[shokkyy]

I'm just planning what to do with all my first and second earlies this year, and I'm wondering if I can make use of a space next to the end of the house. It's a good sized patch which once used to have an old boiler room sitting on it, so there's bits of hard core in it but it's mostly soil, and I just wonder if I could get away with putting spuds in polypots on this patch. The downside is that it sits at the east end of the house, so it gets the morning sun but is shaded in the afternoons - would spuds tolerate that?

The other spud-related question I have is how long does Vitax last? I bought some last year, didn't use it all, left it sitting in the cold greenhouse and I've just noticed that it's kind of melted and dissolved into globs. Is this still usable?

[Ma and Pa Snip]

I doubt the Vitax has 'melted' as such. It's more likely its absorbed some dampness.

Whats the use by date on the pack, if you can make out what it says it will give a guide as to when the nutrient value of the contents are regarded as diminishing by the manufacturer when stored in suitable conditions.

If it is still in date, unless it has become one big lump, If you are able to break up the lumpy bits I suspect there is no reason why you couldnt still use it, but dont expect it to be as beneficial as it might have been had it been stored better.

Only you can make the judgement of what state the pack is in.

2009, We grew main crop potatoes in raised bed in partial shade of the house, which only received some direct sun early mornings,  got on average 2.5kg  per plant.

[Trillium]

Potatoes will grow in part shade, but you'll get 1/3 the crop that full sun would give you. It'll seem like it just wasn't worth the effort.