Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Jayb on June 26, 2015, 09:18:05
-
Here's my mark one, newly made yesterday and modeled on the Agralan/Marshalls ones (thanks Ellen K and TeeGee)
Used -
Morrison flower buckets
Stanley knife
The cut outs are a bit wonky, but I'm not too fussed. I think it should hold about 10 litres of compost, maybe 12 if I'm lucky. It's on the small side but should do for earlies?
-
Who's a clever girl then?
To me they look as good as the Agralan type.
I am glad to have been of help....Tg
-
That's really good Jayb! .............. as TG said :icon_cheers:
-
Thanks, those flower buckets are quite flimsy and easy to cut, it was really easy to do and took just a few minuets :happy7:
Mark one bucket is now filled with compost, a little fertilizer and planted with one, possibly Abbot or Pentland Javelin tuber :icon_cheers:
We'll see how well it works over the next 8 weeks, if it doesn't get blighted!
-
We'll see how well it works over the next 8 weeks
With pictures please so we can compare with Agralan
-
Will do :happy7:
-
I didn't know about these planters.. http://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/potato-grow-pot-single-pid8918.html
Gosh they are pricey! Your version look as good and I'm sure it does the job :icon_cheers: I'm looking forward for your report to see how they perform.
In mean while...I'll sharpen me Stanley, pile up with buckets and get ready for cutting... :toothy10:
-
I suppose the advantage of the bought one is that it is bigger, but yours looks brilliant. After all you can do a few earlies eat a few small potatoes and then when it gets a bit too big throw it into the ground.
Must find my Stanley knife.
-
Brilliant!
-
Forgot to say I haven't drilled holes for drainage in Mark1. Mainly because I was thinking it was going to be an indoor growing item and with careful watering it might avoid run off. I think I might try a water spike at some point. Mark11 will have drainage to compare.
Also the pots can get so jammed together, it might be worth adding some string/rope to use as a handle, to pull out the cutout one without too much faff?
-
I didn't know about these planters.. http://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/potato-grow-pot-single-pid8918.html (http://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/potato-grow-pot-single-pid8918.html)
Gosh they are pricey! Your version look as good and I'm sure it does the job :icon_cheers: I'm looking forward for your report to see how they perform.
In mean while...I'll sharpen me Stanley, pile up with buckets and get ready for cutting... :toothy10:
Yes they seem expensive but you have to take into account that jayb had to buy all the flowers in the buckets, so maybe not so pricey
The house looked lovely though :glasses9:
-
At my local Morrison's you get 8-10 for a £1 - and they last for years :icon_cheers:.
Tricia
-
Yes they seem expensive but you have to take into account that jayb had to buy all the flowers in the buckets, so maybe not so pricey
The house looked lovely though :glasses9:
:thumbsup:
-
Ooh , right that has to be preferable to my collapsing black bags , thanks Jayb .
-
Also the pots can get so jammed together, it might be worth adding some string/rope to use as a handle, to pull out the cutout one without too much faff?
Even better then the original/ :icon_cheers:
The Morrisons flower buckets are not very expensive they will give you a stack for £1.
Are you starting some now, feels like a challenge coming on.
-
At my local Morrison's you get 8-10 for a £1 - and they last for years :icon_cheers:.
Tricia
Snap mine are from Morrisons :happy7:
Also the pots can get so jammed together, it might be worth adding some string/rope to use as a handle, to pull out the cutout one without too much faff?
Even better then the original/ :icon_cheers:
The Morrisons flower buckets are not very expensive they will give you a stack for £1.
Are you starting some now, feels like a challenge coming on.
Yes I'll be planting three up this afternoon :toothy10: It will be great if you do some too and anyone else who fancies joining in :wave:
It's been raining this morning :icon_cheers: so I've made up another 3 double buckets, I've used up all the ones I had spare, but at 25p for an individual potato bucket I'll pick some more up next time I pass morrisons.
The latest Mark11 types have holes drilled in the base of the buckets for drainage, and have a length of nylon cord at the top of the insert for a handle.
I'll take a picture later on today.
-
Here's the Mark one filled. The tuber I planted had sprouts, but nothing too long.
Edit to add It's not easy to separate the two buckets when filled. It goes a bit floppy and distorts with the weight as you try to lift, if you don't have your hands above the remaining 2 intact sections. The string on the mark11 will mark the spot.
-
Modified Mark11
The drainage holes could have done with being a bit bigger.
-
I have been thinking about another design for these bucket and that is cut three slots rather than two and hopefully this will add some rigidity to the inner bucket without losing the effect.
I am thinking that as the rootball develops it might bulge out of the slots thus making it difficult to extract the inner bucket.
To do this I would measure the circumference of the bucket at the top point of the slots and divide by six.
Example: circumference is 24" divided by six equals four so each slot and each remaining panel will be 4" wide rather than as in the two panel slots, where they would be 6" wide which might be a bit too much.
