Extra large Plant pots

[chris]

Though, that doesn't help you much sorry!

[bearded bloke]

I got some of my spuds in blue barrels cut in half (through diameter) keep meaning to fit rope handles,but as yet it is low priority

[Kristen]

There are robust bags sold for growing potatoes. Cheaper than pots, and easy to fold & store when not in use. Not brilliant if you need to move them around a lot (they do have handled though).

Here's the first one I found in Google


Growing Potatoes In Bags | Potato Grow Bags & Sacks

Another possibility is Air Pots. LBS (from the link at the top of the thread) are selling them dirt cheap at present (less than a tenner for massive ones) but you need a trade account (which just needs you to register I think ... I have one and I am certainly not a commercial grower, their trade prices are only of any discount if you buy "more than one" so to speak)



220L Air Pot for £8 (exc. VAT and postage)

[Mikey]

Ok, so what size is best?

Dan has 30L tubs and 50L I think, he uses 2 spuds per 30L pots, what do you guys use yours for and what quantities per size pot?

Would a bigger/smaller pot produce the same yield, i.e would a 35 or 40L tub produce a greater yield with 2 puds in or not. Not sure if anyone has done such a study?

[Mikey]

What would you use an air pot for Kristen?, would you line these as I'd have thought you'd want to keep the light from getting to your spuds if at all possible.

My only negative to the bags is they look a bit like the recycling bags we have from our council, which deteriorate quite quickly if left outside. I like the sound of the pots though as your roots can go in search for water via the side holes if slightly buried. Not sure how easy it would be to weed around them mind.

[Kristen]

Air Pots supposedly cause the roots to grow into the little cones around the edge, where the tips then die. Supposedly this is better than a regular pot where the roots circle round the perimeter. They are typicdally used for growign big trees the touted upside being that on planting the trees they get away well, compared to ones where they ahve been lifted from the field, and half their main roots cut away, or pot grown and a massively overcrowded rootball as a result.

Could all be marketing-babble for all I know, but I do see nurseries who grow large trees using them, so perhaps its not just hype. They won't let enough light in to do any damage, but I doubt the short-crop spuds will capitalise on their air-pruning fo the roots either, so I was just thinking of it as a "cheap container"

I raised it as they are very cheap from LBS at the moment, and might well be a cheaper than conventional pots. They may also have the advantage that you can just "Undo" the outer skin, and then all the contents - soil + spuds - will tumble out. Upturning a large pot of damp compost, to get the spuds out, can require quite a "heave"!

I've use both containers and bags. The bags I bought were good quality ones, rather than something cheap that might not have much life in them, and I've had them for half a dozen years and they are still functioning fine.

I have seen people placing containers on the soil, to get the benefit of greater depth, but I don't see much point in that. Mine are harvested not long after last frost, so wouldn't have been able to be outside for long, and I'm not trying to get ultimate growing of mine (e.g. for Show) so if they are in pots-stood-on-the-ground then they might just as well be in-ground. A lot of cost involved in the mount of compost you need in a large pot - relative to the value of the spuds you get at harvest (which are very cheap in the shops by then of course ...)

Container grown spuds are beautifully clean, when harvested, but unless you are Showing them I don't see any cost-benefit in that )

[darcyvuqua]

Air Pots supposedly cause the roots to grow into the little cones around the edge, where the tips then die. Supposedly this is better than a regular pot where the roots circle round the perimeter. They are typicdally used for growign big trees the touted upside being that on planting the trees they get away well, compared to ones where they ahve been lifted from the field, and half their main roots cut away, or pot grown and a massively overcrowded rootball as a result.

Could all be marketing-babble for all I know, but I do see nurseries who grow large trees using them, so perhaps its not just hype. They won't let enough light in to do any damage, but I doubt the short-crop spuds will capitalise on their air-pruning fo the roots either, so I was just thinking of it as a "cheap container"

I raised it as they are very cheap from LBS at the moment, and might well be a cheaper than conventional pots. They may also have the advantage that you can just "Undo" the outer skin, and then all the contents - soil + spuds - will tumble out. Upturning a large pot of damp compost, to get the spuds out, can require quite a "heave"!

I've use both containers and bags. The bags I bought were good quality ones, rather than something cheap that might not have much life in them, and I've had them for half a dozen years and they are still functioning fine.

I have seen people placing containers on the soil, to get the benefit of greater depth, but I don't see much point in that. Mine are harvested not long after last frost, so wouldn't have been able to be outside for long, and I'm not trying to get ultimate growing of mine (e.g. for Show) so if they are in pots-stood-on-the-ground then they might just as well be in-ground. A lot of cost involved in the mount of compost you need in a large pot - relative to the value of the spuds you get at harvest (which are very cheap in the shops by then of course ...)

Container grown spuds are beautifully clean, when harvested, but unless you are Showing them I don't see any cost-benefit in that )

Pretty interesting that!

[chris]

Spud in container wise- PTD is pretty much the chap who seems to grow all his in containers - may be worth checking some of his posts?

I would, but I'm erm supposed to be writing some tests (programming wise). Hence the procrastination.. But searching the forum isn't that appealing either

[Bill HH]

Ok, so what size is best?

Dan has 30L tubs and 50L I think, he uses 2 spuds per 30L pots, what do you guys use yours for and what quantities per size pot?

Would a bigger/smaller pot produce the same yield, i.e would a 35 or 40L tub produce a greater yield with 2 puds in or not. Not sure if anyone has done such a study?

Dan mainly uses 45 lts pots and puts in 3 seeds, he typicaly gets 9 to ten pounds of spuds at harvest (main crop) but figures vary wildly, he had a poor result from one pot i remember and put it down to it being partialy shaded. So many variables.

I just didnt get on with bags, the purpose made ones were best, my own MPC bags were awful, flopping about and me constantly having to turn the tops down to let light in, then after a day having to do it again. I also destroyed some of the better purpose built bags just trying to empty them. The pots do stack for storage so dont actualy take up much room and they can of course be used for other things (sweet peas etc) where a bag would be useless.

[Mikey]

Not sure if its me Kristen but I've hunted high and low for those air pots on Lbs but can't find them anywhere. Was it LBS that you saw them?. I guess they might have all gone....

[Dorothy rouse]

Suttons Seeds, are doing Free Postage and Packing this weekend only, if anyone is interested.

Also 3 for 2, on all seeds

[Kristen]

Not sure if its me Kristen but I've hunted high and low for those air pots on Lbs but can't find them anywhere. Was it LBS that you saw them?. I guess they might have all gone....

They are on the Wholesale site. I just registered and was granted an account. most things on there only have a discount price if you buy "several" (so i'm kinda surprised that they have a trade site, rather than a bulk-price, given that they didn't vet that I am bona fide commercial. They'll pobably terminate my account now!!!

Hopefully you can see this link without a trade login. You won't see prices though, but the air pots are £8-ish (the biggest is the cheapest I think - it might make a nice compost bin )

Pots and Trays Clearance: Wholesale Pots - Wholesale Trays - LBS Buyers Guide

[Mikey]

Cheers Kristen, as far as I can see the only difference is the vat, the trade account doesn't included it while the retail site does. Also there are more items on the trade site and it shows whats in stock.

[Kristen]

it shows whats in stock.

I'm sure you aren't planning to be reliant on that ... but my latest order has been held for ages, presumably because something was out of stock. I ticked the box for "Ship in one shipment" as the website said everything was in stock ...

[Mikey]

You can never be sure, but it is quite handy if they tell you when something is out of stock as at least this save you the trouble of ordering it and not being able to get it.