How many spuds per seed potato?

[cestrian]

I am trying spuds in containers this year so I tried 15 different varieties as an experiment. I gave them plenty of space - 1 seed potato for every 5 gallon drum. I used a mix of compost, garden soil and rotted horse manure. Plants were fine. I left them in the ground for a month or so now after the plants have died back, but the yields are much smaller than i expected.

I'm getting 1-2 lb (500g-1Kg) for each seed spud. That's only half a dozen or so average size spuds. I was expecting a lot more. Previously I've planted them in rows and it's difficult to tell how much you've got.

Is this normal?

[cestrian]

[GREGME]

Hi this is hard to assess without knowing more about the varieties and growing conditions, (watering soil volume planting depth etc) but I think from what you have written you should have got more yield as you say-but if you have enough to eat then hey ho.......
this year quite a few folks on my patch are saying they're potato yield was down because it was dry

[cestrian]

Thanks for the reply gregme.

It's not been so dry in the north west to be honest and my lottie is in the back garden so i water evry day.

I'm not sure what the yield should be off a normal potato seed. I was expecting 5lb of spuds off each seed so I am way off.

But you are right we have got plenty to eat, so hey ho!!

This is the scores on the doors so far

                                               Planted      Kg
Vanessa                           First early   16/03/2013   0.42
Premiere                           First early   16/03/2013   0.80
International Kidney   First early   16/03/2013   0.35
Winston                           First early   16/03/2013   0.77
Dunluce                           First early   16/03/2013   0.55   
Lady Christl                   First early   16/03/2013   0.80

[Digeroo]

Is timing important?   I have been harvesting a row of Elizabeth because I have a rampant squash needing the space. 

The first plants I dug up the spuds were quite small, but now they are getting quite big and it is only two weeks later and the crop from each plant is significantly greater perhaps as much as a factor of three, though it has rained in the meantime.

[gavinjconway]

It also depends on how much soil you use to earth up.. the more soil the more spuds..

[GREGME]

Hi Cestrian

I dug a root of harlequin (pink fir apple x charlotte) my fave variety today at lottie and got 1.4 kilos and 30+ good sized pots
Other stats for weight variety and numbers are in the link below from an rhs trial i think charlotte is in this from your list.
I've not grown them in pots before so again hard to assess.

In the ground I have average quality soil but use comfrey leaves and tea and chicken pellets to help nothing else.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/getattachment/0d52c1ec-6bf7-41fe-91ec-7fecd2fbae74/Salad-Potato-Bulletin.aspx

[Old Ace]

Very pleased with my Arran Pilots this year. Grown in builders buckets in the back garden in grow bag compost top dressed with chicken pellets.Yield 15-17 potatoes 5-6 lb per plant

[cestrian]

Thanks for the link Gregme - an interesting read. It seems my yields are on average only 50% of what the should be, but it does say you shouldn't use garden soil in pots because it becomes too compact. It says you should use loam based compost. I also didn't really feed them apart from the occasional shot of miracle grow.

Maybe that's why your yields are so big Old Ace. I might try comfrey, compost and chicken pellets next year.