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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: wardy on September 19, 2005, 09:44:10
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I harvested my container grown Cara's yesterday and got some great spuds. Some really big ones and very clean. I think they would have been even better if they'd had more water. I grew some in fertiliser bags, some in a great big tub and some in a wash basket. The foliage on Cara is very tall and a bit of a faff in the fertiliser bag as it kept keeling over but the experiment was well worth doing and proves you can produce plenty of spuds in a small space. The Cara's I grew on the lotty didn't perform that brilliantly and I only got a small yield off each spud
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I've grown most of mine in sacks I got from one of the seed companies, I can't remember which, it worked really well. Tatties came out with no scab, slug damage or anything - unlike some of the ones sown in the ground, I'll definately do it again next year. :D
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Well I have 4 empty growbags which were used upended, not flat, and in each one is one spuds growing away merrily. An experiment really, how knows, new pots for Chrimble dinner?
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Wardy - that's great. I didn't think of doing main crops in containers.
I did all my earlies and most of my charlottes in upturned grow bags and some in the council recycling box (we had a spare and it worked pretty well!) Got a great crop. Only scab due to me not watering enough occassionally. So much easier to harvest than ground ones (see my other spud thread!)
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I think mine would have benefited from a bit more water too :) I'm definitely doing it again next year but with a less leafy variety as I got better yield per spud than in open ground
My lotty mate recommends Picasso which is a follow on from Cara but doesn't have the massive foliage :) He showed me one of his spuds yesterday grown in a pot and it was humungous ;D
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Wardy - I grew Picassos this year too. Got one that weighed in at 18oz! I have a smaller one for jacketing for my lunch today. (It'll be the first one I've eaten, so will report back on taste. So hungry I could eat it now)
Later - oh it is absolutely devine! yum yum yum.
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Great stuff Aqui! Just shows you can grow goodly taters in only a small garden so it's encouraging for peeps who might think it can't be done. Not eaten a Cara yet but probably will for tea tonight.
I think we're going to be self sufficient in potatoes til planting time next year :)
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Oh yes - I think we're going to be self sufficient in spuds for a while yet. We've got 20lbs, minus a bit of damaged ones and some for making soup, should still keep us in spuds for about 3-4 months. (I haven't bought potatoes since about June anyway! But then we only tend to eat them once or twice a week.)
It's great isn't it!
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I haven't bought any veg or salad stuff for an age either. Makes you feel all smug inside :) Also have tonnes of courgettes in freezer. My husband groaned loudly when he saw them ;D
I thought at first when I forked out for seeds and plants and seed spuds for lotty in first year it would be quite expensive but on reflection I think I've come out rather better than I thought
Gots loads of squashes in storage too, and all those spuds :o
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Yes Wardy, and if you manage to save any seed, then your bill next year will be even less ...
On the spuds, I have one sack of Desiree, one very large one of Cara, and haven't lifted the Pink Fir Apple to check ... , and we are still eating the International Kidney.
Derekthefox :D
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good for you Wardy! wish I could say the same about all my veg! All meals have a least one thing out the garden (even if it's garlic and herbs) and we tend to have one meal a week where all veg is homegrown. Not bad I suppose really being as I only have five small veg beds. Wish I didn't have to work, then I'd have time for a lottie too!
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Hi Dek! I got Cara's, Desiree's and Arran Pilots to feed me through the winter :) Got loads of seeds left over and keeping them safely in fridge for next season (always plenty in the packets) I reckon it should be cheaper next year too as I won't have any tools to buy hopefully. Still got a load of manure as well as haven't been able to get near it all summer as wasps have taken up residence in it :)
Derek Have you had Desiree chips?
Aqui It's great to have a handy supply of herbs at home and I love to nip out to get a sprig of thyme or a bunch of parsley. I grow garlic under each rose so I've got some all year round :) When I had a little garden I grew parsnips and carrots in with the flowers. It never worked with the brassicas though. Not sure why :(
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For me, the only potato to make chips from are Pink Fir Apple, they are just staggering. I left a pile of cold ones on a plate, having cooked too many, and the kids scoffed them cold at breakfast time !
The desiree will mostly be for roasting, and the Cara are general purpose, with plenty of Jacket sized ones available.
Derekthefox :D
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For me, the only potato to make chips from are Pink Fir Apple, they are just staggering.
Chips from PFA Eh?there's a thought,got loadsa the perishers :D
nice and crinkley too....Alan
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I made some wedges out of Desiree the other day and roasted them with a bunch of thyme and onions etc. Very good eating indeed
Good tip about PFA. Must get meself some of them for next year. Are they pink? Only I found some spuds growing in my leaf mould bin so pulled them and they look long and knobbly like PFA only they were white?
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This has been my first year so have never grown potatoes in tubs before. If I was to do this next year do i cut the bottom out of whatever container I use?
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Wardy, my PFA's have come out all shades - pale cream right up to a vivid fuschia! So what you've found could be PFA..
My fave way of doing them is to cut 'em in half, swish 'em in a tablespoon of oil, salt, pepper and plenty of fresh herbs, and bake 'em for about 25 minutes.... yum, yum, yum
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Vez You don't need to cut the bottom half off the container
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Wardy, just be careful with the watering. Before I had a lottie I grew spuds in some plastic dustbins I had drilled some drainage holes in and found it was very easy to overwater and end up with rotten spuds.
Scab was also a massive problem at times if the potatoes were left to long so worth uncovering a spud or two at times to check. Mind you I only ever grew Sharpes Express in the bins so maybe a varietal sensitivity.......
Iain
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I got more scab on the ones grown in manure than the container ones in clean compost :)
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I grew Duke of York in containers.
Harvesting was like digging for diamonds ! We had a good yield but I'm sure it could have been better if I'd watered more.
I'm now trying to grow for Christmas lunch.... fingers crossed. Emptying the containers will be the best pressie opening ever !
Alimo
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how many plants can you plant in a container, this would be rain barrel size.
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I have quite a large size pot and i have put 4 spuds in each pot!!!. NOW how often do i water them this is the first time i have grown spuds, do i leave the pots uncovered or not, what if it rains for 2/3 days at a time, can anyone give me some pointers please. ;D ;D. Cheers Rosebud.
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I put one first or second early in an upturned growbag or 10-12in pot. I watered them with 2pts water each day on hot days or every other day if not so hot. If it rained they were usually fine. I poke my finger down into the compost up to the knuckle to see how damp/dry they were and then water accordingly.
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Leave them uncovered Rosebud. You can top them up with compost etc as they grow
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Vez, in my dustbins I used to put 4 potatoes per bin. about 6 inches of compost at the bottom potato on top and another 6 inches. WHen the plant is 6 inches high add more compost until about 1 inch of plant left showing and then keep going along the same lines until the bin is full.
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Some guides suggest adding fertiliser. But the Schools brief is that 'a potting mix will make the skins go rough'.