Potatoes in bags or Potatoes in big pots

[MarkHackwell]

I was thinking of investing in some big 30 litre pots to grow some potatoes in this year however at £26.90 for 10 of them they do seem a little on the expensive side when compared to Potato bags (2 for £2 in wilko). What's peoples experiences with growing in the potato bags compared to big pots?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Are you growing new spuds or main crop or even a mixture?

[Lumpy]

I now use the big buckets with handles. They hold 30ish Ltrs and have found that by having handles I can move them around the garden when I need to.

A couple of years ago I did have a go at the spud bags but found it difficult to shift them if I had too.

Also having a fertle to see if the spuds were near to ready is easier in the buckets as the sides don't concertina.

Only only grow 1st and 2nd earlies so I have no idea how main crops would perform.

[vixylix]

I have the marshalls grow bags - I have no idea what size they are, they came free with the seed potatoes I bought - I was surprised how small they were though.

I think it comes down to how many you're planting - I have some 36l pots which I'll probably use to plant 4 or 5 seeds whereas I'll only plant 1 or 2 in the smaller ones.

How big are the wilkos ones?

[astraman1]

im using flower buckets this year not massive think there maybe 15L for my international kidney but all the rest are going in the ground

[BUFFS]

I bought some 50ltr tubs on fleabay @ £6 each delivered last year, will take 3 tatties in each, they work very well, big enough not to dry out too quickly, I have 3 sorts of tatties to go into pots over the next week or so, after the snow has passed...

[Nannysally99]

We use builders buckets fom BQ, very cheap and empty recycling containers we have collected.
I like the builders buckets best, look more neat and can be moved easier

[Penellype]

I use the 30 litre buckets with handles and find them so easy to use. They can be moved around much more easily than the bags and are also easier to empty at the end of the season. I did an experiment with Rocket last year, planting 2 bags and 2 buckets. The bags held slightly more compost and it was hard to measure precisely which was better as they were harvested at different times, but in general the buckets seemed to produce a bigger yield of potatoes per pot (3 seed potatoes in each) than the bags.

The thing I like least about bags is watering them. The sides tend to collapse and this either lets the water out or stops the water from reaching the soil, particularly round the edges. Buckets do not have this problem and I think this may be the main reason for the difference in yield between the 2 methods.

[Scoot]

It seems buckets are the answer.

[Thelma Sanders]

This is worth a look...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNml1YeDS5M

[Snadger]

I tried them in bags one year. I couldn't keep compost moist enough and had a very poor crop.
My one and only foray into bag growing!

[MarkHackwell]

This is worth a look...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNml1YeDS5M

That's where I got the idea of doing them in big black pots but for 10 of the 30 litre pots its £26.90 (the cheapest I can find) and that works out really expensive to grow some potatoes although I do have the potatoes already just not enough ground to put them all in :L

[Bigmallly]

Buy a black plastic dustbin & layer them.

[Penellype]

The pots do last a long time though so its not just for this season's potatoes. I've been making use of mine for other things after the potatoes have finished, like broccoli, leeks, carrots, chinese celery, corn salad and spinach. I also used pots vacated by early potatoes for late peas, beans, cucumbers, courgettes, tomatoes, Christmas potatoes... and for storing used compost over winter.

The cheaper potato bags disintegrate after a couple of years use. I like my pots so much that I have recently bought 20 more.

[Lumpy]

You could always have a go with old tyres. Bottom tyre full of compost, add 3-4 spuds, another tyre on top with compost in and then you can keep adding a tyre and compost as they grow.

I have seen this done to a 4 tyre height and it produced lots of tatties.

You can get the tyres for free from most tyre replacement places as they don't have to pay out for disposal if they give them away.