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Soil, Compost & Mulch

Growing Veggies in My Compost Pile??

12 years ago

Sorry if this is a duplicate question. Tried searching and couldn't find the answer.

When we build our house we had them scrape the topsoil into a large pile (about 10' x 20'). Over the years I've been using the back as a compost area. Using 3' sections at a time and rotating. We have decided to flatten and tier it and landscape the front, while allowing me to still use the back for my composting. The front sloping areas have perennials and bulbs, but I was thinking of planting melons on top largest tier, since they take up so much room in the garden.

My husband thinks it's not a good idea because the compost on the back side is in various stages of maturity. He thinks the fruit would taste bad.

Any opinions?

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Comments (7)

gonebananas_gw
12 years ago
Melons or indeed all cucurbits have a reputation for growing well on a compost pile, finised or not. My own limited trials with squash certainly agreed with it.
dawncols
12 years ago
I say go for it. I can't imagine how it would cause the melons to taste bad. Your compost pile should be full of great nutrients for plants to grow. Lots of plants grow in my compost pile--I'm always having to pull stuff out. The only real disadvantage I could see might be if the pile is too full of big chunks of unfinished materials the plant can't get its roots through. But I say give it a try. What do you have to lose?
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bi11me
12 years ago
Third affirmative.
Kimmsr
12 years ago
For many people, used to the bland, tasteless, foods sold in crocery stores today tasing some grown in compost, or a soil well endowed with organic matter results in either total conversion to organic gardening or pushing them away since they do not know what real food tastes like. Your husband, if he has never been exposed to what real food tastes like may cringe from it, or he may say "where has this been all my life."
sidney59
Original Author
12 years ago
Actually, both of us are in our 50's and lived up north while growing up. Veggies with "flavor" is something we really miss, along with real "dirt"...lol He just has it in his head that decomposing stuff, is bad. Anyway, the top tier is actually higher than the compost areas and I'm probably going to have to shovel some compost on the top because that soil is sort of dry and powdery.

Thanks everybody for your opinions. I'm looking forward to my orange honeydews...
lazy_gardens
12 years ago
Definitely use it!

I have several wire compost bins and when one is full I make a hollow in the top, line it with newspapers and fill it with dirt/compost mix. Then I run a line from the drip irrigation system for the plants. Tomatoes and squash grow really well, and the steady moisture makes the compost decompose quickly.

The piles collapse to about 30% their height, I refill the bins with yard waste and kitchen waste, and we do it again. When the veggie/compost bins don't collapse much over a growing season, I open the bin ans sift out the finished compost for the main veggie beds.

So far the piles are lasting about 3 years before they stop collapsing.
ctnchpr
12 years ago
@lazygardens, I love your method!! I'm going to try that with some wire bins this Summer.

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