Spuds

[Bec]

I'm planning on growing some potatoes this year in 'patio planter potato bags'. I haven't grown potatoes since I gave up my allotment several years ago. Can anyone recommend a good variety for bags, I'm not fussed whether I plant earlies, main crop etc. The label on the bags recommends no more than three seeds per bag and I've got three bags so a prolific spud would be an advantage!

[Helhen]

Hi Bec,
for the last couple of years, my hubby has just thrown in the spuds from the bottom of the fridge that have sprouted and we have had some lovely spuds. Don't know if anyone else does this?
My dad uses Wilja and usually is pretty successful with them. The kids love helping to dig them up.

Helen

[Annie]

We usually get various types for different usage , salad spuds are normally very good in the bags as they stay so good and clean. Quite often the label on the bags of seed potatoes will state suitable for container etc . Last year we used Julia salad spuds and were pleased with crop. Have to say we don't use custom made planters though - just old compost bags and Rhino buckets with holes punched in, you would be surprised just what you can grow some tatties in !

[Shlugh]

Hi,

We've had good yields from both Charlotte and Swift in bags over the last couple of years. They seem to do well. The charlotte is a small salad type, second early and Swift is a first early, with nice sized spuds with tasty white floury flesh, lovely as mash

Beechgrove Garden did a trial last year, and a newer variety Sherine, was a fantastic cropper. I have some of those on order from a potato merchant to try them myself.

Shlugh xx

[wendy]

Oooo Silky told me a type to get last year and they were just so lovely.
I am going to have to trawl through the posts, to see which variety they were. To grow again this year.

[knittynuttynora]

I was also wondering about tubs and wondered if I got some cheap toy tubs from somewhere like Ikea - they are like big plastic storage buckets with handles either side - would these be deep enough?

[Sara]

Ive heard that black bins work well....... I will give it a go this year, as the last couple of years ive had real trouble digging them up from in the garden and always seem to forget some so i thought with a bin i can turn it out onto a tarp take out the potatoes and then put the soil back in........ Much easier on my back and ive got a few bins laying around....

[newto]

I was also wondering about tubs and wondered if I got some cheap toy tubs from somewhere like Ikea - they are like big plastic storage buckets with handles either side - would these be deep enough?

OOH got me thinking now. I think I have a couple of those down in the garage . probbly need a good clean, but will look nicer tan all the old painttubs!

[Shlugh]

Hi,

I did mine last year in old plastic dog food sacks with holes in the bottom for drainage, and have used compost bags in the past too, both of which worked well. I just popped a couple of spuds in each.

I've never tried bins, so don't know about them.

Shlugh xx

[newto]

Hi,

I did mine last year in old plastic dog food sacks with holes in the bottom for drainage, and have used compost bags in the past too, both of which worked well. I just popped a couple of spuds in each.

I've never tried bins, so don't know about them.

Shlugh xx

oh sved some of those too.plastic dog food bags, and similar...... another good idea!

[Annie]

I was also wondering about tubs and wondered if I got some cheap toy tubs from somewhere like Ikea - they are like big plastic storage buckets with handles either side - would these be deep enough?

We used the Rhino tubs that ASADA were selling last year (our store still has some £3 small and approx £6 large) Alex drilled some fair sized holes in the bottom and we had plenty of spuds from 5 seed potato . These tubs were great for carrots too - no carrot fly ,you dont get huge carrots but clean straight and tasty ones so thats ok. Must say I quite like container growing this type of veg because they dont take nearly as much cleaning as those grown in the ground. I should think the Eye -key-ear ones are pretty mush the same. Like the cheerful colours too lots of red and yellow in our garden.

[Bec]

Thanks for all the ideas. I'll visit the local garden centre at the weekend, they always have lots of varieties of spud. I managed to buy my spud growing bags at reduced price so they worked out cheaper than buying the rhino tubs, although not as colourful. May get some anyway for other veg as my cats will dig up anything I plant direct in the garden.

[AL37]

I was also wondering about tubs and wondered if I got some cheap toy tubs from somewhere like Ikea - they are like big plastic storage buckets with handles either side - would these be deep enough?

I have grown spuds in the blue Ikea bags before.

[redoak]

I find Rocket is a good prolific and reliable early which grows well in containers.

[spud]

I grow spuds all year round in bags, I have found Swifts to be the nicest and easiest. I also always use the sprouting ones out of the bottom of the potato bag, never had a failure yet. I normally cut a single potato into 3 or 4 (depending on the number of "eyes" sprouting.) and so i could end up with 3 or 4 potato plants out of a single potato. It easy to move them out of the frost (compared with garden grown ones), if one gets blight the whole crop isn't lost or nor is the garden infected. Best way to grow spuds I reckon.