[Carrot Man]

Due to a car accident I had a couple of years ago, I find digging spuds in and out an absolute back breaking event. I hated it before much even more so now.
When I entered the showing world of vegetables, I learnt the show method of growing spuds in plastic bags. This suited me as I no longer had to dig them in, hoe them up and dig them back out.
I copied this method for my standard normal eating crop also. I simply fill the bag, put a spud in it, give it a good soak and leave it until it grows.
Once they have finished growing, I simply cut of the helms, lift the bag, stick it on my bench, slit the bag down one side and tip the suds out. Nothing could be more easier and certainly no back pain. I strongly recommend this method to anyone in a similar position or anyone who struggles with potatoes.
However. a few weeks ago I was panicking, as I thought my spuds were be late going out
I decided to try something different and I started them off in 5" pots and put them in the greenhouse. When they started to poke through last week, I transferred them to 17litre bags and took them down my allotment and stood them in the tunnel in an attempt to protect from any frosts. This week I was pleased to see that they were already up in the 17litre bags due to the warmth provided by the tunnel. I will look to put them outside next weekend

[arugula]

How much do the bags cost? Obviously you're only using them once if you're slitting them to get the potatoes out...

[wil4025]

I done it in bags last year as an experiment, but found I didnt get a good crop.

[Nikkithefoot]

I done it in bags last year as an experiment, but found I didnt get a good crop.

You will never get as good a crop when grown in bags rather than open ground, however if you physically can't dig them from the ground as Carrot Man has said, then a smaller crop is better than no crop.

[GrannieAnnie]

I have mentioned on here before, but I have grown spuds under terram (weed suppresant)  I just covered the amount of ground with the fabric, cut a cross where I wanted to plant my spud, took out a clod of soil with a bulb planter, put the soil back on top, and closed the cross back over the area.  The haulm grows through the cross and the potatoes grew along the ground, but only a couple near the cross went a little green.  the terram kept the light off the spuds but not the water and when the potatoes were ready, I just peeled back the terram and picked the potatoes off the ground.

Not much slug damage either.

I'm always looking for easier ways to do things as I have a touch of arthritis and have trouble digging and bending, and I can't get down on my hands and knees much either.  So I know the feeling! 

[Carrot Man]

How much do the bags cost? Obviously you're only using them once if you're slitting them to get the potatoes out...

They are very cheap. You are talking pennies
You can save them if you wish but I prefer to throw and get some more next time

[Carrot Man]

I done it in bags last year as an experiment, but found I didnt get a good crop.

You have to make sure you have fertiliser in with the mixture you use and irrigation is key

[Carrot Man]

I done it in bags last year as an experiment, but found I didnt get a good crop.

You will never get as good a crop when grown in bags rather than open ground, however if you physically can't dig them from the ground as Carrot Man has said, then a smaller crop is better than no crop.

I found last year that I got a good crop, as I didn't lose any to the fork or to pests
I add calcified seaweed and Vitax Q4

[DD.]

This old thread shows that our resident spud expert uses this method:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=34771.0

[Carrot Man]

This old thread shows that our resident spud expert uses this method:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=34771.0

Yes Iain is a top bloke
I get all my spuds from them
They have also reintroduce Amour and Sherine which previously went out of distribution