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Potatoes
Dave williams
Posts: 25
I have grown potatoes in 10" pots, I have just harvested one pot. The potatoes themselves looked ok but the old rotted potato had what looked like white fleas jumping about inside the potato and all over the soil.
My question is:-
Is the soil contaminated or can I still reuse it to grow further crops.
Can i still eat the potatoes i have harvested.
Many thanks in advance
Dave
0
Posts
The potatoes will be fine to eat.
The little insects are just feeding on the rotted potato ... they're part of the fauna that lives in the soil and contributes to breaking down the nutrients and making them accessible to plants ... yesterday's Gardener's World looked at a small part of this topic. It will be repeated today and tomorrow http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b097rs7k
However, the compost in your pot is likely to be exhausted of most nutrients and would be best added to your compost heap or turned out onto a bed or border. Use fresh compost to grow further crops.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks very much for your reply. Will start again with fresh compost.
Dave