Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Elaine G on March 18, 2008, 19:13
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Hi
As well as having too many seeds(!) I now have too many seed potatoes.
Well, I orderered the free ones from DT Brown and then forgot about them!
Some of them are really quite small. Could I plant them one at a time in my supermarket flower buckets or would they be too shallow? They are 10 inch tall and 10 inches across.
I could then put the bigger ones in the lottie when it gets a bit warmer.
Thanks
Elaine
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I really no expert on spuds, but from what I know they grow pretty quick and I think those pots are too small to be of much use in this situation.
You could buy a few grow bags and turn them on their side to grow them in. You also ready about people growing them in plastic tubs, old rubbish bins etc.
I'd chit as many as you think you'll use for your lottie and then give the rest away or swap them.
If you focus on making sure the small number you use do grow well, then you'll have no shortage of spuds.
Hopefully someone that actually knows what they are talking about will be along in a minute to clarify!!! :D
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Old wheely bins, barrels, large feed tubs, etc are excellent for growing spuds if you've access to any as well as space to leave them about. Otherwise, give them away.
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would you need to make drainage holes in such containers or would they be ok without? i have a large mortar tubb approx 100cm long 80cm wide and about 80 deep but with no holes,would this be suitable for maybe 4/6 potato plants or anything else? thnx ..... spoon
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Why not get an old compost bag thats black inside and use that, cover the spuds with 6 inch of compost, roll the bag down and as the tats grow roll it up and fill with compost. You should be able to three or four tats per bag.
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Thanks for your replies.
It looks like I should look for something a bit larger and keep the black pots for the chillis.
Elaine
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yes, all containers would need adequate drainage holes as you never want swamp conditions in the containers. If it turns into another rainy year, you'll lose everything dead certain.
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Hi
Potatoes in buckets can do really well, but those pots are quite small.
Have you thought about cutting the bottom off one bucket and standing it on top of another? The extra height may compensate for the lack of width.
You could then top up the compost as they grow. You are more likely to be successful with faster growing earlies rather than maincrops for this method, Swift or Rocket would be ideal. You wouldn't need many potatoes probably just the one or a maximum of three. Gardening is all about experimenting so I would definetly give it a try, what have you got to lose?