Topic: Container grown potatoes

[soozie]

Just harvested some potatoes from a tub. Can I reuse the compost with the addition of some chicken pellets ??? ???

Thanks

[kenkew]

Depends what you want to grow, Soozie.

[soozie]

Was thinking of maybe some more pots or courgette. What do you reckon?

Thanks

[Kepouros]

You can use it again for either, soozie, but only use your chicken pellets if you are going to grow courgettes.  Chicken pellets generally contain around 9% of calcium, which could result in scab on the potatoes - harmless, but unsightly - so if you wish to re-use it for potatoes give it a handfull of blood, fish & bone stirred well in, and let it settle for a few days before planting.

[kenkew]

If you thinking more spuds, there's probably enough goodness in there for another batch. Don't think tom's...too late anyway and poss viral problems. Depends how big it is, but beetroot, radish, lettuce, and cauli aren't a bad choice along with all the other faster growing crops.

[soozie]

Thanks one and all! :) :)

Soozie

[JRP]

 :-[ Hi ALL,this message is for all those people who know people who have allotment plots or do farming where it has flooded, or for any body else who cares about others, whilst I'm sure most of the people do already know what ever they have growing now they must not eat it, why because of it being contaminated, and the contamination is now covering a wide area of land, to the point that all the crop growing farmers who have been effected, are now saying the land is going to be no good to use anymore, for many years in the future.
With this in mind I know how I can help them, done by you simply helping me to spread the word, that they can still grow things in containers, which they lay out on top of the contaminated land, using my very simple to make transportable growing system to grow something in, designed to helps them in a flood situation like I've been offering to the rest of the world for many years now. In the West of the country people have been flooded, it would make me feel good, and I'm sure it would make you feel good too, to know that someone is going use my idea after you trying to help me to spread the word.
This way they can still carry on growing things to eat or to make a living, instead of just giving up because they can no longer use the land that's been contaminated by what ever for many years to come. There must be thousands of containers of all shapes and sizes the people have had to use to hold water, simply fill them now with cheap compost and grow something to eat, instead of sending them mostly to the landfill sites, along with all the rest of the rubbish the floods have created I say.
I know that there are already lots of people out there who know my system works, I do believe now is the time for all of them to tell others, so we can help those who do need all the help they can get right now in the UK where it has been flooded..
For those who do not know what I'm talking about please visit my website www.recycling.moonfruit.com.
May you and yours and what you grow live long and happy, and thank you for taking the time to read my important message. John. J.R.P.

[Melbourne12]

..., whilst I'm sure most of the people do already know what ever they have growing now they must not eat it, why because of it being contaminated, and the contamination is now covering a wide area of land, to the point that all the crop growing farmers who have been effected, are now saying the land is going to be no good to use anymore, for many years in the future.
....

I have checked with DEFRA, the Environment Agency, and with Farmers Weekly, and this is not true.

There is obviously some loss of crops this year, and forage quality is likely to be affected in 2008, but that is all.

You really shouldn't spread scare stories like this.  :( :( :(

[JRP]

HI Melbourne12,so what do they do in the meantime,apart from wait until 2008, going by what you are saying. I have nothing to gain, it's up to others what they decide to eat if its been covered by whatever, all I'm trying to do is help, no more than that, but you would rather put me down, just because you do not like what I'm offering to them for FREE. John. J.R.P.

[Melbourne12]

HI Melbourne12,so what do they do in the meantime,apart from wait until 2008, going by what you are saying. I have nothing to gain, it's up to others what they decide to eat if its been covered by whatever, all I'm trying to do is help, no more than that, but you would rather put me down, just because you do not like what I'm offering to them for FREE. John. J.R.P.

I challenge you to give one iota of evidence for your story that crops have been widely contaminated and huge areas of farmland made useless for "many years in the future".

This is the worst sort of scaremongering, and I think you do have something to gain. I suggest that you gain a spiteful pleasure by causing anxiety to other people.

Put up, or STFU. 

[Jeannine]

JRP, you ARE scaremongering, please stop it, many people have enough to worry about without this. There is absolutely no truth to what you are saying,not only was I deeply flooded, as was most of my city, but  I have been in many meetings with the health authorities  and govermnent officials  in the last few weeks connected with my job  to discuss the problems and frankly this is rubbish. I don't want to be rude and I know at heart you are  decent fella and I will support you when I can but you are very wrong on this one and you could be causing pain  to people already trying to cope with multiple disasters. Please stop it, don't turn this into another battle. The rule on eating food from the floods is very clear and it is nothing like your description.

