[Jamie Butterworth]

How much should i expect from 1 seed potatoe of desiree, i know they are heavy cropping which is why i chose them but just wondered if i was to put one per poly pot how much i would get from each, excluding damage from slugs which i need to find a way of avoiding

[DD.]

I have no experience of growing, other than in the ground, but growing in pots I'd thought would be a way of avoiding slugs in itself. It's a right battle in  open ground!

[JaK]

I have no idea, I've not grown them before. You shouldn't need to worry about slugs really. I can only grow spuds in bags and never have a problem with slugs and snails. How big are the polypots? I always put 3 or 4 seeds in each bag but they may be bigger than the pots?

[Jamie Butterworth]

I have no experience of growing, other than in the ground, but growing in pots I'd thought would be a way of avoiding slugs in itself. It's a right battle in  open ground!

I know, i grew mine in the open ground last year and my crop was decimated by slugs Which is why ive opted for polypots instead, but i grew a crop of spuds in a dustbin last year also and didnt get a single potatoe so i dont know where i went wrong

I have no idea, I've not grown them before. You shouldn't need to worry about slugs really. I can only grow spuds in bags and never have a problem with slugs and snails. How big are the polypots? I always put 3 or 4 seeds in each bag but they may be bigger than the pots?

They are 17.5 litre poly pots which on the JBA potato website it recommends one to each poly pot

[Kristen]

You still have to "plant out" the poly pot I think Jamie - or am I missing something?

[DD.]

The added bonus of the polypot is that they are designed to be placed into soil and can be grown like conventional potatoes would in your garden but there is very little digging.

[JayG]

The added bonus of the polypot is that they are designed to be placed into soil and can be grown like conventional potatoes would in your garden but there is very little digging.

I think I might be missing the point now; how are you saving yourself a lot of digging if each polypot has to be buried in its own hole?

[DD.]

I didn't like to comment.

[mumofstig]

The added bonus of the polypot is that they are designed to be placed into soil and can be grown like conventional potatoes would in your garden but there is very little digging.

I think I might be missing the point now; how are you saving yourself a lot of digging if each polypot has to be buried in its own hole?

I thought that the whole point of this exercise, was nice clean potatoes for exhibition, and you could harvest the spuds by tipping the bags over

[Kristen]

And I think you can start the Polypots off under cover, thus avoiding some frost risk before you have to plant out.

[Iain@JBA]

What I do is work the soil over so that it is loose and then take a shovel width of soil out with a depth of about 2inches in rows 15feet long.

I then add some fertilizer to the bottom of the shallow trench and place the bags into the shallow trench. I use the excess soil to fill any gaps around where the polypots touch each other and that helps keep the pests out.

I have also tried just placing them ontop of grass and it is a good way of clearing large areas whilst getting a crop at the same time.

On average you will get about 3lbs of spuds back from the one potato in the 17ltr pot but it can vary abit per variety.

Also if you hit a long dry spell they will need a bit of water or you will still get a bit of scab on them.

Hope that helps.

[Iain@JBA]

Here is how the world potato champion grows them and then the results are shown below.

[Jamie Butterworth]

Thanks Ian