my potato grow 2008..( used soil bags)

[snohare]

You weren't planning on growing only in bark chippings were you, MG ? Are they fresh, or old ?
The reason I ask is that fresh bark chippings are high in nutrients, but bacteria and fungi have to break the nitrogen down into an intermediate stage before it becomes available to the plants. As they do this, the bacteria that rot the wood tend to also use up the nitrogen in the soil or compost. It is only when the chippings have had a year or eighteen months to rot down further that plants can generally make any use of them.
I didn't get yields like yours the year I was learning that the hard way...we'll not bother with the photos !

[Fat Bob]

potatoe seeds

Am I on my own when I say I've never even seen these before?

I thought it all happened underground.

[snohare]

Oh yes Fat Bob, anything that flowers will also set seed, and the seed if pollinated by other plants of the same species will will result in different mixes of genes. That's why potatoes are normally grown from "seed potatoes" - the potato tubers are genetically identical to the parent plant, so you know exactly what you are getting if you use them instead of seeds from the flowers.
There's a sticky on the Vegging Out forum about a bunch of Grapes who were growing from potato seeds, to see what sorts of plants they could breed conventionally. Duronal posted it if I remember correctly. One of these days when I get a spare acre of ground and a lifestyle transplant I'll try it !

[OllieMartin]

wa 'alayka as-salaam

I've got to get used to this gradual sowing idea.

I get over-excited and sow everything together, so I'm going to end up with a huge harvest and I'm probably going to have to give half of it away.

[muslimgrower]

You weren't planning on growing only in bark chippings were you, MG ? Are they fresh, or old ?
The reason I ask is that fresh bark chippings are high in nutrients, but bacteria and fungi have to break the nitrogen down into an intermediate stage before it becomes available to the plants. As they do this, the bacteria that rot the wood tend to also use up the nitrogen in the soil or compost. It is only when the chippings have had a year or eighteen months to rot down further that plants can generally make any use of them.
I didn't get yields like yours the year I was learning that the hard way...we'll not bother with the photos !

HI...

well the reason why i used fresh chip bark, i thought maybe i could use the chip bark for 2 seasons, this way i wont have to buy compost and soil..
i have other spuds in regular soil, so if i mess this up i will still get a yield

you are probably right though :0

[maytreefrannie]

Muslimgrower, you mentioned that you plant potatoes at two-week intervals - can I ask how long you do this for? - I mean, at what point in the summer do you stop planting?

The pictures of your potatoes look great, and I'd love to see pics of this year's spuds if/when you have them.

I can't wait till my two buckets are ready, so far I've just felt a little marble sized one when I tried furtling.

[muslimgrower]

this seasons potato grow in used plastic soil bag.. its doing well this season i used my home made compost

[chris]

How did your growing in the bark chips go, MG?

[muslimgrower]

hi chirs,

the potato moulded away inside i am not sure that was coz the spud was diseased or the bark was to acidic!??

but this season i used my own home made compost, i always wait till i see the flowers before i harvest...

[chris]

I've been earthing them up with grass clippings this year. Saves on compost. Just had a reasonable harvest from one sack tonight actually.

[snohare]

Looking good there this year, MG. ( Sorry, sounds like we are confusing you with a sports car !)
I think bark chippings would also hold too much moisture and not have good enough permeability of air, that would make tatties rot. But your homemade compost looks just wonderful.
Aargh, now I have compost envy...! Would you believe, I am just beginning to "earth up" young potato plants with grass clippings...I think I am going to have a dismal crop this year. Not a good time to get my benefits cut for being sick...

[muslimgrower]

thanks snohare,

grass clippings huh, wow i learn something new everyday, ill try that next time.

a friend of mine from the states send me some purple potatoes ( heirloom) i grew them in really small container just one potato per pot and i harvested around 1 kilo of them from the small pot, when you cut the spud in half its actually purple too and it bleeds purple too, really strange looking potato , i never knew you could get purple spuds and orange ones

here is small video i made

growing potatos in pots. - YouTube

[veggiechicken]

They look amazing - thanks! Do they taste any different?

[muslimgrower]

hi veggie,

well i gave some to my sis in law and she made a egg and potato spicy omelette and i could clearly see the potato pieces were still purple even after they got fried in the pan, they tasted really good quite creamy and not fibrous at all,

here is a pic of them,

[veggiechicken]

Wow, they look more like beetroot than potatoes! I can imagine how they could brighten up a bland looking meal. Many thanks muslimgrower