tatties in dustbins

[kathyd]

Hi. I'm thinking about trying this for a few maincrop potatoes this year - we get blight really badly here, so I was just going to concentrate on first earlies, but then it struck me that if I used bins they should be safer?

Am I right in thinking I'd half fill the bins, plant the potatoes and earth up as they grow - and I could use grass clippings, leaf mould etc for the earthing up? I'm just a bit concerned about the amount of compost it'd take to fill those big plastic bins if I have to fill them to the top with it! Would I earth right up to the top of the bin?

[Mikey]

Hi kathy,

My plotholder neighbour grows all his potatoes in buckets and any big container with a handle. He half fills with his own compost mix which is high in potash (the pots love it). Then tops up with anything to hand. Make sure you have some drainage holes pots don't like to be water logged.

The only thing you have to keep an eye on is that they don't dry out, this year I'm going to be growing some in buckets myself, the slugs and I share most of mine.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I presume the bins in France are about the same size as over this side of the water 75 to 80 ltrs.

Put at least 3 drainage holes in the bin then if one gets blocked your crop will still be fine.

Start off with about 8 inches of good rich compost 4 seeds per bin. I top up as they grow always leaving some green haulm showing. Top up to within 4 inches of the top of the bin, this space will make watering easier.

Watering is vital especially as the tubers start to swell, to give you an idea on hot days I give each bin a full 2 gallon bucket full each. Don't rely on the compost looking wet on the surface its down below where you can't see that counts.

Do to the length of time they will be in the ground (some 22 weeks) you will need to feed. I use high nitrogen for the first 14 weeks (Miracle Grow) and high potash as the tubers start to form (tomorite).

I have always used spent compost saved from previous years for topping up but as long as the growing tubers are covered I think you will be alright to use other things.

Final tip keep the lids for the bins they are great if a frost is forecast and also the bins can then be used for storing compost etc over the winter period.

And that is a full size dustbin under the greenery

Potty

[kathyd]

Excellent, thanks both of you! The bins here look the same as in the UK, yes. They're also quite cheap, unlike almost everything else over here, so the idea's quite tempting! Just need to find a small bag of seed potatoes now, blight resistant preferably, and I'll be made! Your photos are fab by the way PTD - I hope I get a similar harvest here! Potatoes are fairly cheap most of the year, but there's a few weeks when it'd be good to have a few home-grown to hand.