Is it worth growing potatoes small scale?

[LittleShamrock]

I have never grown potatoes, mostly because I thought it wasn't worth the expense (of large amounts of soil, seeds potatoes etc) and the effort of growing them, compared to how cheaply they can be bought. I'd only have space for one bag or bucket of them, so I'd probably only get enough for a few dinners if I'm lucky!

eta: just thought I'd point out I'm attempting to grow everything in pots this year, not a patch of grass to my name!

[Florence Fennel]

The taste is so worth it, even if you only put 3 or 5 seed potatoes in your bag or bucket

[Parsleythelion]

I agree, I didn't grow too many last year as I was experimenting. Just three sacks on the patio with three plants in each (earlies, salad and main crop). They effectively looked after themselves, just need watering and feeding every so often and then you end up with the best spuds you've ever tasted.

[Jono]

I've worked out that I save about 30p for every 500g I harvest, so its not a great return financially, but taste wise they are well worth it if you've got the space.

You could just do some maincrop, which will store for when you haven't got much to harvest.

[dave_norm_smith]

Hi

I'd go the other way. A sack of maincrop is about a fiver around here, and lasts ages. Salad potatoes when they first come out are stinkingly expensive. I grew a few rows last year of Int. Kidney, wow! The taste was incredible and I even converted the neighbours kid who would not eat potatoes up to that point!

Dave

[vicky]

Early or salad potatoes are worth a tub (and unlikely to get blight as early in season). Can you share a bag of seed potatoes with someone?

[sbeneli]

We did the same as dave_norm_smith. It's worth it to grow varieties that are harder to get or cost a lot of money in the shops. Most of what we grow this year will be international kidney, and I'm growing some purple and some pink fleshed potatoes for the novelty value.

[Bren In Pots]

Last year I bought 10 seed potatoes and grew one in each in flower buckets earthing them up with a mix of grass compost and soil, they seemed to do ok and we got enough for a couple of meals out of each bucket.

[Glutton4...]

I can buy a large sack of spuds really cheaply here, too. However, in my limited experience with growing my own, I would definitely find space for some - the taste difference is as noticeable as any other home-grown Veg!

[Noodles]

You can normally get a bag of 8 seed potatoes from Poundland and I've always had pretty good success rates with them.

[Kristen]

If you grow early spuds in a bag you will have time for another crop for XMas. You'll need to bring them in before first frost, but the tops will have died down by then, so you can just put them in the garage (if frost free) until you want to harvest.

Put half your seed tubers (i.e. the ones for Xmas) in the fridge the moment they arrive (so that warmth of the house doesn't break the dormancy) and with a bit of luck they'll not start sprouting (if they do move them somewhere light, and cool, instead) until ready for chitting in July to plant in August for Xmas

[Suky]

I have seen a lot of garden centres (around me in Surrey anyway) selling loose seed pots and in small bags. If I could grow nothing else I would put some potatoes in, wether pots, bags or ground. I have even grown them in those large supermarket shoppers, just made holes in the bottom. You cannot beat the taste.
Although I know it is not recommended I have used leftover supermarket salad potatoes with fairly good results too.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I grow everything including my potatoes in containers.
Last years planting was 14, 12" pots of Swift green house forced for 1st earlies certainly beats the Jersey Royals.
4 purpose made potato barrels and a couple of smaller containers of Lady Christl which I use as second earlies.
And last but not least 4 plastic dustbins and 2 50 gallon plastic water tanks of Picasso main crop. We have not yet ate the last of those.
Keep them well fed and watered for a good crop and enjoy the taste you won't find it in any shop.
Finally when you have harvested the dustbins over winter your compost in them and put it to a different use the year after.

Colin.

[chriscross1966]

I'd say go for it and grow some fancy ones...
Highland Burgundy, Salad Blue, Congo, Vitelotte all have strikingly coloured flesh and taste good, Pink Fir Apple, late maincrop, gorgeous taste, Lady Chistl is a fabulous tasting early.... go for it...

chrisc

[Two_Sheds]

the expense (of large amounts of soil, seeds potatoes etc)

I bought one tuber of Mr Little's (50p), planted it in a Morrison's bucket (20p), filled it with mpc & leafmold (about 10p) and I harvested this lot: yetholm gypsy | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

(the mpc and bucket are reusable, so that crop cost me 50p. I have now saved my own seed potatoes so don't need to buy again, so the initial cost will be halved again this year, and halved again next year )