When to water potatos???

[adjohnson1971]

I know I could be getting ahead of myself here, but just want to ensure everything grows as intended!!!
I planted some potatos into grobags around 2-3 weeks ago and they've started to emerge from the compost. I'm keeping them in the greenhouse at the moment but i need to know when I should start watering them and with how much water????

[tattieman]

You can give them water now. I can't tell you how much to give them but keep the compost moist is the best thing.

[Nicos]

Do make sure you have decent drainage holes at the ides of the bags -so that if you do overwater, the excess can drain away- esp if resting on a solid base- that way the spuds won't rot!!

[Creemteez]

Saint Alan of Titchmarch says that if you stick your finger into the compost or soil it should feel like a freshly wrung-out flannel. If it feels like that it's damp enough. If not - give it a sloshing! Remember one inch of water on the surface of the soil only travels down nine inches, so if your pots or bags are deeper than that, they will require more.

[faerieprincess]

Saint Alan of Titchmarch says that if you stick your finger into the compost or soil it should feel like a freshly wrung-out flannel. If it feels like that it's damp enough. If not - give it a sloshing! Remember one inch of water on the surface of the soil only travels down nine inches, so if your pots or bags are deeper than that, they will require more.

Well that sounds like an easy way of working it out! Thank you - and thank Saint Alan

[gojiberry]

I used potato grow bags last year (and again this year) and found that when the bags needed watering that even a complete 2 gallon watering can only moistened the bag to half way down. Don't know if that is any help.

Ian

[Alice]

I drill holes on the sides of the buckets near the bottom so that I can see if water is getting all the way to the bottom. They just need to be kept damp now, but in the 2 to 3 weeks before harvesting keep them well watered as that is when the tubours are swelling.

[Iamhanuman]

i've put all my drainage holes at the bottom Alice
do you think i should add them to the sides too?
they are in rubble sacks