Potatoes in pots

[charles]

I think growing spuds in pots is great fun. However, for me this year, Pentland Javelin in pots produced too many tiny spuds. (I use good quality compost) So next year I'm going back to Kestrel which did well last year. Don't know why I changed ! Or can anyone recommend another good variety? Got to be first early, methinks.

[Hilary B]

I might have got this wrong, but I THINK that you can get 'fewer but bigger' spuds by limiting the number of active 'eyes' on the seed potato......

[PAULW]

CHARLES
The spring has been very cold which has slowed the growth of many veg, if you had left your spuds longer maybe all the small ones would have become big ones, have a firkle to check the size before emptying the pots out.

[charles]

Thanks for the answers - will investigate limiting number of eyes on seed spud - that looks like an opportunity for an experiment.
I suppose a firkle is a little sneaky look at something ????
Anyway I will be digging up my Wilja spuds from the ground soon - a great variety - touch wood - hardly any slug holes in 'em usually.

[kwa50]

Yes, I agree - I have left my potatoes and on having a rummage discovered that the small ones are now not a bad size.

kwa50
CraftChallenge.co.uk - Home

[markwcel]

we had great success with pentland javelin in sacks...maybe the weather was kinder for taties up north

[Helen Barnes]

My First Year With A Greenhouse In Az And I Had Some Potatoes That Were Sprouted So I Planted The Eyes In A Wooden Box In Three Hills And Got A Bumper Crop From Them. Sure There Were Some Small Ones But Some Big Ones Too. Just Keep Trying. I Planted In Sept Last Year And Had Tomatoes By October And Picked My Last Ones A Week Ago. Its Sure A Lot Of Fun, Isn't It. Have A Good Day

[Marthaclematis]

I grew 'rocket' in pots and they were a good size though I did leave them for about 16 weeks.

[Duronal]

i've just harvested 2kg of javelin from a 30 litre grow bag. It's not a bad haul for a first time pot man.

[Alice]

I grew Pentland Javelin in buckets this year. The first bucket I emptied had a lot of small ones so I slid it back into the bucket and let them grow on. The buckets which were left 2 weeks longer had good sized potatoes and crop not bad. I don't think the flavour is as good as Charlotte.

[Jimmy]

I was given three nice plastic growing pots.
And yes my Charlottes went bonkers.
I started them in GH and put the outside in spring.
Lots of early spuds.
But, when you work out how much compost I used the cost was excessive. These grow pots/bags don't half gobble up compost!
NB Fortunatly I make quite a bit of my own compost.
Jim

[JO,JO]

got a huge crop off three pink fir apple
i have got a dustbin full of carlingford and a pot bag full of some form of salad potato.
i planted four yukon gold three weeks ago and they have shot up.

[rob the roller]

I have been growing potatoes in containers. This will be my third or fourth attempt. All previous attempts produces string roots and no tubers. I am growing in two recycled water butts and two tyre towers. The plants look wonderfull, masses of foliage but don't know whether there's anything underneath. The tallest plant is currently around 5 feet. I am expecting the tyre towers to reach at least five feet before they mature. Will let you know the results (if any).

[whitevanman]

Never thought of that one, what a good way to recycle tyres,

[rob the roller]

I cut off the walls first leaving about a quarter inch of overhang. I use a penknife or similar to make the incision, then a bread knife cuts through the rubber fairly easily thereafter. There is usually a line each side of the tyre around the place whether the surface tread comes to an end which is a good line to follow with the knife. There should be just enough wall left for the tyres to stand on top of one another. It's important to make sure the first tyre is horizontal, as once the tower starts to rise the weight of the compost will buckle the edge of any low spot and the tyre will start to lean. Needs plenty of water to succeed. Any suggestions for recycling the walls gratefully received.