[hubballi]

I have some first early potatoes to plant in special bag containers with a door on the front to retrieve the potatoes. They are pretty much chitted (over an inch) in the window but I don't have any fresh compost. Can I plant them in compost from last years container plants mixed with a bit of growmore to give them a good chance or should I mix in some household waste compost ?

[DavidT]

Better still, go and buy a bag of fresh stuff,

[peapod]

Better still, go and buy a bag of fresh stuff,

Agreed
Spuds are a hungry lot

[mrs bouquet]

Better still, go and buy a bag of fresh stuff,

Agreed
Spuds are a hungry lot

Oh grows lots in tubs, and he agrees as well, and last years might pass on disease as well.
Mrs Bouquet

[hubballi]

Can't afford it I'm afraid. Lost my job and compost (decent type) is expensive (well, for me anyway)

[DavidT]

Sieve some garden soil and mix with cheap sedge peat.

[peapod]

Can't afford it I'm afraid. Lost my job and compost (decent type) is expensive (well, for me anyway)

Doesnt have to be fantastic expensive stuff, plus the outlay will pay for itself in your better crop if you think about it

[Rangerkris]

Go for digging a hole, and using the soil from that.  That's what i am going to try tomorrow at the plot for spuds in the greenhouse.

[hubballi]

I bought compost last year and grew them in bags and they were rubbish. Absolutely pathetic.

[peapod]

I bought compost last year and grew them in bags and they were rubbish. Absolutely pathetic.

What were they? (So I can avoid them!)

[digalotty]

it may have been poor soil that caused your spuds to fail last year so dont re use it, digging a hole and using that soil sounds ok to me and it may help if you give them some tomato feed as they develope 

[bigben]

Potatoes are heavy feeders and need more than just the goodness found in general purpose compost to do well. Especially if you grow them in bags where the supply of nutrients is totally enclosed and can be washed out by regular watering. Get some manure into the mix or at the bottom of the bag and feed them regularly, this should improve the yield.

[fletcherbaker]

Im growing my FE spuds "pentland javelin" in those potato growbags  ive heard about putting comfrey in but dont have any so i was going to buy some potato fertillzer i saw in the garden centre has anyone used this? Also would it make alot of difference if i use a more  expensive compost as to a cheap bag!

[mumofstig]

IMO if you are going to use potato fertilizer I think you may as well start with a cheap compost cos you are adding the precise feed that they need. just add some at the start and reapply when you earth them up in the bag.

I used the organic potato granules on my poor soil last year and was pleased with the yield
still got some to use this year as well...

[fletcherbaker]

Same here its the organic version ive saw!You ve got a good point there i may aswell get a cheap bag if im adding extra fertillizer in!