[topsy]

last year i was a newbie but still managed to produce runner beans, cucumbers (prickly and didn't like them!) tomatoes and superb peppers....

This year have seeds growing on all window sills - cherry tomatoes, cucumber (not sprouted yet but they are the smooth variety !) runner beans and red and green peppers plus normal tomatoes. Potato's are chitting (not sure if its working but have tiny green shoots on them after 3 weeks) and onions - my friend is growing sweetcorn so i will swap something and have them too...........

questions - how deep do i plant potato's ? ( i am using the flower buckets from supermarkets as hubby got me about 45 of them !!!! )

and how do i plant the onions (they are the small bulb ones and not seeds)  have looked thro topics but couldn't find these answers

really excited this year - see what we get !!!

thanks 

[sunshineband]

I grew potatoes in flower buckets last year and got a good crop too 

Put the chitted spud about four icnhes from the bottom of the bucket and then earth up every time the leaves show above the surface, unitl the compost is about two inches from the rim.

It is worth putting something like pelleted chicken manure or other veg food in at the same time as you plant, and more every month, as there us not much noursihment in such a small amount of soil in a bucket.

I only watered mine once a week unilt the leaves were well developed and then twice a week at least to stop them wilting.

Hope that helps 

[andy135]

I grew potatoes in flower buckets last year and got a good crop too  

Put the chitted spud about four icnhes from the bottom of the bucket and then earth up every time the leaves show above the surface, unitl the compost is about two inches from the rim.

It is worth putting something like pelleted chicken manure or other veg food in at the same time as you plant, and more every month, as there us not much noursihment in such a small amount of soil in a bucket.

I only watered mine once a week unilt the leaves were well developed and then twice a week at least to stop them wilting.

Hope that helps  

Can I ask what quantities you got from spuds in flower buckets, please?

[sunshineband]

Three buckets had about a kilo in each, the other one had two massive potatoes that weighed in at just under 400 g each 

[andy135]

Thanks, that's worth thinking about as I have extra seed spuds, and a free supply of flower buckets. My wife is a florist! 

[sunshineband]

 

[andy135]

Black plastic flower buckets can normally be bought from Morrisons..................10 for £1.

[topsy]

brilliant - thanks!  and onions are they easy too ??i have about 55 buckets from morrisons - our store throws them away !!!   a few holes in the bottom - i dont use gravel maybe i should - but then your away

thnaks for the replies !

[digalotty]

i put one potato in and got 12potatoe's out so flower buchets are worth a go

[Trillium]

Here's the link to the onions sets. If you look close to the top of this page to the left, you'll see Home, then Growing Help which you'd click on, then click to relevant pages you're after.

http://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetable/onion-shallot/grow-onion-set.php

[chili]

asda give the buckets away if you got one near you

[chopkins1313]

the flower buckets sound like a great resource, do you just walk up to the customer service desk in Asda/Morrisons and ask for them? Or do you have to telephone and arrange to collect out the back or something???

[digalotty]

i asked at the desk in asda and they give me 25 buckets for nowt
morrisons had 8 for £1and they were displayed around where the plants was so just ask a assistant

[chopkins1313]

Thanks Digalotty, I'll ask next time I'm there. Why do they just give them away though? surely they could re-use them? Or are they normally damaged/cracked ones they want rid of?