Potatoes in buckets

[shirlthegirl43]

I did mine last year in general purpose compost with either horse manure or pelleted chicken manure - depending on which I had handy at the time. both were successful.

[Muddy Sarah]

I fancy giving some container veg a go, seeing as my lottie is quite small. I'm thinking about some salad potatoes, carrots, leeks etc. I think the B&Q buckets sound like the best plan, and hope to pick a few up later. I've got a couple of questions though...

1. Do you need to drill holes in the bottom of the bucket?

2. I have a good few bags of organic compost from my local council - will this be OK to use or will it be too rich? Would I need to put anything in it, like grit or something?? And if I do need to add some grit, where's the best place to get it??

Sorry to ask such basic questions, but I am completely clueless at the mo!

Thanks for your help

Sarah

[Snadger]

I fancy giving some container veg a go, seeing as my lottie is quite small. I'm thinking about some salad potatoes, carrots, leeks etc. I think the B&Q buckets sound like the best plan, and hope to pick a few up later. I've got a couple of questions though...

1. Do you need to drill holes in the bottom of the bucket?

2. I have a good few bags of organic compost from my local council - will this be OK to use or will it be too rich? Would I need to put anything in it, like grit or something?? And if I do need to add some grit, where's the best place to get it??

Sorry to ask such basic questions, but I am completely clueless at the mo!

Thanks for your help

Sarah

Hi Sarah & welcome to the vine!

Yes you need to put holes in the bottom, how you do it is up to you, but I usually turn them upside down, punch holes in with an old screwdriver which I wiggle round to enlarge hole! Half a dozen is enough!
Without seeing the compost its hard to tell but I think I would mix a wee bit builders sand with it and a small handful of bone meal. You can always water with a liquid tomato fertiliser to give them a boost throughout the season!

Hope this helps, although more knowledgeable grapes may be along later and have other useful tips!

[Alice]

Hello Snadger, I go for the earthing up method with the potatoes in buckets. It might make no difference but it makes me better when I can see them coming up.
Jennie, they were just ordinary buckets from B&Q. I put the membrane in the bottom to stop slugs ETC crawling in through the holes.

Hello Sarah and welcome to the Vine. Yes you need to put holes in the buckets. You can put them in the bottom, or on the outside walls near the bottom. I think this makes watering easier as you can see if water is getting to the bottom and running out. And potatoes like to be well fed, so use the best compost you've got and add some manure if you have it. I buy it in bags in B&Q. Well rotted and clean to handle.
If you want to grow carrorts you won't need buckets. 8" deep pots will be enough - I use the long toms roses came in. And don't give the manure to the carrots. They'll do well in quite poor stuff. Good luck and let's know how you get on.

[Muddy Sarah]

Thanks a lot for the tips, guys - all noted and (hopefully!) absorbed.

I got my buckets in Wicks this afternoon, and will get my Da to sort the holes out for me next time I see him. Will start pondering on what exactly I'll put in them - I enjoy that sort of thing almost as much as the planting itself!

Will keep you guys updated as things toddle along

Sarah

[serenity]

when I was in wickes at the weekend I spied some plastic underbed storage containers. They were roundabout 100cm x 60cm and probably 15 cm deep and were in a set of 3 for £7.99. They looked ideal to use a portable mini raised beds for things like salad crops, radishes, parmex carrots and maybe beetroot for picking small or my basil in the greenhouse. Has anyone tried these before and if so what did you grow in them?

[vicki lorraine]

Muddy Sarah,
The compost from the council will probably not be sterile. So i would reccommend sowing your seed for leeks etc in some sterile compost and then transfer into the tubs/buckets later on .(leeks can be transfered when the size of a pencil)