Growing Potatoes in Containers - photos included

[Hosta]

I am really pleased mine are doing so well --------  so far  :)

[Hosta]

[phoenix_co2]

few little questions on the old spud issue, ran out of room to earth up on one of my sets of spuds now so what happens, do they realise theres no more room and just focus on coming into flower now and growing the actual spud.
How do you know when the spuds are ready for picking if you cant see under the soil??

[cornykev]

Try and earth up into a point if that makes sense, or you could put a collar around it, if practical, earlies are generally ready when the flowers are in bloom but you can have a little ferkle around in the soil to see the state of play.  ;D ;D ;D

[shirlton]

A little what Kev  ::)

[Georgie]

A little what Kev  ::)

I think he means 'furtle'.   ;D   ;D  ;D

G x

[cornykev]

Sorry I ment Firkle, whats furtle Georgie a posh turtle.  ???   :-\     :P      ;D ;D ;D

[Georgie]

Sorry I ment Firkle, whats furtle Georgie a posh turtle.  ???   :-\     :P      ;D ;D ;D

I think they mean the same, Kev.   ;D

G x

[telboy]

Off topic I know but love the word - 'fircle'.
Blaster Bates used it in his hilarious monologues.
Spelling may not be correct but can anyone find the correct spelling? Cheshire dictionaries?

[phoenix_co2]

ooh I say, now rather looking forward to having a little firkle in the garden when the sun is out, do i need to wear anything special for firkling???

[Georgie]

Mine had to be earthed up again today.  There's scope to do this one more time before I run out of compost sack.  Here are the before and after pictures.

G x

[phoenix_co2]

Thanks for the tip about the collar Kev, as soon as i read it I had one of those "Now why didn't I think of that" moments, off to chop up my old compast sacks right now

[cornykev]

When going out for a good old firkle Phoenix I tend to wear the stripy boxers I was sent on the A4A Christmas secret Santa.   P.S.    spuds looking great G.      :o   :P   ;D ;D ;D   :-*

[Georgie]

When going out for a good old firkle Phoenix I tend to wear the stripy boxers I was sent on the A4A Christmas secret Santa.   P.S.    spuds looking great G.      :o   :P   ;D ;D ;D   :-*

Thanks, Kev.  I'm pleased with them so far.  Will be needing tips on harvesting soon - don't want to get them all (said she hopefully) out at once.   ;D

G x

[early weeder]

Hi. I'm new to this forum and fairly new to Veg growing - my second year. Having decided not to bother with potatoes in my tiny backyard a friend suggested I try growing a few in old tyres. So having collected a load of tyres from the local tip I've put them on a bricked area and filled them with wonderful compost from the Community Farm (where I work). I planted some Maris Peer (second earlies) on April 11th and they are just starting to appear. There are four piles of two tyres at the moment but as I earth them up I can add more tyres. Has anyone else tried this?

I've learnt a lot already from reading this thread. Being north of Glasgow we are a bit behind some of you, but we are on the warm west coast and the backyard is walled and is very sheltered and pretty frost free. I look forward to following the progress of all your spuds. :D

[phoenix_co2]

Have heard about gtrowing in tyres but not seen/tried it myself, i'm growing in bags, would be very interested to see a pic once theyve got going i bet it will look great, good luck with that.

Right Kev i tell you trying to collar up with old compost bags is not as easy as it sounds, however after almost failing quite miserably i manged to pick the whole thing up and put it inside a bigger spud bag, plenty more earthing up room now  ;)

Firklin in your boxers....................would my old mans Y fronts be ok i wonder  :P

[cornykev]

As long as there not tooo clean,  :o when I was picturing the collar I was thinking more of thick card around it, but it looks like you sorted it.  ;D ;D ;D

[Georgie]

Final earthing up today.  Here are the before and after pics.





There are no sign of any flowers yet so I won't be attempting to harvest just yet.  And I'm not sure how I'm going to do that as I don't want to have all the potatoes at once.  Any ideas?

G x

[Mister E]

I'm going to try splitting the bottom of the bag and eating my way up!

[saddad]

Welcome to A4A Mister E  ;D

[Tattieman]

Swift do not normally flower so you will have to watch for the plant dying off or have a furtle inside as I say ;D