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

Lord_Gardener

It's usual to plant, harvest Potatoes

First earlies - mid to late March, June to July
Second earlies - early to mid April, July to August
Maincrop - mid to late April, September to October

These will very depending on where you live - a week or two earlier on south coast. Nb We already have some planted up in bags in the garage - some light from window for very early crop!!

We don't bother to chit - have seen by experimenting that it has no affect on cropping!!

Mr_Warren_2

Hi all, as the season is getting closer, I wanted to know how to proceed growing new potatoes in tubs using good seeds from gardeen centres (i have read somewhere that someone managed to grow them inside old tyres...!) I want a heavy crop of new spuds. thank you for any help.

pootle666

Lots of places sell containers specially for growing potatoes - but us money savers know better. Anything that is deep enough should be fine. Tyres stacked up are good - especially as, as you "earth up" you can just add another tyre on top. Also old dustbin or if you see some stiff plastic sheeting that you could just roll up & fix in some way - that would do.

As for the potatoes themselves, I'm no expert, but get good quality seed potatoes, some decent compost & fertiliser. Keep the seed potatoes somewhere cool & dark until they start sprouting & them plant. As the shoots show you have to earth up with compost - which is why you need something deep & basically wait for potatoes.

I'm sure lots of other people will have lots of good advice - good luck.

angie_loves_veg

Have a look in the thread called 'container Growing' started by shelle (sorry, don't know how to link to it - if someone else would I'd be grateful!)

In it I have given lots of advice on :
earthing up potatoes in pots
sizes of pots to use
yields from previous trails

hope that helps

Syman

Clicky

have a looksee at the link above. this gives plenty of info on growing pots in a bin.

i am doing this for the firsdt time myself this year too.

maybe we can comparte notes;) :rolleyes:

teapot2

Hi Mr W, there has been quite a bit of discussion re potato growing a thread with lots of info is here;

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=361726&

Am going to be having a go myself but in empty compost bags cos of lack of space. Looking forward to seeing how they turn out - good luck with yours

Teapot

Lord_Gardener

Use an old compost bag or dustbin - the spuds need space to form a good crop, small pots just don't give the same yield!

arkonite_babe

If you plant spuds in a bin, the max amount to put in is 5. Apparently thety will form side shoots and spread out, well this is the theory anyway

My Dad gave me some yukon gold to put in this year so I will see how they go in a bin

Mr_Warren_2

Thanks everyone, will go tub hunting and report later on. Am making my own compost so should have plenty good stuff to feed hungry tubers !!!

Strepsy

I grew them last year in the cheap black buckets they sell off in Morrison's 10 for 99p from the fresh flowers. I put two per bucket, the were absolutely gorgeous but didn't get a huge crop. I want to try and put them in the ground this year.