potato barrels

[BarleySugar]

How have people got on with these? I usually plant my early potatoes in large pots, but I only get one plant per pot, and usually tip the whole plant out to get the spuds.
On the garden4less website they have a potato planter for £31.50, which seems a bit steep for 'just' a pot to grow them in, but on the other hand, it takes 5 plants and you can get at them easily, according to the blurb. Also they have a potatoes for life offer, which is supposed to supply a voucher each year. It does mean you are limited to a few choices though.
I am wondering if people can give me some idea of whether this would be a worthwhile purchase, or whether I just stick with my pots.
Ann

[Paul Wagland]

That does seem pricey. I've never used an 'off the peg' potato planter, but I do like the 'stack of tyres' method - free if you can persuade a garage to give you some old tyres.

[Norm]

Yo BS,
I've been growing spuds in tubs for years. I use those big blue plastic barrels you see used on allotments for water storage. Cut in half, you can get 5 seeds in and if fed and watered properly, will exceed the estimated yield expected for the variety. You can usually pick them up for free, which is a better investment than £31.50.
I put the tubs on a weed-proof membrane and last year I covered up the tubs I hadn't emptied with a waterproof lid. The compost dried out and this week I'm lifting new spuds LONG before Jersey Royals and they taste much better.

[BarleySugar]

Problem is I've got a VERY small garden, 14ft by 30ft, complete with greenhouse, patio etc, so tyres would take up a bit too much space, and not look too good. Pretty hard to hide anything in such a small space. (compost bins, water butt behind the greenhouse, trellis with grape vine in front of greenhouse.) I only grow a few 'special' veg, like early new spuds, and they have to fit in with flowers and fruit in the beds or pots on the patio.

[NSB]

Alot of people use large buckets, I'm going to try it this year then I can place them around the garden.

[gojiberry]

Potato planters would be cheaper, usually about £15 for a pack of three. You can put three spuds in each and they are easy to move around if you need to. I have three planted up at the moment. The added advantage is that when not in use they fold up and dont take up a lot of storage room.

[crichmond]

I use those builders tubs that wickes sell for about a fiver, drill drainage holes and plant with 5 seed potatoes in each tub, then earth up as they grow.
I had an excellent crop of first earlies last year.

Cheers Chris

[SMS6]

Aren't there new rules about old tyres these days. Something to do with recycling etc.

I used to be married to a guy who owned his own garage and he could do what he liked with tyres but now I think tyre fitting centres etc have to account for any old ones they take off vehicles.

[jacob marley]

Why not put a bit of colour in your garden and pop along to B&Q's and get some of the red buckets yhey hold about 3 gallons .
Them potatoe barrells seem a bit pricey if you get about 30 or 40 spuds out of it they work out about £1 each after you have bought the compost as well so if you have money to throw away chuck some this way jacob

[SarzWix]

I don't have one of those 'Potato Barrel' things, but I do have the equivalent 'Strawberry Planter', and I would have to say that it's rubbish for the price paid It's made out of weird corrugated stuff, like a cross between plastic & cardboard and held rigid with a plastic top ring & the base. It took me mearly all day to get the flippin thing set up, & bits keep falling off it now... It isn't very easy to water either! If it had been a tenner or so it might have been worth it, but for £30 ??!! No, definately not!
On the other hand, some of the other potato planting things are not bad for the price - I bought some Spud Tubs which I've used for 2 years & had some great crops from them, & Haxnicks do some Haxnicks Direct :: Our Products :: The Very Best in Plant Protection which are a good price and work well too.
But if you go somewhere like Poundstretcher when they get their gardening stuff in, they do some really big plastic pots for not much money, so they look nicer in your garden too.

[BarleySugar]

Thanks Sarah, that was the type of info I was interested in. It sounds like this potato barrel is made along the same lines as your strawb tub, so prob not worth the money. I did quite well with the spuds in pots last year, but I got the free 10 vales emerald seed and I haven't got 10 large enough pots for them. I'll drop some hints when the sprogs go shopping tomorrow, but they prefer to get flowers because they look nice.
Ann

[matthew2riches]

VERY VERY STUPID PRICE!!!!!

i use tyres and the good old blue barrels. i have got a few black waste bins this year as well!

[shirlthegirl43]

Thanks Sarah, that was the type of info I was interested in. It sounds like this potato barrel is made along the same lines as your strawb tub, so prob not worth the money. I did quite well with the spuds in pots last year, but I got the free 10 vales emerald seed and I haven't got 10 large enough pots for them. I'll drop some hints when the sprogs go shopping tomorrow, but they prefer to get flowers because they look nice.
Ann

If they buy your flowers at Morrisons, then prompt them to get you a stack of the redundant black flower buckets - they are sold there 99p a bundle - drill holes in the bottom and they are a great size for a single spud.

[BarleySugar]

OK, keep your hair on If I had a lottie or bigger garden where I could hide stuff, I wouldn't mind what it looked like, but this garden belongs to the whole family, and they don't want to be surrounded by old tyres and dustbins when they sit outside.

[shirlthegirl43]

The flower buckets look fine - they are plain black but you can spray or decorate them if you want to they are easy to move around and you can stand them on things to make different levels - spud plants are quite pretty in their own way.