Due to age I'm thinking of giving up the main potato patch. I can grow a few earlies in large pots, but someone has told me that they've seen successful spuds grown in black dustbin liners. Can anyone describe the procedure for this - what soil to use, how to plant etc? Many thanks.
John N
Potatoes in bag
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
JohnN, although we grow our bulk on the allotment, we always have some in bags to start them early and under protection. And that's what we do:
we use special potato bags (but have used double thickness of good binliners in the past - double thickness to keep them dark so that the potatoes don't go green). We make holes in the bottom, roll down the tops of the bags to about 15 inches, fill them up to that level with a mixture of, say, 80% good potting compost and 20% well rotted manure and then plant three potatoes in each bag, cover them up with the same compost and sprinkle on some fertiliser (usually Growmore). Then, when the potatoes come through, we cover the green shoots up with the same compost until, finally, the entire bag is filled. They do need a fair amount of watering, even when it's been raining, particularly when the foliage covers the entire surface.
The advantage of special potato bags is that they have handles and we can plant the potatoes in their bags in the greenhouse and then easily move them to the outside, or, when frost is threatened, bring them into the greenhouse overnight.
When we have harvested the potatoes, the compost is used to plant bulbs in pots and also for the winter hanging baskets and pots with pansies etc.
we use special potato bags (but have used double thickness of good binliners in the past - double thickness to keep them dark so that the potatoes don't go green). We make holes in the bottom, roll down the tops of the bags to about 15 inches, fill them up to that level with a mixture of, say, 80% good potting compost and 20% well rotted manure and then plant three potatoes in each bag, cover them up with the same compost and sprinkle on some fertiliser (usually Growmore). Then, when the potatoes come through, we cover the green shoots up with the same compost until, finally, the entire bag is filled. They do need a fair amount of watering, even when it's been raining, particularly when the foliage covers the entire surface.
The advantage of special potato bags is that they have handles and we can plant the potatoes in their bags in the greenhouse and then easily move them to the outside, or, when frost is threatened, bring them into the greenhouse overnight.
When we have harvested the potatoes, the compost is used to plant bulbs in pots and also for the winter hanging baskets and pots with pansies etc.
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Parsons Jack
- KG Regular
- Posts: 1075
- Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 9:03 pm
- Location: St. Mary's Bay, Romney Marsh
Hi, JohnN & Monika,
I've used more or less the same procedure this year, but have mostly used old compost bags. The potatoes certainly come out nice and clean.
I've used more or less the same procedure this year, but have mostly used old compost bags. The potatoes certainly come out nice and clean.
Cheers PJ.
I'm just off down the greenhouse. I won't be long...........
I'm just off down the greenhouse. I won't be long...........