Container Potato Growing

[miffy]

earthing up, we just kept putting soil over the green growth until we got to the top, we didn't firm it down though. Seemed to work alright. We used old compost bags and they worked a treat for our spuds.

[dandamegs]

I use my old compost bags as well, work very well.

I roll them down, then unroll, add compost as the potatoes grow.

[miffy]

Yep.likewise it works a treat.

[kate&rob]

how many seed spuds did you put in your tyre lavender lou?

[lavender lou]

i put about 4-6 in each tyre

[kitchengardner]

Hi Kitchen Gardener, how many do you plant in the rubble sacks? At 6 for £3.49 they seem to be a really good option (also there's a homebase 5 minutes rom my allotment woohoo!)

Homebase - Make a House a Home

I use three plants per sack, the benefit is you get more potatoes per plant

Regards

Kitchen Gardener

[Russell Sprout]

Can you experts please confirm whether I am on the right track or not, there are so many threads on container potatoe growing its easy to get lost/confused.

Right,
I have just had my seed spuds and grow bags delieverd from marshalls. the variety is Swift and i have also aquired a bag of Maris piper seed spuds that have come from B&Q.

I gather that it is far too early to actually do anythingwith them so they been taken out of the string bags and put in cardboard box in the garage.
The Swift spuds have a couple of small white chits coming out of them, should I rub these off? Shouldnt the growth we want be a dark colour?

I gather that it takes 6 weeks to chit so when would be best time to start this process? I was thinking if I am gonna plant em Mid March I should be chitting them around early feb. Is this correct or can I get them going and planted earlier?
Will growing em in the bags perhaps in the shed or garage protect them a bit so we can start earlier?

I was going to use normal shop bought compost. is this ok and what should I be feeding them with?

Sorry for the questions, just dont want to mess up my firts attempt with spuds in a bag.

[spudstacker]

I tried lods of different methods last year and I can say that the best one was, chopping a 0.99 pence grow bag in half, and planting 2 seed potatoes in both halfs. We got loads more than the pot grown potatoes.
Hope this helps.

[tattieman]

Can you experts please confirm whether I am on the right track or not, there are so many threads on container potatoe growing its easy to get lost/confused.

Right,
I have just had my seed spuds and grow bags delieverd from marshalls. the variety is Swift and i have also aquired a bag of Maris piper seed spuds that have come from B&Q.

I gather that it is far too early to actually do anythingwith them so they been taken out of the string bags and put in cardboard box in the garage.
The Swift spuds have a couple of small white chits coming out of them, should I rub these off? Shouldnt the growth we want be a dark colour?

I gather that it takes 6 weeks to chit so when would be best time to start this process? I was thinking if I am gonna plant em Mid March I should be chitting them around early feb. Is this correct or can I get them going and planted earlier?
Will growing em in the bags perhaps in the shed or garage protect them a bit so we can start earlier?

I was going to use normal shop bought compost. is this ok and what should I be feeding them with?

Sorry for the questions, just dont want to mess up my firts attempt with spuds in a bag.

You could probably start to chit your Swift now but to produce strong sprouts they need to be in the light.
You could plant them in the start of March and they will be ready in 7 weeks.
You will need some potato fertilizer from a local garden centre just to keep things right as potatoes are very hungry.
Put your piper in a cool dark place and just plant them when you want as they don't need chitted.
Any more questions just ask.

[Russell Sprout]

Thanks for the reply Tattieman.

I think i will lay a few of the swifts out on the windowstill in the downstairs toilet - thats usually cold for some reason.

As I have 3 bags, come March I was thinking of setting off 1 set each of maris and swift and then another swift 2 weeks later to try and get a steady supply. Then restart the bags as soon as harvested. If the swifts take 7 weeks to mature, would I manage to get a couple of cycles in before the weather disrupts things?

Is it worth it or just whack em all out together?

PS Wish I had seen your website earlier!!

[tattieman]

Thanks for the reply Tattieman.

I think i will lay a few of the swifts out on the windowstill in the downstairs toilet - thats usually cold for some reason.

As I have 3 bags, come March I was thinking of setting off 1 set each of maris and swift and then another swift 2 weeks later to try and get a steady supply. Then restart the bags as soon as harvested. If the swifts take 7 weeks to mature, would I manage to get a couple of cycles in before the weather disrupts things?

Is it worth it or just whack em all out together?

PS Wish I had seen your website earlier!!

Put your Swift in a warm light place to make them grow strong chits.
Your Maris Piper will take alot longer to grow than the Swift as they are a maincrop.
You will just have to keep growing them as often as you can as we never know what the weather will be like that is all I can tell you.

[jaffacat]

Hi

New to growing spuds and Ive read lots of threads, I was going to use the blue IKEA bags you buy for 30p, these are quite big, and about 30cm deep - I was going to make lots of drainage holes in them and thought that I could drag them (or lift them)to move them if needs be as they have handles.

As they are blue is this not a good idea? I read that best to have dark so now thinking of buying some rubble sacks - what do you think?

Thanks in advance

[Marylou]

Hi - I don't think that the colour of the container is crucial, although the darker it is, the more warmth it retains. For several years I have been using the orange B&Q builders buckets, 2 spuds per bucket, and what really makes the difference between an acceptable crop and a really bumper crop is plenty of water every day, (even though the plants don't look dry). I also give mine a "booster" home-made liquid feed every fortnight, made by steeping nettles and comfrey leaves in a barrel of rainwater.

[nicnac]

Hi was wondering if some of you guys could help me out as I am confused! Dont take much these days! I want to chit my potatos but I'm not sure where and how to. I've heard that you need to put them in cold and dark (like my garage) but then i've also heard that they need warm and dark (like under my sink in my kitchen) Help!!! What should I do for the best?

Cheers
Nicnac

[tattieman]

Hi was wondering if some of you guys could help me out as I am confused! Dont take much these days! I want to chit my potatos but I'm not sure where and how to. I've heard that you need to put them in cold and dark (like my garage) but then i've also heard that they need warm and dark (like under my sink in my kitchen) Help!!! What should I do for the best?

Cheers
Nicnac

To chit all you need do is place them near a window in the warm and let the light get to them to produce nice strong chits. The potatoes will go green and make them inedible but that doesn't matter as you are going to plant them.