Potato peelings as a mulch?

[slowfood]

Hi All,

I run a fish & chip shop so the potato peelings are like a mush that is collected in a plastic onion sack then thrown away. The potatoes come from a local farm that uses pesticides etc... Can anyone think of a reason this would be no good as a mulch? Would it improve my clay soil in any way?

Thanks

[slowfood]

[Baccy Man]

It would be advisable to compost the peelings first to lessen the risk of introducing diseases & traces of pesticides, herbicides etc... which may affect the crops you grow.

[tomatoada]

Yes I would put them in layers in the compost with shredded paper, and whatever else you put in there.

[Digeroo]

I presume that the mash is very wet so will need something added or the compost or it will be a naasty smelly mess.  Potatoes are the one veg I do not put in the compost bin.    I think I would try burying some and growing runner beans on top.   Hopefully by the time the beans are planted the chemicals will have washed out.  

Do you not have green bins in your area so at least it can be recycled?

I am a real expert in creating nasty smelly compost and have finally got it together adding cardboard and papaer to the mix.

[antipodes]

No i certainly wouldn't use them as mulch, it will just be a big mess. But sounds like a godo starter for a compost heap! BAsically, the more varied your compost, the better it works - mine gets all sorts - all the household peelings, usually wrapped in newspaper, coffee grounds, teabags, egg shells, weeds, grass, all the twiggy waste, some leaves, paper and it gives good compost.

[Robert_Brenchley]

If you use them as mulch they'll either rot and smell, or sprout (in WW2, people planted peelings instead of spuds), or both at once. Compost them and they'll be fine.

[Baccy Man]

If you use them as mulch they'll either rot and smell, or sprout (in WW2, people planted peelings instead of spuds), or both at once.

The OP's description of mush suggests the potatoes have been through a rumbler, there is no way they could sprout as the waste peel typically comes out looking like this.

[Robert_Brenchley]

That'll definitely rot! It needs to be mixed with other ingredients or you'll end up with a smelly bin.

[chriscross1966]

You could create fantastic compost with just this and a plentiful supply of chipped woody prunings.... see if you can find some mates that are contract gardeners......

chrisc

[slowfood]

Great replies everyone. Thanks.

The compost bins at home and the allotment are both full at the moment, but, I think it would be worth building another just to test the wood chip/paper/potato peelings theory. The potatoes come in 25kg paper bags, I'm sure these will do shredded up a bit. Also going to try the trench for beans, mixed with paper and manure. It seems a shame to throw it away when it could have a use. We do have a commercial recycle bin (cardboard,tins,plastic) but they don't take food waste.

[chriscross1966]

Hadn't thought of those thick paper bags.... tear them up and they should be fine, ditto brown cardboard, I ex[ect you get a fair amount of that too :-)

chrisc

[GlentoranMark]

What about building a wormery? It will compost them much faster and you could always sell any surplus worms to fishermen? The worms would have a feast  ;)

[slowfood]

Another idea I hadn't thought of GM, thanks. Now what to do with the left over pies at the end of the night? I'm not sure the worms will munch those.  ;D

[Jeannine]

They will !!

XX Jeannine