Potato Towers!

[Bigmallly]

Following on from our conversations yesterday, I am now the proud owner of a 6ft potato tower cage with a heavy duty fleece cover which gives protection down to -8c. 3 buckets are in place each with 1 Marfona spud & slightly covered. The cage is inside the greenhouse for double protection against frost. The plan is, once the foliage comes through I will top them up to about 2" from the top, another bucket will be placed on top & the cycle hopefully will continue untill I reach a height of 5-6ft. I know lack of light could be an issue so we'll just have to see how it goes. Pics will be posted as another bucket is added................wish me luck & feel free to join in.

[veggiechicken]

Wishing you luck BM - I'm sure it'll work. Your wacky ideas usually do
However, I'm puzzled how you're going to fit a 6' tall spud in the chip pan

[Nicos]

That's a great idea.....are you intending to open the front from time to time when it's over a certain temp in the polytunnel?
( just thinking about getting extra light in there...I had thought about silver foil or a mirror somewhere nearby, but not close enough to block any light???)

[Bigmallly]

I'm puzzled how you're going to fit a 6' tall spud in the chip pan

What a silly question.............you buy a 6ft long chip pan of course...............

[Bigmallly]

That's a great idea.....are you intending to open the front from time to time when it's over a certain temp in the polytunnel?
( just thinking about getting extra light in there...I had thought about silver foil or a mirror somewhere nearby, but not close enough to block any light???)

I think the fleece will let the light through but yes I'll roll up the door if the weather is clement.

[Cadalot]

Stability of the tower is key so how are you going to ensure they don't collapse?

[Bigmallly]

Stability of the tower is key so how are you going to ensure they don't collapse?

The framework has 3 horizontal bars which the buckets wedge in between so should be more stable than if I had just put canes in. If need be, I'll tie some horizontal canes in to make a cross structure.

[Bigmallly]

Update

The towers are slowly growing, I've got 2x2's & a 3 bucket tower so far.

[Cadalot]

Is it still the one spud or are you adding a new spud at each level as the one below grows?

[jonny the plant pot]

This was my go at a potato tower the other year it was 5ft tall and I got 18kg of rooster from it

[Bigmallly]

Is it still the one spud or are you adding a new spud at each level as the one below grows?

I was planning on just leaving 1 spud, I hadn't thought about putting others in as it got taller............Hmmm........that's got me thinking now..............

[Bigmallly]

This was my go at a potato tower the other year it was 5ft tall and I got 18kg of rooster from it

That's fantastic Jonny, are they smaller pipes stacked up or just 1 5ft long pipe?

[Cadalot]

You two have me thinking, I may have just found something to have a go at next year. It has to release space on beds for other crops. Jonny please tell us more re construction and amount of seed potatoes planted and at what level or levels

[jonny the plant pot]

That's fantastic Jonny, are they smaller pipes stacked up or just 1 5ft long pipe?

They are manhole rings I built it up as I went along putting 3 spuds in every lift they were a foot high each

[Cadalot]

Great Idea if you can get hold of the rings off freecycle or perhaps cut down compost bins like the Big Guy has although it sounds like he isn't stacking them.