March 16, 2011
I have been getting tons of potato starts in my compost. Do you have them, too? Honestly, I find the idea of eating them to be kind of…gross. I know dirt is dirt, but potatoes from a container filled with rotting fruit and fly ridden eggshells is just not a very appetizing proposition. So I asked my wonderful friend and garden consultant, Pat, what to do with these weird little compost potatoes, and he gave some great information to pass on to you.
First of all, I learned that these “potatoes” are actually potato seeds. When you pull up the green leafy stalks from your compost, you’ll find the starter spud attached to a huge dangling root system. Those roots house a number of little bitty potatoes, which are the seeds you should plant.
In a matter of minutes, Pat and I collected the seeds, dug small holes in my raised beds and planted them. Done. Easy. Free!
Sometimes it feels like there is so much information out there about organic gardening, that it becomes this complex, stressful, and discouraging process. Try to keep it simple, peaceful and uplifting, and when in doubt, don’t be afraid to ask for help. People who work at garden shops are great resources, and usually super friendly and knowledgeable.
