Spuds in Tyres?

[broadway]

Morning Folks,

Managed to aquire 6 tyres yesterday and was gonna grow spuds in them.

Would appreciate any hints / tips from people who have used this method including number of seed spuds per tyre?

[Hilary B]

Isn't the idea that you plant 1 or 2 spuds in a tyreful of earth/compost ( 1 or 2 depending on size of tyre) and when the tops get growing well, you add another tyre and fill with earth/compost by way of 'earthing up', continuing as long as you think earthing up remains a good idea?
Just going by what I saw on TV when (I think) Bob Flowerdew was demonstrating the idea.

[broadway]

Thanks Hilary,

With that in mind I'll try and go for 2 lots of 3 tyres. The tyres are normal car size and was thinking of at least 2 seed spuds otherwise it doesn't seem worth while?

[TrulyGreen]

You can put five seed spuds in those potato barrels that you buy from the garden centre and they are quite small in diameter.....I'm sure 5 would be OK in your tyres if they are a reasonable size.....good luck.....Christine

[broadway]

Thanks Christine

Mrs took the car to the garage yesterday and asked for any spare tyres, we can have as many as we want!

[russell]

I read somwhere that you should fill the bit where the air should go with straw to protect. Or have I got that completely wrong??

[broadway]

Hi Russell

I've now found a bit of info although straw is not mentioned? That doesn't mean to say its not used as we well know people do different things.

I think I'm gonna go for the 3 tyre setup 4 seed pots in each.

I need to work out space to see if I can fit in 6 x 3 tyre setups!

[Demeter]

I think you are supposed to cut away the wall of the tyre - not where the tread is, the bits that are on the side (when the wheel is on a car I mean) although having said that I don't know exactly what is supposed to go wrong if you don't! Possibly it's just that the walls get in the way and make your "container" too small.

I wonder if you could try earthing up with straw, has to be cheaper than using compost and inside a tyre structure it wouldn't blow away. Would the spuds get enough water and nutrition from the roots that go down into the ground or do they need soil within the tyre structure as well?

[TrulyGreen]

I saw on TV a woman who planted her seed pots and then covered the ground with black polythene and let the spuds grow underneath......no earthing up Anyone have any experience of this or similar

[skegblade]

Don't cut the tyre walls off as they give them their strength; they flop about if you do. I may be wrong but I think the straw goes into the tyre body, where the air would have gone. It will help insulate the spuds as well as save on compost. Hope that helps

Phil

[Jameslovell]

Wow. That is such an amazing idea.
Will give the local garage a call tomorrow as try to sweet talk them into letting me have some. Better for me to have them, than them get burnt or buried or whatever happens to them.

[firstimer1]

yeh i was thinking make a raised bed using the tyres grow in the tyres and the bed wha u reckon

[russell]

i agree with you skegblade - which is what i was trying to say earlier but got confused and didn't know how to expalin it.

rough week.

[broadway]

Thanks All,

Looks like some straw is needed.

On another note I want to try a couple of different sprouts next year as I've never grown them before. As space in limited do you think a couple of tyres wouldsupport individual sprout plants?

[dave evo]

first time growing

hi this will be my first time growing anything would i be able to use a plastic 30lt bin ? if so how would i start ? please help as the kids are laughing at daddy trying to grow spuds