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growing potatoes in an empty compost bag? (Merged Thread)

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  • relay
    relay Posts: 313 Forumite
    gt568 wrote: »
    each to there own of course, but if you introduced blight to the allotment by using supermarket spuds (which are more vulnerable), then I'm sure the other allotmenteers who'd be less than chuffed


    Sorry to nit-pick but it isn't possible to 'indroduce' blight through growing supermarket potatoes. Blight is transfered to the soil via raindrops which catch the spores in the air (blight is airborne), not by growing spuds from the supermarket & is so prevailant that other allotmenteers already have it in thier soil.

    Your theory seems to suggest supermarket potatoes are already infected with blight (or more likely to carry it) which is far from true otherwise they wouldn't be on sale for human consumption.

    There is no conclusive evidence that supermarket potatoes are inferior to seed potatoes or more vulnerable to blight & if grown just for one season they produce a similar yeald.

    The only reason we use seed potatoes is because they are grown at higher altitude where there are less insects to transmit viruses to the seed stock but that doesn't stop them getting fungal infections like blight. Only a couple of years ago my regular seed supplyer lost it's entire seed potato stock to blight & they were all from certified disease free stock.
  • I have used both seed potatoes, and supermarket ones, both gave good crops, in my own garden.
    On a more upbeat note, how are everyones potgrowns doing? Mine have been in 7 weeks now. The early early have had the soil right to the top and 3 are 10 inches above and more. I have just started putting them outside the shed in the daytime but am still tucking them up at night. Cant wait for my first spuds!
    I think I am going slightly mad.....
  • margaretclare
    margaretclare Posts: 10,789 Forumite
    I have used both seed potatoes, and supermarket ones, both gave good crops, in my own garden.
    On a more upbeat note, how are everyones potgrowns doing? Mine have been in 7 weeks now. The early early have had the soil right to the top and 3 are 10 inches above and more. I have just started putting them outside the shed in the daytime but am still tucking them up at night. Cant wait for my first spuds!

    We've eaten the ones we grew over winter and haven't planted the others yet. They're in the shed 'chitting'. I looked at them yesterday. My grandad always planted his spuds on Good Friday but I wasn't tempted to do so this year - weather outside too awful and it's snowing now.

    M
    [FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Æ[/FONT]r ic wisdom funde, [FONT=Times New Roman, serif]æ[/FONT]r wear[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]ð[/FONT] ic eald.
    Before I found wisdom, I became old.
  • Lotus-eater
    Lotus-eater Posts: 10,789 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Well its the earliest easter weekend for a hundred years or something silly, so don't be worried about not getting your spuds in :)
    Amazing we had about 2 and a half inches of snow first thing this morning and now its all but gone!
    At the moment I have no idea when the weather will let me plant my potatoes.
    Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.
  • Trishh_2
    Trishh_2 Posts: 275 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Yes lotus eater, I agree about the weather. I managed to get a few rows of earlies in last weekend but the 2nds & main crop will have to wait another couple of weeks till it's better weather. Still plenty of time for them and things planted
    later will always catch up once it gets warmer and the days are longer :beer:
    :beer:
  • I'm a real novice at gardening, but fancy growing some potatoes in buckets primarily since the Moneysaving Board gave some info about how to do this.

    I have ordered some earlies called 'Vales Emerald' that were offered for free on the Internet (thanks to another moneysaver on this board) but I would also like to know if I can use potatoes that have gone to seed in my cupboard to plant out?

    Thanks:confused:
  • Can do, but quality might not be as good.

    Pototoes sold specially as seed potatoes are screened for diseases, so you might find that you're introducing problems into the soil if you use supermarket spuds. On the other hand, if you're only growing them in pots and they don't do well, you haven't lost anything.
  • relay
    relay Posts: 313 Forumite
    You don't introduce anything to the soil by planting supermarket potatoes, this is not true. Seed potatoes are not 'screened' for diseases they are just grown at higher altitude to reduce insect damage & are no less likely to get infected with disease than supermarket potatoes.

    Only a couple of years ago my regular seed supplier lost it's entire stock of seed potatoes to blight. Now how do you suppose that happened if they were screened for disease?

    Where do people get this idea that supermarket potatoes can introduce something nasty into the soil?

    If that were true they wouldn't be sold for human consumption because it would mean they were already infected with something & thus unfit for human consumption. There is no reason why you can't plant supermarket potatoes just for one season.
  • What's your source?
  • relay
    relay Posts: 313 Forumite
    Over 25 Years experience growing vegetables. What's yours?
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