Container Gardening Project.

[zazen999]

Thus combining several Grapes' desire for a Container Gardening thread and a Project Thread.

I did a little experiment earlier in the year.

Firstly, I chucked some potato peelings in one small container [5 litre size], they were the peelings that had eyes on them.

Secondly, there were potatoes growing where I didn't want them to grow, so I dug them up and put them in the same size container.

I filled the pots with earth and left them alone until last weekend. I watered them once, after a very dry spell, but that was it.

By now, one of the plants was dry and crispy, and the other had completely withered away.

I emptied them out at the weekend and the crop was:

263g of rooster potatoes, grown from the peelings
285g of the Red Duke of York, grown from the uprooted plant.

Not a huge amount, but not huge pots either, and minimal work and space used up. Both of these would usually go onto the compost heap rather than being left to grow.

The pots used were 5l black plant pots.

I'd say that was a result, and the remaining compost was shipped up to the lottie to be used as mulch around some late beans.

NO slug damage whatsoever either.

[quark1]

Imagine what you might have got from flower buckets - surely more than 5 ltrs? - free from Co-Op amongst other - who have no recycling scheme in place for this fantastic resource!

[fwuffydragon]

Will have to check Co-op out - Morrisons sell theirs off for 99p for 8.

[quark1]

FD - and other who might want to try their co-ops - try the smaller ones and 'befriend' the manager - nicest possible way of course! Also the larger branches are great - 'trap' the most likely looking 'superviser'-looking person on fruit/veg/flowers and get on-side! Just be gentle!

They'll be only too happy for you to take away their waste - I even suggested to my local fella - that 10 for a squid could go into their charity box of the day - but no. I make a voluntary contrib every now and then to say 'ta'.

I also gave him some blue spuds for his family to try - as a ThankYou and to keep him sweet for next year (shhhhush don't say!) - his daughters wouldn't touch'em - but mum and dad enjoyed!

Scared of asking? Well I was - but pluck up the courage and ask - It'll only be yes or no!

What have you to lose? I've got over 100 flower buckets now and every one of them has been put to good use already. If I have stuff to pass on, spare plants etc, at the 'front of house' - I'll simply make available in a bucket and wish the takers good luck.

My Gojis inhabit the bucket world right now and I'm going to see how they flourish when separated into more individual surroundings next year.

[Demeter]

Result!
Imagine what you might have got if you'd watered them lol

[zazen999]

I have got bigger containers!!! I started off in containers 3 summers ago but as I was growing from peelings and dug up spuds; i didn't want to waste too much space in the courtyard.

I don't think they suffered from no water - not this summer anyway!

I thought it was a good trial, and if it can encourage anyone to try containers, then brilliant. I am hoping never to buy seed potatoes as long as I get a decent harvest every year, and saving all my small spuds from this year's best spuds to use next year. As well as the potato seed experiment as well.

[A Life Less Simple]

Has anyone ever tried asking supermarkets for their sprouted potatos that they have to through out? We get waste veg from the smaller veg shop in town but have never managed to get anything out of the supermarkets.

We often get spring onions in the veg sacks as well, which I tried planting out this time last year and they've done really well, growing into good sized bulb onions. Even if you can't get them free then supermarkets often have bunchs of spring onions reduced down to 10p or less at the end of the day.

Nothing to do with potatos or containers but I thought I would say.

[maytreefrannie]

Has anyone ever tried asking supermarkets for their sprouted potatos that they have to through out? We get waste veg from the smaller veg shop in town but have never managed to get anything out of the supermarkets.

We often get spring onions in the veg sacks as well, which I tried planting out this time last year and they've done really well, growing into good sized bulb onions. Even if you can't get them free then supermarkets often have bunchs of spring onions reduced down to 10p or less at the end of the day.

Nothing to do with potatos or containers but I thought I would say.

The idea is fascinating - I'd never have thought that onions past the so-called 'best' date would grown on.

Zazzen - back to the original point of the thread, I read your post as :
263 kg and
285 kg
I was hugely impressed!! I thought you must have a mound of potatoes stored in your shed.

I love the idea though and even though my bin potatoes in the summer were small and few, I'm trying out some more now (the fabled Christmas potatoes).