Best medium to grow Potatoes in

mama67

I want to have a go at growing some potatoes.

I have some sprouted bits and now am wondering what to grow them in.

Is potting compost ok or do I need something else.

I plan on using a couple of the old Safeway green boxes sat inside black bin liners.

Am I too late to do this this year?

Can anyone help please?

kazwookie

Mine are in a 50 /50 mix of soil and potting compost, in rolled down compost bags, as the leaves show I roll the bag back up a bit and add more soil / compost.

I wouldn't think you are too late for this year. Get planting.

Make sure you let us all know how you get on, good luck.

ukbill69

Ive done mine in top soil, compost and good manure all mixed together.

katskorner

no, not too late - they will just crop later that is all. Compost is fine - a bit of extra feed won't hurt or well rotted manure if you have some.

bubbs

what is the latest you can put potato's in please as im growing in bags and would like to have a continous crop if thats possible.
Thanks

linni

I planted some last week in turned down compost bags and i'm amazed they are sprouting already, but my garden is south facing so lots of sun.

mama67

linni wrote: »

I planted some last week in turned down compost bags and i'm amazed they are sprouting already, but my garden is south facing so lots of sun.

I have hope then as my garden is south facing also.

I did 2 black bin liners inside the green box, will do another 2 in another box once I get more compost.

This year is the year of buying things in as haven't got our own compost heap going properly as yet.

Optimisticpair

bubbs wrote: »

what is the latest you can put potato's in please as im growing in bags and would like to have a continous crop if thats possible.
Thanks

They need to be planted early enough to be of a size for harvesting before your first winter frosts or protected from frost. The dates for frost depends on where you live.

Earlies like Rocket can be grown in a frost free place in a container in late Feb. If fed one or two seed potatoes can provide a pound or two of egg sized "new" salad potatoes from a 12" diameter container some time in May or June. Another batch can be left to mature for June - July.

You can keep a few earlies back and plant in August, keep them frost free and harvest as "Christmas new potatoes"

You could plant maincrop spuds now for roast/mash/boiled but harvest before they are mature if necessary.

Optimisticpair

I've grown my earliest batch in 100% multipurpose compost to keep the container weight lower so that they could be moved outside then earthed up with soil and my later batches are in bigger tubs in a mixture of 50% home made compost, multipurpose compost and 50% decent riddled garden soil (too stony otherwise).

I would have added well rotted manure as well if possible but I couldn't store any this year.