Comments on: Compost Bin Tomatoes

By: Dom the Postie

Dom the Postie — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 08:18:00 +0000

Hi. I’ve just been directed to this site after searching the glorious WWW for help with my invasion of tomato plants. This is my first season of compost from my own composter of general kitchen waste layered with coffee grounds both mine and a great supply from my local Starbucks. It has been a great success, with only one drawback… I seem to have lost my vegetables under a mass of rogue tomatoes and sunflowers. Looks like its going to be another late summer making jar upon jar of tomato chutney.

By: Chris and his Tomatoes

Chris and his Tomatoes — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:58:35 +0000

Hello there! I’m a newbie when it comes to gardening. Planted a couple of tomato seedlings a week or so ago. I’m not sure if they’re doing well. But I don’t think I have your luck. You weren’t even trying to grow them and there they are all bushy beside the bin.

By: Bentley

Bentley — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:05:42 +0000

Hi Kaki,
Not sure why your compost veggies wouldn’t be good to eat. The plant is simply taking what it needs from the heap, and growing just the same way it would in the garden (perhaps better?). Unless of course you happen to live on a superfund site.
😉

By: Kaki

Kaki — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:09:40 +0000

I started a compost pile in a plastic gardening bucket. After a month or two, I stopped, but left the pile alone. A few weeks ago I noticed a tomato plant growing out of it. I have been watching and now it is producing fruit. The tomatoes are the shape of eggplant, maybe Roma tomato. I continue to watch, maybe I have created a new vegetable fruit mix. I call it the tomeggo. Just kidding, but I am having fun watching it grow. Will it be safe to eat?? Any ideas??

By: hazel

hazel — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:00:25 +0000

Hi, I have grown on potato plants which appeared from the compost heap and these were successful. This year I have strawberry plants from the compost, but have not seen any flowers on them, also the leaves appear bigger and coarser than normal strawberries – don’t know whether to leave them a bit longer or hoick them out!

By: Bentley

Bentley — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:37:15 +0000

Hi Briget,
My bin tomato grew into a giant plant and produced lots of yummy cherry tomatoes. This year I have something new growing out of the bin and will be writing about that very soon!

You might try leaving the plants to grow – it can be a lot of fun!
8)

By: Bridget

Bridget — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:36:57 +0000

What ever happened with these plants? I have tomato and zucchini plants popping up all over this spring bc apparently my compost never got hot enough to kill the seeds. Wondering if I should pull them out or just let em go? Would love to hear what happened with yours.

By: Bentley

Bentley — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 23:26:37 +0000

Hi Danielle,
That’s interesting!
I’ve heard people caution the use of tomato plants in compost heaps because of plant diseases, but never because of toxins.
Maintaining good marital relations is never a bad idea (haha) so perhaps you should continue leaving them out of your pile!

I will definitely look into this though and see what I can find!
(I’ll write a post about it if I turn up anything interesting)
Thanks for stopping by!

By: Danielle

Danielle — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 16:45:24 +0000

My husband is convinced that tomato plants (and any other nightshade-related plant) should not be added to compost as it is toxic. I have never noticed any problems previously but have been keeping them out simply to keep him happy. Clearly you have not had any problems with this method. What should I tell him?