Potato barrels advice?

FirstClassMale

I would love to get a crop of potatoes this year. As yet we haven't finished designing the garden and its, quite frankly, a muddy mess while I build my log cabin.

I remember seeing a gardening programme a few years ago showing success growing potatoes in barrels. I've had a look at them online and only one type appears to be available ranging from £24 to £40.

Can't I just get hold of an old plastic barrel or something and fill it with earth and cut out holes in the sides? I think I might be confusing tattie barrels with strawberry ones.

Any ideas would be great.

apprentice_tycoon

If you can find really deep buckets the sort that are used in food manufacture they will be just as good and fairly cheap - I have some from a fudge shop that I got for nothing, but you might have to look at boot sales to find them

I just drilled holes in the base and a few around 2" from the base.

FirstClassMale

Thanks, we have a commercial bakery a few miles away. I might try them.

So it doesnt need to have a "slidy top" you can just plant straight through the holes?

apprentice_tycoon

The holes are just little drainage holes, not for planting -

You put a few small rocks in the base so that the excess water can drain away, you then put a layer of compost about 4 inches deep - then 2 or 3 chitted (sprouty) seed potatoes, another layer of compost to cover them - then repeat with the potoatoes once more, the top up with compost but leave about 4 or more inches at the top of the bucket free - when the greenery starts to appear you add more compost to cover the stems of the shoots and keep earthing up like that till you get to near the top of the bucket. When the greenery is dying off you tip the whole lot out.
If you can get lots of buckets use them for carrots and leeks too. I've grown tall beans and peas in big buckets but unless you weigh them down with very heavy rocks in the base they blow over too easily

Jolaaled

last year, we grew potatoes on black bin liners...they were very sucessful indeed. Just put about 5 chitted pots spaced evenly around the edge, prod a few holes in the sides for drainage..and water frequently.
We had 5 bin liners filled with pots after a few weeks...i stored them in dry compost over the winter and have only just eaten the last of these...delicious.
Good luck

MrsTinks

I've used the flower planters from Asda before now poke out the drainage holes in the bottom and fill with compost (leaving a few inches at the top) and put in what ever potatoes in your house start sprouting As there are only two of us I would just stick my hard in to grab what ever potatoes I want to be honest Really must get some of these again this year... Especially as my Wormery should be arriving today or tomorrow heehee!!!! Allotment growing in a SMALL back garden Same with Garlic btw... stick the shooting cloves in the ground with some compost in a sunny spot and remember to water it well when it gets dry

otterspasm

I heard on the radio a couple of years ago that you can grow potatoes in old tyres. Just stack up 3 or 4 tyres. Fill with compost and plant your seed potatoes in them. As you build up the compost you can add another couple of tyres on the top so that the potatoes grow deep and plentiful! I've never tried it but thought it was a good way to use old tyres as you have to pay to dispose of them now, I believe. They would probably need a good clean beforehand. HTH.

MrsTinks

You could but in all honesty I don't think I'd like a stack of tyres in my garden If I had an allotment then yep I would probably give it a go as it seems a good way to grow potatoes with minimum work in digging them up later in the year You can also make a wormery with tyres although they don't recommend using kitchen scraps unless you have carefully sealed the joints between the tyres

FirstClassMale

I wouldn't mind the tyres but the OH might have something to say. The cement mixer and huge trenches for my log cabin foundations are already blighting her view. I will give the bakery place a call when I get the chance but am I right that this is the time for planting potatoes and theres a small window of planting times?

The phrase I heard on the radio the other day was "plant your lates early and your earlies late" Its earlies I'm after so I may have a wee bit of time to play with

Anne_Marie_2

I have grown lovely "new" potatoes quite successfully in a deep tub. Had great new potatoes at Christmas year before last. (Was too lazy & late for last Christmas).
You could use an old bin, or get a very nice new plastic one and punch in drainage holes - you could always decorate the outside to make it pretty for viewing purposes, but wouldn't bother personally.