[Novice but totally hooked]

To all you hardened pros these are probably daft questions but here goes.

I'm just digging up my first crop of tatties and am really pleased with them.  However, some of them are pretty small.  Can I keep these to use as seed potatoes?  If the answer's 'yes'  presumably I shall need to get them sprouting before planting but do I need to do anything else with them?  

My second question is about growing in tubs.  After all the discussion about growing tatties in tubs for ease in the winter I've got two large tubs for this purpose.   One is actually a proper potato barrel that I was given as a birthday pressie a few years ago but on the one occasion I had a go at using it it was a disaster.  The instructions said to fill to about a third, plant the tatties and as they started to sprout to add soil/compost to it so that the stalks were always trying to grow taller and thus increasing the yield.  I did this religiously but to no avail.  I'd have done better eating the seed potatoes I'd planted as the yield wouldn't have kept an anorexic mouse alive.  

With this in mind I'm not sure I want to try that method again!  Any suggestions?

Thanks.

[Pompey Spud]

Hi Novice

I'm no expert but I know it's not a good idea to sow your own crop as there is a high chance you'll create disease in the soil.

Seed spuds are grown for this purpose only.

So yes...your 1st question was stupid...only kidding.  

PUP!

[paintedlady]

It's always wise to buy certified seed potatoe rather than use your own  

Some small ones are normal in an average harvest.  If they had been all small, it could have been any number of reasons such as too little water (we had a very dry spring/early summer in Nottingham), not enough sunlight, not enough nutrients (or too much of one sort which encouraged leaf growth rather than tuber formation)

As for growing in tubs, I have had no problems but the yield is admittedly sometimes smaller than from the ground, but you have to bear in mind the limited nutrients & growing space that would be available to the plant while in a pot.  How many potatoes did you plant in how much compost/soil?   I would only plant 1 seed potatoe per tub, but of course I have no idea what size you are talking.  Have to admit I have not come across a tub sold specifically for growing potatoes so I can't really help you there.

PS no question is stupid if you don't know the answer

[Trillium]

I personally save the small spuds to use as seeds the next year. We just store them in their own container (so we don't eat them) with the other spuds and come spring, they're chitting on their own, ready for planting. I wouldn't do this too many years in a row as you can perpetuate diseases.

And just as its necessary to yearly rotate spuds in the yard, barrel soil must be changed as well. I've never had luck either building the barrel as you did. I'd put about 2/3 full, insert the seeds into the soil, and build from there which would be similar to 'hilling up'. I'm assuming drainage is good int he barrel and you're using lots of manure and/or compst - spuds are heavy feeders in reality. And go easy on watering.

[Cleo]

Not a problem if you plant in a barrel :-)

[cacran]

I too was wondering about planting the tiny potatoes, next year, but have been dissuaded now. Last year I must have left quite a lot of small ones in by mistake as I had an even better crop this year of Desiree and I hadn't planted them. Sadly they came up in the wrong place amongst another crop, which ruined my crop rotation routine. I may have inadvertantly left some in this time too.  Eventually,I could just have an allotment full of potatoes!!!

[Noah'strolly]

I was wondering earlier this year, when picking my seed potatoes, do big potatoes have big offspring? I was picking smaller ones to get the most I could for the least weight but my crop of picasso have all been small whilst my neighbour has the same variety and spud the size of house bricks! :shock: