average potato yield - questions

[Forage420]

I want to work out how many potatoes to grow next year, but I'm not sure how many to grow.

How would you work this out?

An average bag of seed potatoes will have on average 9 tubers, but my understanding is lost when consumption is based on lbs versus lbs of tubers planted. I suppose if I bought a bag of them in a shop and weighed it, that would give me some idea as to what to expect for the yield.

Any directions?

p.s. my soil is heavily mulched clay and improving all the time

[veggiechicken]

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ant_26078.html

[bario1]

There are too many variables to consider to make a useful rule of thumb.

Currently I am tipping out large potato bags of Charlottes, and I'd say that each seed spud sown (I think it was three per bag) is returning a good portion of tatties for two people.

[Snoop Puss]

I was going to say there are so many variables, it's nigh-on impossible to calculate. But I see VC's thread says just what I would have done.

Even having lots of visitors who discover that home-grown potatoes are nicer than shop ones can leave you short!

[Cadalot]

Three buckets like this



from 18 seed potatoes 2 x rows of 9



In a 2.4m x 1.2m bed

[Penellype]

It depends....

I plant 3 seed potatoes per 30 litre bucket. Here are some of my results so far this year:

Lady Christl (first early) - buckets produced between 1.2kg and 1.65kg per bucket, an average of 0.47kg per seed potato.

Charlotte (2nd early) - buckets produced between 0.65kg and 2.8kg per bucket, an average of 0.53kg per seed potato.

Desiree (Maincrop) - buckets produced between 0.5kg and 2.55kg per bucket, an average of 0.45kg per seed potato.

The huge variation between different buckets of Charlotte appears to be connected to the fact that 2 of the buckets were left in the same place all the time and put roots through the holes in the bucket bottoms into the soil below, while the others were moved around and didn't root through the holes. The Desiree were also very variable, but this seemed to be connected to the difference between using compost which had grown a previous crop last year (with added bfb) and using compost fresh out of the hotbin, which produced upto 3 times the yield.

My potatoes are grown in the shade (apart from the Lady C) - if you have more sun you may get bigger yields.

[Cadalot]

Here is the link to my SoilFixer Potatoes in Bucket (Potato Pots) Experiment Alans Allotment: SoilFixer SF60 Potatoes in Buckets Results two seed potatoes per Potato Pot

0.410kg - My Own Compost & Coir with SF60 @ 10% by volume
0.465kg - My Own Compost & Coir with SF60 @ 5% by volume with Potato Fertilizer
0.480kg - My Own Compost & Coir 50:50 CONTROL Mix
0.490kg - My Own Compost & Coir with SF60 @ 5% by volume (2.08% increase over Control)
0.520kg - My Own Compost & Coir with Potato Fertiliser (8.33% Increase over Control)
0.665kg - My Own Compost & Coir with SF60 @ 20% by volume (38.5% Increase Over Control)

[veggiechicken]

I just bung 'em into whatever empty pots or ground I have and hope for the best. Even with an estimated yield per spud, there are no guarantees that they won't be slug damaged or blighted.

[ecudc]

Three buckets like this

[ATTACH=CONFIG]76223[/ATTACH]

from 18 seed potatoes 2 x rows of 9

[ATTACH=CONFIG]76224[/ATTACH]

In a 2.4m x 1.2m bed

Like this! Bucket I lifted last week was from 6 seed potatoes planted in clay, exposed site, no watering, bit of compost. Lost some to slugs, maybe 10 -12meals?

[chrissy67]

I only have a small garden so I grow potatoes in buckets and bags that can be moved about easily when necessary.

This year I grew Nicola potatoes, 10 seed potatoes in 10 B & Q buckets (1 per bucket), and had a total of 6.4kg.

I also grew 14 Charlotte seed potatoes in 6 T & M bags and ended up with 9.6kg.