[iwantanallotment]

Thank you, Howard.
Wow, incredibly cheap, too!
Got my thinking head on now for next year - thanks very much, Howard 
ps - can they be re-used?

[Howard]

I've also been using their 3" and 5" bags for potting on stuff this season - you get 100 for a quid and a bit - where can you go wrong?

Actually, I'll answer that myself... you do need to make sure that you fill them properly (jam funnel helps) and don't let them dry out as they seem to be more prone to compost shrink than normal pots do, but other than that, how can you beat a penny a bag? 

[iwantanallotment]

Bargain Howard, many thanks for that. I've just bought loads 

Not just the price, but look how easily they will store compared to plastic pots? They'll take up no room, folded up in a carrier!
Also they will fit better on trays, being 'pliable'. It always annoys me how one pot outright refuses to fit on the oblong tray with the rest 

[Howard]

...ps - can they be re-used?

Cut the haulms off, lift the bags and tip them upside down... if you are careful then yes, you won't damage them. You would, of course, need to consider some sort of cleaning regime for the following season.

[Kristen]

I used those plastic-bag pots for my sweet peas last Autumn - because they were the only thing I could find that was deep enough. (NewsPaper pots this Autumn maybe).

The problem I had was that the plastic flopped over at the top and made watering much harder. I expect not a problem for this application, but might be for anything more long term on the greenhouse bench. (Also had a plenty of problems with dying out and shrinkage as mentioned above)

They used to be used exclusively for container grown shrubs - you just sliced them off with a knife, but I don't think I ever see them any more - everything in much more expensive longer-life pots - I wonder why the commercial growers changed?

[Iain@JBA]

You mention that you have put together your own fertiliser combination, would this be something you would be prepared to share? 

Howard
[/quote]

Hi Howard

My mix is 14oz vitax Q4 and 12oz calcified seaweed but I have access to straight potash and I add 2oz of that aswell to 100litres of compost.

Medwyn is a great guy and I have given him a few special potatoes to grow for the shows.
There will be some extra special potatoes for exhibition growing next season
I use the 17ltr pots from LBS but didn't want to plug them as I sell some of their stuff. They are really tough bags and will last for years.

Iain

[Yabba]

I used a mixture of q4 and groworganic when I made my potato beds,  would you advise that I add a top dressing of sulphate of potash? ( was going to feed them vitax 103 and maxicrop )

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[Iain@JBA]

Yabba that sounds like a good mix you have gave them already.
On a commercial scale all of our potash is top dressed on to the soil and worked in with our machines. The rest of the fertilizer is always underneath the potato to encourage deep roots that can survive long dry spells as we do not irrigate.
Try a couple of beds with the potash and see if it works but I think your mix is already very good.

[Yabba]

I feel an experiment coming on

Thanks for the advice

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[Iain@JBA]

Sounds like something to add to your blog which is very good by the way.

[Yabba]

I'll be sure to write it up on my tacky lil pad (blog) Thanks for the compliment

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[Howard]

Hi Howard

My mix is 14oz vitax Q4 and 12oz calcified seaweed but I have access to straight potash and I add 2oz of that aswell to 100litres of compost.

Medwyn is a great guy and I have given him a few special potatoes to grow for the shows.
There will be some extra special potatoes for exhibition growing next season
I use the 17ltr pots from LBS but didn't want to plug them as I sell some of their stuff. They are really tough bags and will last for years.

Iain

Many thanks Iain. 

I have used 400gm and 300gm respectively  in my bags (per 100ltr), which isn't far off your figures. I only have room for one row of show potatoes (Winston), but as I have the bags and a good amount of compost I thought I'd try the method on my second earlies as well, which I bagged up yesterday.

Just have to get them up to my plot now!






Having read almost everything Medwyn Williams has written (and watched his DVD), I decided to order my seeds from his website this year. You can imagine my surprise when the phone range shortly afterwards and the great man was on the other end, querying my order. I was quite taken back! 

Are your 'specials' going to be for your own consumption only, or are you going to make them commercially available?

[Iain@JBA]

I was going to ring Medwyn tonight but I will wait until tomorrow as I am going to collect some minitubers that might interest him. I had great fun making up my mixes in the greenhouse when it was too cold to do anything else. I keep intending on doing a full video on what I do but I just don't get time.
Blue belle look to be a good show potato so I will try them for the first time.
Kestrel are hard to beat and I have a lot of Winston planted and more to go in when I get more compost sorted out.
I will make all of my special potatotes available over time as I will need to build up stock of it first. Very interesting times ahead for all exhibition growers.