I wonder if the plant was a gas plant...lol!

Karen

I'll bet it was a red hot poker!

Ya--right and I have 20 acres of swamp land to sell--any takers.

Maybe Grandpa was sitting in his rocker on that spot and spontaneously combusted.

It's about as likely an explanation as a potted plant spontaneously going up in flames.

I think they were growing pot in the pot....and somebody decided to light up!

Never heard of anything like that in 3o yrs of gardening, but anything is possible I guess. Hope it doesnt happen to me!!!!! Tricia

I could understand if it was a closed composter- but how in the world could this happen in an open container?? Perhaps the more scientific minds could explain this to me...
CMK

Well, you just never know. LOL. I did experience spontaneous combustion once, and let me tell you it weren't purty.

Picture the manure from five roosters and ninety four laying hens and all the layers of straw and hay containing said waste over a period of weeks. Then picture about ten wheelbarrow loads of it in a tidy compost pile aging for the fall garden dressing. Then picture dark wafts of very smelly smoke coming from the edge of the woods. Now imagine what it smelled like. The shed was too far away from the outside irrigation lines, so lengths of hose had to be assembled and pulled through the orchard and I had to stand out there raking the crap (literally) out so the water would extinguish it. I think it's still lurking in my sinus cavities ten years later. Ah the joys of organic gardening.

I lived in a multi-family house many years ago with a garage. The garage was not used by me - it may not have been used by any renters, actually, but by the landlord. One night there was a fire and it was ruled spontaneous combustion! The landlord had kitty litter or speedy-dry or something like that and I guess, like they say, all the variables were just right....

Making me wonder about my compost bins out in this awful heat...

:)
Dee

You know, there have been alleged instances of humans spontaneously combusting, as well...

-mxk3, lol! Dickens actually wrote about a case of 'spontaneous human combustion' in his 'Bleak House'. Lol.
CMK

Well, you've got to keep them watered. It would have to be awfully dry to combust.

I love my containers, I think I've got over 200 pots of things, because I have several areas that, due to one reason or another, can't be planted in-ground, either large expanses of concrete or stone patio, or some areas with tree roots.

But, they are a bear to water at times. Every year, I say I'm going to hook up drip, and don't do it. I went out and bought the stuff this year, but never got it done. Maybe 2011 will be the charm.