Growing spuds in containers, help!

[Haplesspoet]

Hi,
I am a complete novice and took it upon myself to try growing potatoes in containers on my patio.

So I leapt in with both feet bought a couple of large tubs and a few potato bags (40cm diameter, 70cm deep), grabbed a couple of bags of seed potatoes and did a quick google on what to do next. So far so good....

Read up on building up, where you plant initially in 12-15 cm of compost and as the plant grows you add more compost until the level is close to the top. Seemed simple.

The plants started to grow nicely, so a bit more google and I read about varieties...
Discovered that what I had bought were 1st and 2nd earlies, wilja & pentland javelin.

So back to google... Read that you shouldn't (or it's not worth) build up 1st's and 2nd earlies because you don't have time to do it before they are ready for harvesting.

Can anyone help by answering the following questions:

1. Is the building up process null and void for earlies? I.e is the above true?
2. If so, then what should I do?
3. Leave them as they are, accept a small crop and move on to next year?
4. Could I lift the plants (1st earlies are about 10cm tall, 2nd's are about 5cm tall) and fill the pots and bags and replant again nearer the top of the pots and bags?

I very much appreciate any help you can offer.
Best Regards
David

[veggiechicken]

Hello David and welcome to the Grapevine.
Just keep on adding more compost until the shoots are at the top of the bag/pot and let them get on with it - that's what I'm doing with mine

[Roeder1969]

Do what i do 6 inch of compost mixed with manure seed potatoes on top then fill bag to top and leave it be until flowers show harvest refresh compost and manure take biggest potato u get from crop put it back in fill bag up then next year that will start growing no messing about i also have a 4 inch layer of mulch on top to give feed simples


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[rhonsal]

I agree with VG - i just keep topping up with soil until i can't fit in any more and keep watering well!

[BertieFox]

Surely earlies and second earlies to a lesser extent are programmed to produce a quick crop in a relatively short time. If you keep earthing them up they won't go on producing more and more tubers like the late varieties which are the ones you should use for this technique.

My suspicion is that the potato plants will reach maturity and die back as soon as they have produced their relatively smaller crop.

[Bren In Pots]

I also grow my first earlies in buckets mine are topped up with a mix of soil, compost, grass clippings and shredded paper. They seem to work out fine every year producing a fairly good crop.

[Bill HH]

Yes I top mine up just as VC said. It seems wrong to me to just plant the seeds in the bottom then fill it right up, that's a long way for shoots to have to grow without light. I know people do it I don't.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Growing spuds in containers is fairly easy if you have the relevant information.

Your Pentland will need to be in the container for about 12 weeks to provide you with some nice new potatoes where as your Wilja will need more like 16 to 18 weeks.

In my larger containers I start with about 150mm of good rich compost in the bottom and then top up as the plants grow to within 100mm of the top of the container. Never fill your container to the brim as this makes watering very difficult and you will need to water regularly during the hot weather we hope to get.

FEEDING. No matter how rich your original compost it will only have enough nutrients for about 6 weeks of growth, after this time you will need to feed or you will get a poor crop. General feed to start with, changing to a high potash feed about 4 weeks before harvest.

WATERING. Once the haulms have started to grow over the top of the container do not rely on rainfall, the greenery is one of natures finest umbrella's. Be plentiful with the watering spuds are about 80% plus water and if they dry out again the crop will be poor. One of the mistakes often made is that folks see the top of the compost is wet and leave it at that, make sure the compost is wet right down to where the tubers are growing.

Before tipping out the container try having a 'furtle', plunge your hand into the container and have a feel around for spuds, once you have tipped them out there is no going back.

Finally save your compost as this can be revitalised and used again next season.

These are my 80ltr dustbins planted with Lady C a first early as of today.

[Dorothy rouse]

I'm doing what you chaps have told me, and they are looking good, all varieties now up.