Potatoes

[Potstubsdustbins]

Hi Newton,

Watering is fairly easy once you are organised and takes surprisingly little time. First never let the container dry out, this shrinks the growing medium and allows any water to run straight through the container. Second never overfill the containers with compost, as a guide I leave at least 2/3" gap on my blue buckets this allows me to flood the top of the bucket very quickly. Third and most important have a reliable son who is also into GYO.

As VVG posts above many people forget to water correctly when they grow in containers. People watch the rain coming down and don't bother with the hosepipe/watering can but rain is pretty much useless on some crops. The greenery on spuds or runner beans for example forms the perfect umbrella, many people have a good giggle watching me water in the pouring rain.

And thanks for the kind comments.

Colin

[michz_fe]

thanks for all the post, it really give me an idea..i am starting to plant potatoes..

[VirginVegGrower]

Hi Newton,

Watering is fairly easy once you are organised and takes surprisingly little time. First never let the container dry out, this shrinks the growing medium and allows any water to run straight through the container. Second never overfill the containers with compost, as a guide I leave at least 2/3" gap on my blue buckets this allows me to flood the top of the bucket very quickly. Third and most important have a reliable son who is also into GYO.

As VVG posts above many people forget to water correctly when they grow in containers. People watch the rain coming down and don't bother with the hosepipe/watering can but rain is pretty much useless on some crops. The greenery on spuds or runner beans for example forms the perfect umbrella, many people have a good giggle watching me water in the pouring rain.

And thanks for the kind comments.

Colin

Well done Colin - I wouldn't laugh at you in the rain, I'd be out there too. Potatoes suck a massive amount of water from the soil and in order to get decent yield, taste quality too, it is necessary to carry that watering can around. I can give a whole Haws watering can to one bag on a sunny day, but have never had rotten tatties yet. My view is impossible to overwater, very easy to underwater.

[Kaiya]

Does it work out economical? i.e. if I grow my potatoes in the ground, the soil is free (fundamentally), whereas in a bin or bag I'd have to buy compost as I don't make enough myself.

[Aberdeenplotter]

My view is impossible to overwater, very easy to underwater.

It is very difficult to drown a growing potato(those in store will drown and rot easily though) but over watered/water logged spuds will not produce the same yield. Moist is good

[Potstubsdustbins]

Does it work out economical? i.e. if I grow my potatoes in the ground, the soil is free (fundamentally), whereas in a bin or bag I'd have to buy compost as I don't make enough myself.

Every year I riddle my used compost and store it in the empty bins over winter. Come growing time I only use home made compost for the initial planting about 6" in the bottom of the bin. After that earthing up is done with used compost with a little added BFB or Growmore.

If not truly economical they taste finer than anything you can buy in the shops and of course you know how they have been treated or not as the case maybe.

Colin

[Fruit&2veg]

Hi Newton,

Watering is fairly easy once you are organised and takes surprisingly little time. First never let the container dry out, this shrinks the growing medium and allows any water to run straight through the container. Second never overfill the containers with compost, as a guide I leave at least 2/3" gap on my blue buckets this allows me to flood the top of the bucket very quickly. Third and most important have a reliable son who is also into GYO.

As VVG posts above many people forget to water correctly when they grow in containers. People watch the rain coming down and don't bother with the hosepipe/watering can but rain is pretty much useless on some crops. The greenery on spuds or runner beans for example forms the perfect umbrella, many people have a good giggle watching me water in the pouring rain.

And thanks for the kind comments.

Colin

I Certainly agree with all the above, Ive gotten used to having the P**s taken when i water my hanging baskets in the rain, but funny how mine are always still growing when most others are a sad looking shade of brown- He who laughs last and all that........

[VirginVegGrower]

Absolutely F2V. My other half's idea of gardening is to let the worms do the digging and the heavens do the watering. He then wonders why stuff days...lazy disinterested old fossil.

[nellie-m]

let the worms do the digging and the heavens do the watering...

<grin>
but it would be nice. Wouldn't it.
After all, the weeding would still be left for us to do...