[Lee G]

I'm sure I've read about people on here doing such a thing but can't for the life of me find the thread - I did a search using the keyword potato and gots over 500 results, I got bored after trawling through the first 3 pages!!

Anyway, I have just acquired 9 large blue plastic bags from the Janitor type bloke at work, they feel much thicker than normal bin bags, and seem bigger too.

Could I fill these with well rotted manure and plant them up with spuds?  If so:

how many seed pots per bag?

Once harvested could I then dig the used maure into the allotment to improve the soil - I guess it wouldn't add much in the way of nutrient value but would it not be beneficial in any way?

Is there anything else I could grow in them too?

[sclarke624]

I will be growing four first earlies or second earlies to a compost bag as in a previous year.  I use compost and a bit of chicken manure pellet.  You keep putting more compost in as the hallums green shoots show till you reach top of bag, each time covering the green shoots.

Not as keen on using bags though as first time I did this the weight of the Hallums made the bag fall over and yield not as good for me as big 2ft tubs/pots.

You are not supposed to use the compost again after tats I think as it may have diseases but I will for my lettuce pots and radishes, maybe not the tom pots as blight might be passed on.

thats the sum of my knowledge anyway.

Lookie here, bit different to what I said but hey
http://topveg.com/2008/03/09/how-to-grow-potatoes-in-a-bag-in-ten-steps/
AND
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=183805
Or put growing new potatoes in "compost bags" into google.

P.S I get better yield from pop up garden tidy bins than the compost bags, one year Tesco were doing these for a £1 each.

[Yorkie]

I agree with ^^^

Don't forget to pierce the bags with holes near the bottom for drainage

[AdsaM]

I also want to grow tatties in bags and have just thought of an idea. Let me know what you think...

I bought a sheet of tarpaulin from B & Q (5 x 4), cost just under £6.

Just spoke with my Sis who has a sewing machine and come up with the idea of making our own Potato planters from the tarpaulin to our own size.

And i think they would be a hell of a lot cheaper than the commercial planters.  

What do you think . ?

[sclarke624]

Sounds like a good idea, you try it and let us know nothing to loose. You can use almost anything really dustbins, those big trugs, plastic boxes like toy boxes storage boxes so long as they have got or you make drainage holes, as per yorkie.

I have got three 2ft pots I plant new tats in but that was OH said they would look smarter, he was paying so who am I to argue.

I have even grown self blanching celery in the old recycle newspaper box.

[woodburner]

I also want to grow tatties in bags and have just thought of an idea. Let me know what you think...

I bought a sheet of tarpaulin from B & Q (5 x 4), cost just under £6.

Just spoke with my Sis who has a sewing machine and come up with the idea of making our own Potato planters from the tarpaulin to our own size.

And i think they would be a hell of a lot cheaper than the commercial planters.  

What do you think . ?

Last year IKEA was selling 'planting bags' at £1.95 but I got a bunch for general use in the house, in a sale for 50p each, (and have regretted not buying even more ever since, as they are so useful. )
The stuff they are made from is a bit better than the really cheap tarpaulins, but very similar. They have a round base, webbing handles, and a thickish strip of plastic threaded around the top to keep the opening nice and stiff. I Can't remember offhand what sort of seams they have but if I were to make some with cheap tarpaulin, I wouldn't trim them close at all, and I'd probably make them run and fell, for extra strength and neartness.
 IKEA Planting Bags

[AdsaM]

They look nice Woodburner....

Ideal for potatoes and carrots etc.  

Damn out of stock  

[woodburner]

They look nice Woodburner....

Ideal for potatoes and carrots etc.  

Damn out of stock  

Aww.
tbh I was surprised they were still listed, I got the impression from the price that I got mine for, (50p) that they were being cleared out prior to being discontinued completely.

Oh I forgot to say on previous post, ripstop nylon is good for this kind of thing too. More expensive I expect, but much more robust.

[Kagganz]

I've got some potato grow bags from Marshalls.............

but I wondered if  Tesco's  'The Blue Green Bag' bags  would be any good (they seem to be made out of similar material as the 'real' potato bags I have.

 They are sturdy with handles but only 16" deep x 18" wide and 8"width.  

Bright blue colour!!!!!!!......but they do have a froggie on.  

I thought they may be too small for potatoes but may be handy for other stuff, 40p a pop.  

What do you think???  :scratch:

[p00rstudent]

i am tempted just to use an hippo style skip bag, though most of them will go into the ground as per normal.

[woodburner]

I've got some potato grow bags from Marshalls.............

but I wondered if  Tesco's  'The Blue Green Bag' bags  would be any good (they seem to be made out of similar material as the 'real' potato bags I have.

 They are sturdy with handles but only 16" deep x 18" wide and 8"width.  

Bright blue colour!!!!!!!......but they do have a froggie on.  

I thought they may be too small for potatoes but may be handy for other stuff, 40p a pop.  

What do you think???  :scratch:

I think I've seen those. The main, and probably only, problem is that they are rectangular based. When you put compost or soil into them they will 'bag' out on the longer sides especially, which will pull the top edge down. I don't think the plants will care though as long as they have about 1ft depth, probably need more for potatoes though, and definitely need more for parsnips.

[Kagganz]

Ah yes, I can see what you mean they are a rectangular shape,

.................back to the drawing board then      

[Cazzy]

Going down the bag route, how early could you plant potatoes in the greenhouse?

[des]

You are not supposed to use the compost again after tats I think as it may have diseases but I will for my lettuce pots and radishes, maybe not the tom pots as blight might be passed on.

Do you mean that you are not supposed to use the compost again for spuds, or not at all?

I have some 25litre plastic chemical drums, top removed and bottoms drilled, I plan on using these with 2 seed spuds in each, being a skinflint I was intending to use the same compost for succesive growings over the season then top up the raised beds with it when done at the end of the year.

[Etherelda]

Going down the bag route, how early could you plant potatoes in the greenhouse?

My grandad is eating pots now that he has grown in the greenhouse. I think he's spent more on electric heating than tatties cost in the shops, but he refuses to buy veg!