Topic: Growing potatoes in containers

[George the Pigman]

I am having a go for the first time at growing potatoes in containers at home as it will be a while before I can get them in on my allotment. I have half a dozen first earlies to plant out.
What distance apart should they be and how deep?
I have some big plastic boxes about 55cm by 37cm with holes in the bottom alternatively I have a few 30cm plant pots.

[Obelixx]

I have done this in huge round pots used by builders for mixing plaster so 80cm diametre or thereabouts.   I've also done it in old UK dustbins we had before wheelie bins came in.  Maybe 60cm diametre?

I think you need to give the potatoes space so 1 per 30cm pot and a bit more space than that in bigger pots but it depends also on whether you want small salad potatoes or big bakers.  It's a great system because you can plant them down the bottom of the pot in a few inches of compost and then just add more compost as the leaves and stems grow.  Earthing up the easy way.

Keep them watered but well-drained and use the occasional wildlife friendly slug pellet. 

[George the Pigman]

Thanks Obelix
I haven't got 6X30cm pots but I could do a mix of boxes and pots.
Salad potatoes would do fine!

[cambourne7]

I have grown them in massive buckets for last few years and found 3 potatoes and then some soil and then 3 more works just fine its a trial and error thing less is not more. But do consider drainage holes and add some manure to the bottom with a good layer of soil above so the spuds sends down roots to the manure. (chicken pellets work as well). Good luck

[Tee Gee]

Try this for ideas

[tricia]

Google "How to grow potatoes in a bag ". Masses of advice and information.

Tricia 

[George the Pigman]

Well I managed to find something to plant them in. There was an old large floppy plastic tub with the handles bust that we were going to chuck and I had a big plastic box with wheels that I used to store apples and spuds in lying in the garage. Drilled holes in both and filled it full of spent compost from last years tubs and containers with some fertiliser. Planted 3 first early spuds in both and, for the moment, put them in my cold greenhouse.
Lets see what happens!

[ancellsfarmer]

You may find discarded sandbags, in both hessian and polypropylene that can be re-purposed.(nobody seems to keep them for next time!) Each would grow  1 root if refilled with compost/leafmould/fym, and perhaps some of the sand. I have seen them rolled back like sock and plonked down on one end.