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

janeawej

I saw some expensive 'special' bags for growing new potatoes in the garden centre, when I got home I noticed that the open sacks my coal comes in is exactly the same materiel, ok maybe a bit grubby and white not green! so I was thingking of using a couple of these, does anyone know if the coal dust is going to harm the spuds as they are growing? as i dont want to buy seed potatoes and compost and waste it all, Jane

ampersand

Given that we are all good msers here, jolly chortles abounded when I saw p.90 in yesterday's Times magazine. Potato Starter Kit indeed - only £24.95? Heard Bob Flowerdew last week saying that the sprouty growths on old taties can be broken off and potted up now. Have a fair few of these.......
Sorry, took pic, but don't know how to bring it here. Doesn't copy,cut,paste.

Jnelhams

Poundland have UNWINS seed potatoes at the moment, got DESIREE & BRITISH QUEEN.

ampersand

Find Nadine potatoes if you can - just the best!

Strepsy

janeawej wrote:

I saw some expensive 'special' bags for growing new potatoes in the garden centre, when I got home I noticed that the open sacks my coal comes in is exactly the same materiel, ok maybe a bit grubby and white not green! so I was thingking of using a couple of these, does anyone know if the coal dust is going to harm the spuds as they are growing? as i dont want to buy seed potatoes and compost and waste it all, Jane

I've no idea about the coal actually but could you turn them inside out? Then I guess it would limit it. I was going to say with the sacks being white that you do have to make sure they are not letting any light in or you spuds will be green and inedible. They do have to be kept very dark.


Just a note about using potatoes from the supermarket. Those potatoes may have been sprayed with goodness knows what and have traces of disease or blight which you could then be transferring to your soil for years and years to come. It's really not the green option.

I got some of the £1 spuds from Poundland, brilliant

clairefun

Ooh I'll have a look in Ppoundland too, my mum and my sister have passed their bins on to me this year so I'll have 2 bins of potatoes soon, I'm very excited. Don't know how to choose which varieties to grow though, there's so many!

Debt_Free_Chick

If you're using bins, remember to put drainage holes in the bottom. Put the bin on the lawn and stab inside with a good garden fork.

I would also put a layer of pebbles/stones/shingle in the bottom.

Debt_Free_Chick

Here's a useful chart showing the qualities of different varieties.

CazW_2

Am i doing this right... I have the black tubs morrisons sell off and also a old black bin... i have bassicly left some potatoes to start sprouting then chopped them in half (both halfs have sprouting bits) then popped the 2 tuters in the tubs... covered with about 4" of compost and popped in the garden... no idea what variety they are tho :S.

I haven't done the black bin crop yet as the small ones were just for the kids to do and the big bin is going to be the main batch.... what variety would do best and what can i start planting now? (i'm impatient..lol)

Caz

bluegiraffe_2

Im growing spuds for the first time this year too. Ive got an experiment on the go at the moment - I receive somewhere between five and ten dhl bags through the post each week at work, so Ive turned one inside out, and filled with compost. I had some supermarket tatties I forgot about which sprouted, so I stuck them in and covered with compost. Should be interesting in 10 weeks when I empty the bags!