tomato and cheese) , the idea is create layers of cardboard, homemade compost, and vegetable peeling ( as I have a lot of em with work, including carrot, potatoes, parsnip, salad trimming, bla bla bla...).
forward to april, Looks like using potato peeling wasn t such a great idea ( or a great idea, depending on the person) but looks like loads of the potato pelings have gone to sprouting and I have lot of potato shooting everywhere . ( the spuds used are desiree and marris piper).

[Salkeela]

IMO Best to compost everything first in a heap - this generates enough heat to break it down.  Then spread next year.

I did the cardboard and compost thing on two new beds in Dec '06 and they are now in their second year.    I am well pleased with the results.

[lefrog]

I was impatient on getting the thing readya.
Bah, you learn from your mistakes, but on the other hand, I am going to have loads of spuds.......

[Salkeela]

I've just copied some photos of my beds into another thread..."no dig how do you do it" I think it's called.  Have a look.  

These beds have been a huge success - so well worth the effort!

[compostqueen]

you have to laugh don't you     No such thing as a simple job ey  

[Trillium]

Definitely in gardening, compostqueen    Every good gardener can definitely write the 'How Not To' book when they were first learning techniques.

[Salkeela]

I should mention that in another area where I had a manured bank with grass growing through the old manure, and I gave it the cardboard treatment...... I added card and old hay on top hoping to kill the grass (mostly  worked) and grow pumpkins through holes in the card.

HOWEVER card makes a perfect hide out for slugs which ate the young plants.....

So in the end I planted blackcurrants, redcurrants and gooseberries instead.  

So cardboard if used needs to be DEEP.    

[Milly]

I put potato peelings in my composter and they all sprouted too. Took ages to pick them out. Never again

[gobs]

Over december I decided to prepare a part of my raised bed using the "lasagna gardening technique" ( not not a pasta dish with tomato and cheese) , the idea is create layers of cardboard, homemade compost, and vegetable peeling ( as I have a lot of em with work, including carrot, potatoes, parsnip, salad trimming, bla bla bla...).
forward to april, Looks like using potato peeling wasn t such a great idea ( or a great idea, depending on the person) but looks like loads of the potato pelings have gone to sprouting and I have lot of potato shooting everywhere . ( the spuds used are desiree and marris piper).

I thought this was a technique for compost making, not beds, you shall have tomato plants, too.

I'd turn it all over, personally and hope for some later planting than you wanted. No advantage in nurturing these pots, etc.

[woodburner]

Over december I decided to prepare a part of my raised bed using the "lasagna gardening technique" ( not not a pasta dish with tomato and cheese) , the idea is create layers of cardboard, homemade compost, and vegetable peeling ( as I have a lot of em with work, including carrot, potatoes, parsnip, salad trimming, bla bla bla...).
forward to april, Looks like using potato peeling wasn t such a great idea ( or a great idea, depending on the person) but looks like loads of the potato pelings have gone to sprouting and I have lot of potato shooting everywhere . ( the spuds used are desiree and marris piper).

I thought this was a technique for compost making, not beds, you shall have tomato plants, too.

I'd turn it all over, personally and hope for some later planting than you wanted. No advantage in nurturing these pots, etc.

I've read of a similar technique, while researching the no-dig method, it mainly involved newspaper and rye grass hay though, not unrotted compost material.

[Tinbasher]

I put potato peelings in my composter and they all sprouted too. Took ages to pick them out. Never again

One thing I do remember reading as a gardening novice, as regards composting, is don't use any part of the potato plant in the compost bin.  

Don't try to compost perennial weeds unless you're absolutely sure it's a very hot heap and can be maintained as such for a good time.  

I also seem to remember reading not to risk composting spent tomato plants or strawberry foliage, due to the risk of spreading disease.

These 3 rules, amongst others, have stuck in my mind and I thus never put spud peelings anywhere but the dustbin.  Though I tend to eat them mostly these days anyway.  Not on their own of course, but via washed but unpeeled spuds.