Potatoes in containers

[sherlockofsheff]

Hi

I bought some 30l pots to grow containers this year due to the fact that my garden is on a slope and earthing up a nightmare.

I'm just wondering on what to fill them with, I've got an endless supply of composted horse manure along with loads of topsoil. Buckets of these are currently in the greenhouse drying out from all the rain and snow.

What I was thinking was equal thirds of manure, soil and bought compost?. Am I along the right lines?

Also I have loads of straw and get woodash from the housefire. Would anyone recommend adding these?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Steve

[Penellype]

I've grown potatoes in 100% rotted horse manure and they grew very well. Adding soil will make your buckets heavier but will do no harm. I wouldn't bother buying compost for this. Personally I wouldn't use the straw for the potatoes, except possibly as a mulch on top of the buckets, although this might encourage slugs.

As for the wood ash, it depends what you burn on your fire. If it is literally just unpainted wood and paper then mixing some in would be good. It is a good source of potash, which potatoes need (it is also good for fruit). However, if you chuck all sorts of stuff on your fire such as coal or smokeless coal, painted/treated wood, plastic of any sort etc then I wouldn't use it. These things contain chemicals which may have been changed in the heat of the fire into you know not what, and might not be very nice to eat. I would therefore be very fussy about what I had burned in the fire if using ash as a fertilizer.

[Cadalot]

I normally use Coir & Compost with just a little sieved soil and last year did an experiment with SoilFixer SF90 and fertiliser Alans Allotment: SoilFixer SF60 Potatoes in Buckets Results

[Jimmy]

I usually use 1 third horse, 1 third bought, and 1 third home made.
But I don't do them very often as the price of the compost far out ways the return. Unless you have free horse muck and loads of homemade compost.
Jimmy

[sherlockofsheff]

Thanks for replies.

Just to answer a couple of your questions, the ash I have is 100% wood (logs) only thing of any dodgyness is firelighters used to light the fire. Re horse manure, I have a never ending supply.

Interesting comment re the straw, as the video's I have seen growing potatoes in straw end up with fantasic yeilds, although from the reading I have just done, it would seem that this is an effective method in hot dry places like Australia where slugs aren't such a problem, not the wet UK.

Was thinking of doing an experiment using no straw / mixed straw / straw for earthing up, but now not so sure.

Regards

Steve

[Dynamo]

I grew some in large pots last year and they were great but very thirsty.

[geepee]

Thanks for replies.

Just to answer a couple of your questions, the ash I have is 100% wood (logs) only thing of any dodgyness is firelighters used to light the fire. Re horse manure, I have a never ending supply.

Interesting comment re the straw, as the video's I have seen growing potatoes in straw end up with fantasic yeilds, although from the reading I have just done, it would seem that this is an effective method in hot dry places like Australia where slugs aren't such a problem, not the wet UK.

Was thinking of doing an experiment using no straw / mixed straw / straw for earthing up, but now not so sure.

Regards

Steve

Do it all...nothing ventured etc.
Pot's will grow in Almost any soil/compost mix as long as they have Nutrients.