A couple a seed potatoes not 1kg

Oldstylethriftylady

Hello,

I am hoping someone can point me in the right direction, I’m wanting to grow potatoes this year but can only do it in containers as I don’t have a massive amount of space, maybe around 3. I’d love to do different potatoes in each but for the life of me cannot find anywhere that does just a couple of spuds. I don’t want the kg bags as a lot of the spud will go to waste and sadly I don’t have anywhere like a wilko or pound land etc to get cheap one from.

Any help would be great.

JGB1955

If you are anywhere near Cheltenham you could visit Dundry Nurseries - family run garden centre in Gloucestershire, florist, cafe, and over 100 varieties of seed potato sold loose.  We were able to buy 3 of 3 different varieties last weekend.  Might be worth giving them a phone call and see if they would be able to post some out to you?

Martin_the_Unjust

Wilcos do them in packs of 5

Oldstylethriftylady

@JGB1955 thank you, I might just do that and see if it’s cost effective.

@martin_the_unjust as stated I don’t like near a wilkos and the nearest one is either a 4 hour boat trip or a plane ride 🙈

RAS

What's in your local supermarket, or grocery store? Obviously not necessarily virus free but still probably good enough to grow safely. 
I'd avoid anything grown abroad as there have been some nasty introductions from EU grown seed potatoes resulting in the destruction of the entire planting.

Alternatively, if there is any sort of allotment or gardeners' association near you, you may get a decent response by emailing or messaging them and asking if anyone would spare three potatoes for you? Some of them will be buying more than they really want.

Apodemus

It might be helpful if you could give a bit more of a clue to whereabouts you live, as I'm guessing that the best answer will be quite location specific and we probably need a bit more than "four hours by boat from Wilko"! 

twopenny

I use the supermarket potatoes because they sprout quickly in the spring so no good to use and I plop one in a bed or in the compost heap where they grow.

Looking for a few of different varieties I think you need to ask anyone you know with an allotment to see if there is someone there who has something different.

If you only want one of each variety people are probably going to be happy to let you have just one.

Could you post on the local FaceBook page or pin a note somewhere in the allotment? Gardeners are usually generous with people who want to try stuff.

In non covid times there are seed swaps in towns and car boots but right now it's tricky.

Arthog

If you have a Freecycle in the area, it'd be worth putting a Wanted request on there, for seed potatoes and containers.

Covid is slowing things down - our Freecycle has closed until the end of Lockdown.

You can grow 2 or 3 seed potatoes in a bucket-sized container. The traditional date for planting them outdoors is Good Friday, so you have some time yet.

I've grown good crops from potatoes which have sprouted in the kitchen.