"stuart noble" wrote in message
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On 08/01/2012 11:38, 'Mike' wrote:
"stuart noble" wrote in message
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On 08/01/2012 11:04, wrote:
Bill wrote:
I'm sure I've read somewhere about people planting potatoes in large
tubs.
Ican do this, but is it right that potatoes are planted at different
layers
within the tub. If so is it because of different types of potatoes
or for a
staggered crop.
I think it's more to utilise the space better! So each time you add
earth
to cover up the plants as they come through, you just add a few more.
Of
course, then you need to harvest them from the bottom up, which may
not be
convenient. Or else wait till they're all ready before emptying the
whole
thing.
I did this a couple of years ago (March?) using the standard B&Q black
builders' buckets, general purpose compost, and supermarket King
Edwards. Started by just covering the spud, then buried all but the
tips of the leaves as they grew. Ended up with a 4 foot spread of
foliage. When it started to die off I dug the whole lot up. Best spuds
I've ever tasted, and plenty of them.
Seems a great idea. Couple of questions. Did you drill holes in the
bottom? How did you judge watering?
Mike
Yes, a series of 10mm holes. My watering strategy was total soaking on the
assumption that the excess would drain. I don't use crocks but I do
crumble the compost by hand before use (and sometimes even pre-soak it).
After harvest it had been reduced to a fine powder, but hadn't compacted.
Thanks for that. Something to try later. The garden is going to be neglected
for 4 months from tomorrow, but look out after that!
Mike
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I'm an Angel, honest ! The horns are there just to keep the halo straight.
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