Author Topic: Growing Potatoes in Containers - photos included (Read 72906 times)

Paulines7 · « **Reply #20 on:** March 15, 2009, 12:10:05 »

I earthed mine up last year but my potatoes were in very large pots rather than bags. I didn't get much of a crop though. I didn't use fertilizer, just potting compost so that may account for my poor crop. I will buy some fertilizer this year and see if it makes a difference.

thifasmom · « **Reply #21 on:** March 15, 2009, 16:29:58 »

Hi George I planted my 1st earlies on the 1st of March in pots and grow sacks. my problem has been not keeping the soil moist enough hope to keep on the job this year a hopefully harvest a decent crop :-\.

cheerfulness · « **Reply #22 on:** March 15, 2009, 17:10:45 »

This thread is very timely as mum has just popped round with some potato grow bags and some 'swift' seed potatoes.
Very excited and loving the picture guides to follow. :)

debster · « **Reply #23 on:** March 15, 2009, 19:07:47 »

its amazing i have always put spuds in bags since joining here and im sure people have been doing it for years and years, well now the nurseries have jumped on the band wagon and sell potato bags already filled with compost ::)
bet someone will buy em

laurieuk · « **Reply #24 on:** March 15, 2009, 19:44:57 »

I am growing in a container for the first time and am adding compost on almost a daily basis. I am now wondering how to support the foliage as it will be too forward to have outside. I am putting photos on my website if anyone wants to have a look.

Georgie · « **Reply #25 on:** March 15, 2009, 20:06:15 »

Quote from: Paulines7 on March 15, 2009, 12:10:05

I earthed mine up last year but my potatoes were in very large pots rather than bags. I didn't get much of a crop though. I didn't use fertilizer, just potting compost so that may account for my poor crop. I will buy some fertilizer this year and see if it makes a difference.

I gather that most potting composts (if not all?) only contain enough food to feed the plants for 6-8 weeks. That's why I always add organic slow release food to all my containers. Good luck with your crop this year Pauline. :)

G x

Georgie · « **Reply #26 on:** March 15, 2009, 20:11:54 »

Quote from: laurieuk on March 15, 2009, 19:44:57

I am growing in a container for the first time and am adding compost on almost a daily basis. I am now wondering how to support the foliage as it will be too forward to have outside. I am putting photos on my website if anyone wants to have a look.

Laurie I'm sorry but I don't understand. I take it you are starting your potoatoes off under cover? But why are you adding compost so often? Surely the plants aren't growing at a rate of 15cm every couple of days are they?

G x

Barnowl · « **Reply #27 on:** March 16, 2009, 12:32:12 »

Just a quick note: spud bags are very prone to drying out so I don't put holes in the bottom but in the sides an inch or so up from the bottom.

I usually let the foliage get to about 4 to 6 inches before each earthing up - would I get more spuds if I did it more often say at 2-3 inches?

cornykev · « **Reply #28 on:** March 16, 2009, 17:21:20 »

Photos look great Laurie but like Georgie I'm miffed to why you need to keep topping up with compost. ;D ;D ;D

laurieuk · « **Reply #29 on:** March 16, 2009, 22:59:44 »

On the principle that you should not completely cover foliage I am adding as it pushes through the surface. I may well be wrong in which case I will know better in the future. I have not grown pots in a container before so will learn by mistakes, there seem to be so many different ideas so I am trying my way. Not suggesting it is the right way. They are in my greenhouse at the moment but will be outside when the weather is ok.

Georgie · « **Reply #30 on:** March 17, 2009, 17:41:34 »

Quote from: laurieuk on March 16, 2009, 22:59:44

On the principle that you should not completely cover foliage I am adding as it pushes through the surface. I may well be wrong in which case I will know better in the future. I have not grown pots in a container before so will learn by mistakes, there seem to be so many different ideas so I am trying my way. Not suggesting it is the right way. They are in my greenhouse at the moment but will be outside when the weather is ok.

Thanks Laurie. I wasn't implying any criticism, rather trying to understand the benefits of earthing up so often. I've never grown potatoes before so I am keen to pick up as many tips as possible. From what I've read the earthing up process is to increase the yield and guard against the tubers being exposed to sunlight and thus turning green. I agree advice varies but 'trusted sources' advise earthing when the plants reach around 10-15cm and repeating this process two to three times.

My query with the method you are using boils down to whether the plant needs to develop leaves for a while in order the them 'to do their thing' before the plants are earthed up. I'm sorry I can't be more tchnical but I'm no biologist. :)

G x

laurieuk · « **Reply #31 on:** March 17, 2009, 20:22:22 »

Hi Georgie,
I did not take it as criticism I give talks on the basis of about 2 each week and always say this is my way and do not change if you do if different. I am at the Moment living in a tied house but in the near future may have to find somewhere else maybe without a garden. After having worked in gardens for 60 years this will be hard so I am trying various things in containers. At the moment carrots , potatoes and parsnips. The main reason for earthing up is to increase the length of stem from which new potatoes grow as well as keeping them away from the light. If you bury too many complete leaves it can start rotting the stem. My container is almost full, I will post a photo within a day or so, on my blogspot.