If you really want to help, send us a cyber hug or a kind word or two but not this, this is no help and is dangerous info.

JRP, before you respond, please think about it, if you truly care then stop spreading  silly rumours that are totally contrary to all the health advice  that we have made it our business to find out about in a sensible and accurate manner.

You re cycling ideas may or may not be  a good way to garden , frankly I don't know so I have kept an open mind on it but please don't use the flooding as a reason to push your methods.

XX Jeannine

[JRP]

BUGS 9 TIMES LIMIT,as reported in a leading news paper dated the 26-7-2007.
BRITAIN'S flood water contains dangerous bacteria at a level NINE TIMES the limit for a safe beach, TESTS REVEALED. A test sample taken in WALHAM, near CLOUCESTER, at the height of the floods was ANALYSED BY SCIENTISTS.
They FOUND 4,700 COLIFORM CFUs (colony forming units) per 100ml.
The EU LIMIT for a safe BLUE FLAG beach is 500 COLIFORM CFUs per 100ml  of WATER.
LEVELS OF potentially DEADLY E.COLI were also WORRYINGLY HIGH. And water trapped inside flooded homes is likely to be even more dangerous as toilets overflow and raw sewage surges back out from pipes.
E.COLI LEVELS in water like this are probably IN THE MILLIONS of CFUs, HEALTH EXPERTS WARNED.
SCIENTISTS ALSO WARNED THAT THE RISK OF INFECTION WILL INCREASE AS THE FLOOD WATER RECEDES AND THE CONTAMINATION BECOMES MORE CONCENTRATED. Of course if you have not been flooded this wont apply to you. John. J.R.P.

[Jeannine]

Which is why we don't eat anything for  a very little while,after that the natural bacteria in the soil take over, care has to be taken in the homes...but it is temporary JRP... very temporary.....  VERY .


Quote the papers name so we can read it for ourselves, you are either misreading it, or it is out on context, and nowhere do you show your proof about the farmlane being out of action.


Everything you have quoted above is at the height of the floods.

Come on now, would you eat a strawbeery that has been under dirty water for 2 weeks..of course not, but this is not what you said in your first post.

Those of us in areas of severe flooding have had brochures  hand delivered with all the right warnings and guidlines on.

 If you have seen a paper with an article that says farm land being contaminated for years, I bet a pound to a penny there was a story of  " man gives birth to triplet corgis in there too.

 This is just ridiculous.

[JRP]

Hi Jeannine, all I'm saying is you better think twice about eating something you have grown, if the soil has been CONTAMINATED by the flood water you said that you have had. Someone els must have see on their TV a FARMER  talking about the lose of his potato crop because his fields were flooded and others too, saying it will take years for the land to be used again, otherwise I would have not bothered to get involved in trying to help so many people. John. J.R.P.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Large areas have been covered with water which is doubtless contaminated with sewage. That much is true. But these bacteria don't thrive in the conditions outdoors; they like human intestines where there's no oxygen, no ultraviolet, and very little compteition from other bacteria. They'll be gone very soon after the floods finally recede.

[SMP1704]

I saw this reported on Sky this morning.  I ignored it as their typical story chasing/creating tactics.  If it is sooooooooo bad why was the reporter shown scoping the gloop into the jar with her bare hands???

Common sense, good personal hygiene and a scrubbing brush with elbow grease will see off the bacteria.

Off to bed - nighty night.

[JRP]

Hi Robert_Brenchley, the paper also mentioned to add to the flood misery, CRYPTOSPORIDIUM  - SALMONELLA - C.DIFF - CHOLERA - Plus E.coli, which is nice to know will go in time. John. J.R.P.

[cambourne7]

people no need to shout!!!

ie stop using capitals

[Jeannine]

 JRPI now believe you are dangerous and like Melbourne said you gain a spiteful pleasure causing axiety to others. I will not play your game and am pressing the ignore button on you.

I have had 2 messages from folks worried about what you have said, enough is enough, if you want to scare folks you can do it on your own, I will not feed you nasty fire

[Robert_Brenchley]

Salmonella is caught from infected food, cholera and C. diff from fecal contact, Cryptosporidium is the only one which is caught from drinking water, and as it's a rare infection in this country, very little indeed will be getting into the environment. We're at no significant risk from any of these, as long as we're reasonably sensible in the immediate aftermath of a flood, so no panic. This is pure trolling; please stop it. I suggest that this person's posts be set to 'ignore'.