Found growing in compost bin

[Ivyhouse]

I emptied last year’s bin today and found these growing. Anybody any idea what they might be ? I think I must have introduced them as unlikely that squirrels could have got in. Thanks in anticipation.

 

[roadrunner]

I would plant it and see what it grows into. However, it looks like you chopped off the top, so not sure it can recover from that given that it's a seedling. Although some seedlings are pretty hardy...Only one way to know...

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I can't tell the size without anything to compare to, but could it be a tuber rather than a seed? Possibly even a small potato.

 

[blenor]

Looks very much like a conker that has started to sprout. Do you have any horse chestnut trees near you? I'm always pulling these up in the garden. I think squirrels bury them. The avenue I live in is lined with chestnut trees.

 

[Ivyhouse]

I can't tell the size without anything to compare to, but could it be a tuber rather than a seed? Possibly even a small potato.

Thanks for the speedy response. They are about the size of a 50 pence piece but solid and wooden. When I first opened the bin the shoots/roots were everywhere and my first thought was bindweed. It was only when I unravelled them I found these at the end.

 

[DiggersJo]

Avocado?

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Hard and woody makes @blenor 's theory sound probable

 

[Sheal]

I agree with DiggersJo - avocado.

 

[pepper2.0]

I agree with DiggersJo - avocado.

Me too. Even the growth coming out of it looks like what an avocado does.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I emptied last year’s bin today and found these growing. Anybody any idea what they might be ? I think I must have introduced them as unlikely that squirrels could have got in. Thanks in anticipation.View attachment 111379

Judging from what went in which do you think, avocado or conkers? both sound possible.

 

[Ivyhouse]

Thanks all. Too hard for a conker. I’ve now got to the bottom of the bin and found numerous peanut shells. As we’ve never had these or an avacado for that matter it would seem the squirrels must have found a route in. The other possibility could be rats as living in the London suburbs we do have a few of those.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

My black compost bins have open bottoms and rodents invaded regularly until I took to standing them on aviary wire.

 

[MiTmite9]

I emptied last year’s bin today and found these growing. Anybody any idea what they might be ? I think I must have introduced them as unlikely that squirrels could have got in. Thanks in anticipation.View attachment 111379

It's an avocado pit, which is why, at our house, we always chop up our avo pits before adding them to the compost bin.

It is a well known fact that avocado pits do not grow "true." This means it is HIGHLY unlikely that any randomly or purposely sprouted avocado pit will grow into a tree that produces good fruit ---- not unless that tree is grafted.

 

[MrsCooper]

Looks very much like a conker that has started to sprout. Do you have any horse chestnut trees near you? I'm always pulling these up in the garden. I think squirrels bury them. The avenue I live in is lined with chestnut trees.

Agreed, except, I’ve got several walnut trees around my house and squirrels often plant them and small walnut trees spring up all over the place. That looks more walnut than chestnut shaped to me.

 

[Meadowlark]

How about some fresh Hale's cantaloupe right out of the compost pile?

I intentionally do not use hybrid cantaloupe seed in order to get the bonus free true offspring from the compost pile.

Several more like this one on the vines...