seeds sprouting in my compost!

[Liberal_in_LA]

I'm very new to composting. Noticed that seeds from store bought fruits and vegetables have sprouted in my compost. COOL! I'd never have gotten them to sprout on my own. Going to plant them.

[NEOhiodemocrat]

1. I had that happen last year

We were eating our butternut squash from the 2008 garden and throwing all the seeds etc. in the compose pile. In the spring I planted new from a packet a neighbor gave me and they all died off or were eaten by rabbits. Saw some nice plants coming on and around the compose pile so left some in there and relocated other ones. We ended up getting over 170 beautiful squash all from the volunteers. Sometimes it seems that the volunteer plants are the best producers. But now I am jealous as here in Ohio we have not even been able to work our way out to the compose pile, the birds are getting our compose where we put it in the dug out walkway to the woodpile. They sure seem to appreciate it, and I am worried with all this snow that they can't find anything to eat. They are used to hitting our compose bin for snacks, but it is too far off in the deep snow for me.

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. can't imagine all that snow... it's year round gardening in LA

[XemaSab]

3. It's a good way to get avocado trees

After a few months in the warm compost they sprout right up.

[blueworld]

4. Wait until you spread it around...LOL

When we spread liberal amounts of compost last year we had cherry tomatoes growing up through the middle of all our Butterfly Bushes.

We originally bought the plants at my Festival of Gardening fundraiser (Master Gardener) and they are soooo healthy & vital for this area - they bear prolifically. I just don't know why I bother to save the seeds each autumn when the compost provides so well. :rofl:

We also had several beautiful squash vines (ornamental gourds, actually) that did beautifully in the compost bin, but would have been devastated by squash bugs if we'd planted them in the garden. Can't wait to see what we get this year!

[asdjrocky]

5. I've had some really good stuff grow out of my compost pile.

Even had a nice little "medicine plant" sprout last year. Tasty.