As I said it is only a thought to try and develop what is already a good idea in the first place.
Over to you Jayb
-
The more ideas the better, size shape etc :icon_cheers:
A three way cut out was my first thoughts, I went with the two after looking at pictures on the internet, but the quality of bucket might make all the difference. Having the three panels might help, are you doing some TeeGee, I wonder if the cut outs are big enough to easily find the potatoes?
-
The more ideas the better, size shape etc :icon_cheers:
A three way cut out was my first thoughts, I went with the two after looking at pictures on the internet, but the quality of bucket might make all the difference. Having the three panels might help, are you doing some TeeGee, I wonder if the cut outs are big enough to easily find the potatoes?
If the inner bucket (with holes at the base) was to rest on some gravel, would that lift it sufficiently to make taking out easier? Would the gravelled area provide a little water reservoir too? With a drainage hole in the outer bucket just above the level of where the inner bucket sits on the gravel that any surplus water would drain. Could even thread a thin strip of capillary matting through the holes at the base of the inner bucket into the water reservoir at the base of the outer bucket. Just thinking along the lines of home-made self watering pots.
http://www.treehugger.com/lawn-garden/5-self-watering-planters-easy-vegetable-gardening.html
Or is this what you meant by water spike? Didn't understand that bit, Jayb. :wave:
-
Sorry I'm ages coming back to this thread. Nice ideas with the siting of drainage holes and the use of gravel, something to experiment with (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
Drilling holes in the outer as well as the inner does make them easier to separate, I've been thinking of placing the buckets on a growbag tray and using that as a bit of a reservoir.
Not sure now what I meant by a water spike unless it's the type that is attached to a 2 litre water bottle?
-
I've been quite pleased with the homemade potato buckets, I've planted some up with Abbot potatoes, the first shoots are just showing above the compost. I'm planning on making up some more buckets hopefully this weekend.
Some progress piccies from last year, not a huge crop from this bucket, but I'd already picked a few.
-
What size buckets did you use?
-
I've been using Morrison's flower buckets, I would think they hold around 10 liters of compost, possibly 12.
-
that's the size (roughyly) that I've bene using for TPS plants - I put four in a bucket - but I'm not sure about using them for full-sized plants.
-
last year i got 5 8ltr potato bags from thompson and morgan a gardeners world freebie had some great charlotte around 1 kilo per bag and all around 2" long planted them up again this year in the greenhouse their just putting the heads out so this week ill fill the bags to the top and let them get on with it
-
This got me thinking today. I use a soldering iron instead of a drill to put in drainage holes in the ex- flower containers.
*it does give off fumes. So I tilt the pot and sit in garden to do it* I know this is obvious but don't want to bump anyone off ;) Tilting pot stops fumes going straight up to my face. I use soldering iron as was cracking pots when I drilled...might be my technique
This works great and means I can cut out shapes. I'm going to try one of your potato ones tomorrow.
Not sure if this info is of any use but....Today I was making a slit in middle-bottom of my pots to thread in a "wick" to go into the gravel tray for capillary watering...well, that's the plan. ( I usually sit posts with several soldered holes on a tray with some clay granules.).
-
that's the size (roughyly) that I've bene using for TPS plants - I put four in a bucket - but I'm not sure about using them for full-sized plants.
They've worked well for earlies, but yes too small for maincrops. I've sown lots of tps varieties (nothing through yet) some I only want for mini tuber selection so I might plant some up with them Also I seem to have a lot of mini tubers, some might be more suitable for growing in pots than the open ground.
-
Are you doing some TeeGee, I wonder if the cut outs are big enough to easily find the potatoes?
No I don't think I will be doing any although I have dozens of buckets.
In terms of getting the potatoes out with a smaller gap I don't think you will have much of a problem because as you have found the strips a flexible so will widen slightly as you remove the tubers, plus the fact early tubers are quite often smaller than 2nd earliest and main crop.
If not you can revert back to the Mk 1 for future plantings.
-
Thanks Hector, I don't have a soldering iron, but can see the benefit of ease of making holes or free form shapes. Some of the flower buckets have a tendency to split so need care when cutting or drilling. Like your's and Galina's idea of using a wick/capillary matting, very similar to the method I used with some of my tomatoes, aubergines and peppers last year. Works a treat :happy7:
-
Thanks Tee Gee, agree the flexibility of the inner pot does seem to aid harvesting.
-
JayB what capillary material did you use...I have some old dishcloth an tee shirts I'm eyeing up.
I got a dirt cheap soldering iron like this
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00XMRPMUG?keywords=Soldering%20iron&qid=1457870331&ref_=sr_1_8&s=diy&sr=1-8
-
I've been using Morrison's flower buckets, I would think they hold around 10 liters of compost, possibly 12.
had a look at your blog well done you