General Chat

Has anyone grown potatoes with some success in a barrel (the ones sold for this purpose) or a large pot?

I am thinking of doing this next year and I am wondering if it's worth doing. I have some compost that should be ready by then so that is one cost eliminated!

I tried a mushroom kit but I only harvested a few; not worth the bother!

Janet

BEST THINGS ARE THOSE LARGE SUPERMARKET
JUMBO BAGS PLASTIC LOOKING HESSIEN FEEL USUALY £1

HUGE AND DEEP THEY WORK ANDYOU CAN MOVE THEM
PROPPER SACKS ARE ANYTHING FROM £5 TO £15

I always grew potatoes in pots, they do very well, has to be said I always pulled them early lol, just can't wait and like them small with so much taste :) Even grew some inside ( planted Sept I think? ) very late in one large flower pot, just enough to have on Christmas Day.

Rose xx

Thanks Dizzi

I'll see if I can beg one from our local supermarket.

Janet

Thanks Rose

Do you put ALL the compost in at once or gradually as the shoots appear?

I've only grown them in the ground (don't have the space now) and we used to earth them up and harvest when the flowers had finished.

I can't wait for things to grow either!

Janet

THERE GOOD FOR VEG THAT NEED DEPTH CARROTS BRILL

ONIONS DIDNT DO WELL BUT MASSES OF SPUDS

ALSO GREW 3 VARITY OF STRAWBERRYS AND

3 DIFFERENT TOMATO'S IN HANGING BASKETS

TEACHIUNG G/KIDS ABOUT GROWING FOOD

Janet, I used those very large pots and filled them about three quarter full, then earthed up to the top when needed.

Good luck :)

Rose xx

Thanks, Rose. I'll have a go next spring.

DIZZI - I hadn't thought of carrots. I might give them a try. There's nothing like the taste of home grown carrots! I used to grow them years ago in the ground.

Janet

Can you get some old tyres? Potatoes are often grown in stacked tyres here in Aus.

Sue xx

Thanks, that's a good idea! We're just about to have 4 new tyres on the car...


Janet

I bought a big tub and compost for my grandson. We put in sprouted spuds from supermarket. Out of about 3 , he got about 3lb. Would have had more if I had left them in longer.
We put two in for his wee brother in a plastic flower bucket from Morrisons and he got about 2lb.
You just cover up the shoots as they grow.

I put one in the garden as a trial and I got about 2lb from that. Mine has started to split,which i found was caused by them drying out then getting water.
That was the reason we emptied out the kids pots so early,as I wanted to make sure they got something from their tubs.

Marion

Thanks for the advice Marion

I'm definitely going to have a go at this next year. I might try a few carrots as well. Green stuff just gets eaten in our garden. I did manage to grow some runner beans this year; they were lovely!

Janet

I have carrots in tubs just by the back door.... carrot fly doesn't get to them, and they grow unimpeded so look good as well.... one site I read said that you could grow them like that, in succession, right through winter, in the same basic compost, but just scooping the top inch or so off and adding fresh... I am going to try that..... and I have some sprouting potatoes as I type... I think I might pop them into a tub here in the conservatory and see how they get on.... maybe I can have baby new potatoes Christmas Day... thank you Rose :¬)))

Love

Daff xxxx

We bought some sacks & seed potatoes on a Telegraph offer.

I reckon it cost us about £1 per spud.

Will probably reuse the sacks next year but plant Sainsbury's.

GROWING SACKS ARE FROM £8;99-£14
BAG FROM TESCOS £1

I have been growing them in stacked old tyres for years.
Its best to trim the inside edges a bit - ie make the hole in the middle wider.
They do very well.


xxxxxxxx mick

o/h always grow.s potato.s in a plastic dustbin work,s a treat.

I'll try that next year.... wouldn't be a good look in my conservatory over Christmas, lolol........ I have now found myself a nice, big spare pot... very nice looking one... and shall plant the potatoes today or tomorrow...... I do hope they are fine for Christmas Day..... that would be sooooo cool!

Love

Daff xxxxx

I grow potatoes in very large plastic patio pots!! I have had two succesful crops this year and have another one in thats starting to flower ready for our home made leak and potatoe soup we do every year at our Hog Roast around bonfire night.

Thanks Maddiecow - there seems to be more potato farmers about than I would ever have dreamed!

Do you find you pots are full of potatoes, or just a few in the bottom?

We eat rather a lot of spuds!

Janet