Oh no - not another ? about spuds

[Ger-annie-um]

Sorry to be a pain but I was wondering what sort of mix you all use for growing spuds in containers. I have 35l pots and I had thought of mixing new mpc with old used mpc or soil in order to cut costs. Also do you use fertilisers/manure and do I need to feed - if so when? I'm putting 3 spuds in each pot and only using 1st earlies.

Been gardening for years.......................know nothing at all

[alldigging]

More of a q of what have you got?

Old tomato MPC probably a no no.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Providing you had no problems (disease etc) with the plants grown in the compost last year it will be alright.

You will need to invigorate it with some NPK neutral fertilizer to start with. I normally use Growmore but this year am giving dry concentrated farm yard manure from Marshalls a try as well.

During the growing season if you use old compost you will need to feed, high nitrogen (Miracle Grow) to start with for green growth, followed by high potash (tomorite) for tuber growth.

Also be careful with your watering, do not rely on rain or the fact the top of the compost is wet. If the bottom layer of compost where the tubers are growing dries out you will get a poor crop.

Potty

[Ger-annie-um]

Not using old tomato mpc, it's actually the old stuff that the potatoes came out of last year. I thought if I used 25% old stuff, 50% new mpc and 25% sieved soil I might save myself a few pounds (redundancy will necessitate savings where possible!). I have some 'potato fertiliser' left over from last year plus 2 bags of garden centre manure so I could utilise those too.

any advice welcome

[Potstubsdustbins]

Potato's and tomato's are from the same family and therefore subject to the same disease's. But as I said before if you had no problems last year you will be OK.

Your mix will work fine mix in some of your manure and put some of your potato fertilizer in the bottom where the tubers will grow thats where it will do most good.

Potty

[Ger-annie-um]

Thanks Potty - no I didn't have any problems last year (hope my luck isn't about to run out) so, just so I get it right. If I put about 4" mix in the bottom of the tub, add (say a handful ) of fertilizer, plant the spuds cover with about another 6" of mix and then 'earth up' as the green leaves appear.

So when is the best time to start feeding................ high potash when the first green leaves appear? but when is the best time to get tuber growth. Grew some nice spuds last year but not great yields, only between 2.5 to 3.5 lbs per tub. Tasty but expensive!

[Potstubsdustbins]

In my pots I put about 6" of mix in the bottom and bury the seed spuds in that. Then top up as the greenery develops to about an inch from the top. I like to leave some green showing but others prefer to cover it completely.

Dependent on the vareity and weather first earlies can be as quick as 8 weeks or take 12 to 14 weeks so there is no hard and fast rules to feeding. As a rule of thumb I use high nitrogen till the haulms/greenery is 4 to 6 inches above the lip of the pot and then switch to high potash for the last month or so.

With regard to yield, spuds due most of their developing in the last few weeks of growth. So if you empty a planter and the harvest is poor be patient and give them another month.

An alternative much used by people here is to have a 'furtile'. In other words put your hand in the container and have a gentle feel around.

Good luck this year.

Potty

[Ger-annie-um]

Cheers Potty

I'll follow your advice and let you know how I get on

[Two_Sheds]

what sort of mix you all use for growing spuds in containers.

I use whatever is lying around: usually old MPC from last year's tomatoes; I add in a packet of Starbucks coffee grinds; leafmould; top off with a couple of inches of new MPC

Old tomato MPC probably a no no.

Nothing wrong with it, regarding blight. Blight spores only survive on LIVING plant tissue, ie old tubers. It doesn't survive on dead foliage, or old soil.

So when is the best time to start feeding.

Spuds don't need feed until they are "nearly done", ie in the last few week's of growth, when the tubers are bulking up.
You don't want to overfeed in the early stages, cos you'll get loads of green leaves at the expense of tubers

[alldigging]

Nothing wrong with it, regarding blight. Blight spores only survive on LIVING plant tissue, ie old tubers. It doesn't survive on dead foliage, or old soil.

So no reason not to compost diseased spud and tomato plants?

[Two_Sheds]

exactly



Tomato blight factsheet