Rubble sacks

[Spunky]

I'm looking at some rubble sacks that have a 40-50 diameter and 70cm deep how many seed potatoes would you put in each in growing earlies second earlies and main crop thanks

[Snow]

you could work out the volume of soil, I expect that would be the best way to calculate things. I grew four in a 40L container last year. I don't think you'd want to go too much more than 1 per 10L.

[Spunky]

I'd imagine they'd be close to 60 litres full snow, I was worried about spacing them too close tbh especially the main crop.
I was thinking 3 per bag for each type Does that sound right or should I be doing 2 for main crop?

[Chippy Minton]

Couldn't resist (Once an engineer always an engineer ) Volume (unless I can't do the sums) = PI * r^2 * h

for a 50cm diameter 70 cm deep bag the volume comes out at 137 litres
assuming you'd leave a couple of inches at the top (5cm) the volume becomes 127 litres

For a 40cm diameter you'd have 88 litres (or 81 leaving 5cm at the top)

So you've plenty of capacity. Looking at the depth you've enough to do the 2 layers approach (there's another thread somewhere on filling 1/3 put 2 or 3 seed spuds in, another 1/3 another 2 spuds and fill.

[Spunky]

Bless cheers chippy sounds good

[Spunky]

Sorry just an afterthought I was going to use 30-40 litres of compost per bag I've got 5kg of potatoes so was hoping to use 3 in each and use about 20 bags would 30-40 litres of compost be ok for 3 seed potatoes?

[veggiechicken]

Are you buying compost - or using your own?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Your average household plastic dustbin is 80lts I have 4 main crop or 4 second early in those.

Just make sure they are well 'set' as they could become unstable when the haulm is full grown. These are dustbins of main crop.

[Spunky]

Are you buying compost - or using your own?

Buying it veggiechicken

[veggiechicken]

Buying it in 50-60 ltr bags? If so, why don't you plant straight into the bags and not bother with the rubble sacks?

[Spunky]

I'll be buying 125l bags to keep the cost down I'm sure you know the ones I mean, if I were to lay the bags on the side and cut the top off leaving the sides intact could I leave all the compost in and put 8-10 seed potatoes in deep?

[Bigmallly]

I know it's different growing in containers etc but if I was to buy 125lts of compost plus 6 seed potatoes, spend time planting, watering & feeding then waiting 4 months to hopefully harvest a good crop........I would just buy a sack o' spuds.

[Spunky]

You could say that about all veg though couldn't you

[Bigmallly]

You could say that about all veg though couldn't you

Only if it was not going to be cost effective...........It costs me next to nothing to grow my own.

[Spunky]

Really it costs me a fortune lol I don't do it to save money I enjoy it as a hobby