Spuds... are you a trencher, hole maker or containererer?

[HeatherL]

Last year (my first year) I just used a bulb planter in a patch of cleared soil, this year I'm going to try morrissons buckets with holes in the bottom sat on top of a raised bed. I'm still not sure what soil mix I will be using though. The raised beds have had nothing done to them since they had brassicas grown in them last year, I was thinking of adding some horse manure to them so the potatoes can feed through the holes in the pots. As for the pots I was thinking of a mix of topsoil, manure and homemade compost (which contains aged chicken hemp bedding amongst other things). Does this sound ok?

[rustylady]

I trench, because my soil is light and alkaline. I dig a trench, line with compost and comfrey leaves and lay my seed potatoes on top of this mix. It seems to be working, less scab on my spuds year on year.

[jacob]

I'm note sure I can remember! I think I dig a trench on the basis that it's quicker than a hole? Mostly dig compost in before planting for potatoes.

[Potstubsdustbins]

16 Morrisons type pots, 2 45ltr plastic trugs, 10 plastic dustbins, 2 plastic water tanks. Guess you could say I like my spuds.

My Swift are planted in the Morrison pots, 6 dustbins and 1 trug of Lady Christl the rest to Picasso main crop.

My usual mix is 2 of old compost, riddled and mixed with growmore/BFB plus some potato fertiliser and one of home made compost.

The pots of Swift are in the cold green house and showing through nicely, the first 6 bins of Lady C went in today. That reminds me, must bring my log upto date.

Colin

[Aberdeenplotter]

I'm deffo a trencher with my kitchen spuds. Polypots with the show spuds.

[Bren In Pots]

Now we've gone over to wheelie bins for our paper, plastic and tins I grow my potatoes in recycling crates.

[Ian_5]

I went with containers (approx 30L) last year, all previous years had been in trenches; found yield to be comparable and they were easier to harvest but more prone to drying out...

[Two_Sheds]

I usually just make a hole with the trowel and drop the spud in, but since last year I've had them in a permanent bed. I'm digging out the (too alkaline) soil and replacing it with leafmould and MPC so the spuds don't get so scabby

[Bigmallly]

Bulb planter a foot deep with a sprinkle of fish, blood & bone then raked over.

[mrbadexample]

Dig a trench, fill with a barrow load of well rotted 'oss muck, stick spuds in.

I thought that was a good thing but looking at all the other posts, am I overdoing the manure?

[mothhawk]

I use a trowel - dig a hole twice the depth of the trowel, drop in spud, fill in hole. I also push broad bean seeds into the soil between the potato holes. As my garden is small I plant in a block rather than formal rows. I put a thick layer of organic FYM on the surface in autumn. Then when I've planted the spuds in spring I spread the contents of a dalek over the surface. Don't use any other fertiliser.

[VirginVegGrower]

I'm deffo a trencher with my kitchen spuds. Polypots with the show spuds.

Why polypots for show spuds AP? Am intrigued...

[veggiechicken]

Don't be! She wouldn't let you borrow it. You will have to find your own!

Been out looking all evening. Couldn't find one that looked as if it was in working order!

[vegnut]

I usually dig a shallow trench, then trowel out a hole twice the depth of the spud, at this stage i get a handfull of grass clippings and put them in the bottom (aparently it helps deter scab and it worked last year), then i lay the spud on top of this and fill in the hole. As the spud grows i collapse the shallow trench around it so i dont get any green ones.

[SarrissUK]

I use the same method as my parents always did (although they used a tractor and a plough to get the trenches, and I don't have access to that lol). I dig a trench on one side of a bed, lengthways. Then I literally do my little 'walk' where I put a foot down, drop a spud at the toes, then put the next foot in front of the spud, drop the next one etc. Then I dig the next trench and tip the dug up soil to drop over the trench with the spuds in next to it, and then start my little 'walk' again.

I don't have a tool like Zazen, but I want one! Currently I just use a spade or whatever is at hand, but I'm definitely getting a digging hoe Ideally it should be going to a point at the bottom too!