Quote from: Georgie on March 17, 2009, 17:41:34

Quote from: laurieuk on March 16, 2009, 22:59:44
On the principle that you should not completely cover foliage I am adding as it pushes through the surface. I may well be wrong in which case I will know better in the future. I have not grown pots in a container before so will learn by mistakes, there seem to be so many different ideas so I am trying my way. Not suggesting it is the right way. They are in my greenhouse at the moment but will be outside when the weather is ok.

Thanks Laurie. I wasn't implying any criticism, rather trying to understand the benefits of earthing up so often. I've never grown potatoes before so I am keen to pick up as many tips as possible. From what I've read the earthing up process is to increase the yield and guard against the tubers being exposed to sunlight and thus turning green. I agree advice varies but 'trusted sources' advise earthing when the plants reach around 10-15cm and repeating this process two to three times.

My query with the method you are using boils down to whether the plant needs to develop leaves for a while in order the them 'to do their thing' before the plants are earthed up. I'm sorry I can't be more technical but I'm no biologist. :)

G x

Georgie · « **Reply #32 on:** March 17, 2009, 20:35:07 »

Hi Laurie

First of all I'm sorry to hear that you may lose your home and possible access to a garden, that must be tough. :(

Secondly it's good to see that we concur on the reasons for earthing up. :)

But finally you have me worried! You say that if 'you bury too many complete leaves it can start rotting the stem'. Can you expand on that a bit please?

G x

laurieuk · « **Reply #33 on:** March 17, 2009, 22:30:36 »

Hi Georgie,
If you are a pro gardener most times you live in a tied house and if you change jobs or in our case the owner dies, you lose your house. I am old enough to be retired but can stay here whilst owner is alive, he is ninety this year and in poor health.
If you bury any sizable amount of green foliage it can warm up and rot , this in turn can start rot on the stem of the potato plant. This does not always happen but by earthing up or in this case adding in smaller amounts avoids this possibility. In my opinion.

laurieuk · « **Reply #34 on:** March 18, 2009, 20:09:25 »

This photo was taken today showing the progress of my potatoes growing in a container. As you can see the growth is now at the top meaning there is some 18/20 inches of compost over the potato tuber. I think in new money that is about 50 cms. The tuber was cut in half and the second growth can just be seen to the right.

springbok · « **Reply #35 on:** March 18, 2009, 20:49:25 »

Hi Georgie,

Last season I did exactly the same as yourself with the bags. I was kindly sent some really huge plastic sacks to put my potatoes in.

I kept rolling the bag up and adding more compost as the plants grew. Had a few potatoes and was pleased with the results.

Good luck with yours, looking forward to seeing the results :) :)

Georgie · « **Reply #36 on:** March 18, 2009, 21:11:00 »

Quote from: springbokgirlie on March 18, 2009, 20:49:25

Hi Georgie,

Last season I did exactly the same as yourself with the bags. I was kindly sent some really huge plastic sacks to put my potatoes in.

I kept rolling the bag up and adding more compost as the plants grew. Had a few potatoes and was pleased with the results.

Good luck with yours, looking forward to seeing the results :) :)

Thanks SBG. Nice to know it works. :)

G x

telboy · « **Reply #37 on:** March 18, 2009, 21:23:31 »

Did the same this year as SBG.
In the GH now & poking thru' the first 300mm. Must admit I will need to poke holes in the sides about 50mm from t'bottom.
Laurie,
Sad to hear of your 'tied' restrictions. If it's any comfort, I'm pleased you're not one of the 'National Trust' sufferers!
I'll watch your spud progress with interest. Good luck!!

Sylvan · « **Reply #38 on:** March 19, 2009, 12:11:45 »

Hello.

I'm happy with the potatoes in containers (I'm using the flower buckets but I'm going to cut the bottoms out of others so I can put them on top to get a greater depth of compost) but now I'm worried about the potatoes in the ground.

Laurie, you said the main reason for earthing up is to increase the length of stem from which new potatoes grow. I thought it was just to keep them away from the light so we were going to cover the ones we plant on the allotment with landscape fabric because we won't be able to get there regularly. for the next few months. Does that mean we won't get much of a crop because the stems will be too short? Woud it be better to leave off the landscape fabric and just earth them up at erratic intervals?

saddad · « **Reply #39 on:** March 19, 2009, 13:41:23 »

Welcome to the site Sylvan... you can grow them "on the flat"... :)

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Author Topic: Growing Potatoes in Containers - photos included (Read 72906 times)