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Ok, need some help from experienced composters. I made a major boo-boo.
About a year ago I had a ham bone and thought I'd make some pea soup. I bought a bag of (white) peas that I thought were the right ones, made the soup and it wasn't good soup at all. I had about 3/4 of the dried peas left, packaged in an airtight bag in my pantry and it sat there for the better part of a year, unused.
I was going to throw the bag in the garbage, but not thinking, I emptied it into my composter and with my spade I mixed it into the compost that was already in there. A week later, I noticed that TONS of pea plants had sprouted inside my composter. My composter is black, sits on the ground, upright with a hatch on the side and a removable lid. I have leaned in and pulled as many as I can out, but they just keep on coming and coming.
We get far below zero temperatures around here in the winter. Will this kill any of the remaining peas or will they just sit dormant waiting for the warm weather next spring? If not, is there anything I can do to kill them all so I don't get a huge bunch of pea plants growing up in my garden next year when I mix my compost into my soil?
Another thought... will dumping a 1-2 foot pile of maple leaves on top of everything help to break the peas down into compost or will that just keep them warm?
It wouldn't be SO bad if these were a good variety of peas, but I don't like them at all! lol
Well thanks guys, you have made me feel better. The reason I thought the peas might lay dormant until next year is because I've had that happen with tomatoes and squash trimmings in my compost.
One year I had grape tomatoes coming up all over my vegetable garden. I'd bought a container of them and didn't eat all of them, so threw the soft ones into the compost the year before (they were good too
This year I have a huge squash plant growing out of a container that I didn't even plant squash seeds in. A bonus! The peas wouldn't be.
I'd think of them as green manure. Legumes are often planted to set nitrogen in the soil, so just till them under when they die, and you most likely did yourself a favor.
If the seed have NOT germinated, such as your grape tomatoes, then some seed can survive the winter. Your best bet with the unwanted peas is to give them enough moisture that they germinate before winter sets in.
If the seed have NOT germinated, such as your grape tomatoes, then some seed can survive the winter. Your best bet with the unwanted peas is to give them enough moisture that they germinate before winter sets in.
Ok, thanks! that will work. I keep my compost watered down but not soaked. I think they should all germinate.
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