Have just tipped out two big containers (Saxon and Karlena) to harvest
the pots but there are no more pots that I would have got had I grown
them in traditional rows.

On examining the plants you can clearly see a big root ball at the
base which is where the potatoes were, but the stem then rises in a
big green rope to the surface but with no signs of additional side
roots as I was led to expect would happen.

It may well be that I did not water enough but I also wondered whether
there was some other more fundemental problem such as the wrong type
of potatoes to do this with.

Anybody any ideas?

Thanks
Steve

Steve Newport wrote:

Have just tipped out two big containers (Saxon and Karlena) to harvest
the pots but there are no more pots that I would have got had I grown
them in traditional rows.

On examining the plants you can clearly see a big root ball at the
base which is where the potatoes were, but the stem then rises in a
big green rope to the surface but with no signs of additional side
roots as I was led to expect would happen.

It may well be that I did not water enough but I also wondered whether
there was some other more fundemental problem such as the wrong type
of potatoes to do this with.

Anybody any ideas?

Thanks
Steve


I'm not sure what the problem is. I've been growing potatoes in
containers for years and I've only gotten a single central axis of spuds
and usually get between six and 12 fist size spuds (Yukon Gold).

Anything planted in containers has to be watered frequently. If the
weather is warm or hot, I water them everyday. You can see the soil
pulling away from the sides if it's left too long (and that's an
indication that it's way too dry). Did you use potting soil? If you used
regular soil, it wouldn't hold enough a lot of moisture.

To me, the advantage of potatoes (and tomatoes) in containers is saving
my plots for other crops and not spreading the diseases those two love
to leave behind. For potatoes, it also makes harvesting so much easier.

..

Zone 5a in Canada's Far East.

In article ,
Steve Newport wrote:

Have just tipped out two big containers (Saxon and Karlena) to harvest
the pots but there are no more pots that I would have got had I grown
them in traditional rows.

On examining the plants you can clearly see a big root ball at the
base which is where the potatoes were, but the stem then rises in a
big green rope to the surface but with no signs of additional side
roots as I was led to expect would happen.

It may well be that I did not water enough but I also wondered whether
there was some other more fundemental problem such as the wrong type
of potatoes to do this with.

Anybody any ideas?

Thanks
Steve

My dad told me that his grampa used tires to grow potatoes...
To increase yield, he stacked them over time and used a mix of sand and
composted strawor hay.

He'd start with two tires. Once the plant grew well above the top one,
he'd add another tire and a layer of the composted soil.

Then another

and another

He'd end up with a tier of spuds in each and every tire, and the
composted soil mix kept water requirements down since it acted as mulch.
He stacked them 6 deep by the end of the season.

I've never tried this, but it makes sense!
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson

OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:
In article ,
Steve Newport wrote:


Have just tipped out two big containers (Saxon and Karlena) to harvest
the pots but there are no more pots that I would have got had I grown
them in traditional rows.

On examining the plants you can clearly see a big root ball at the
base which is where the potatoes were, but the stem then rises in a
big green rope to the surface but with no signs of additional side
roots as I was led to expect would happen.

It may well be that I did not water enough but I also wondered whether
there was some other more fundemental problem such as the wrong type
of potatoes to do this with.

Anybody any ideas?

Thanks
Steve


My dad told me that his grampa used tires to grow potatoes...
To increase yield, he stacked them over time and used a mix of sand and
composted strawor hay.

He'd start with two tires. Once the plant grew well above the top one,
he'd add another tire and a layer of the composted soil.

Then another

and another

He'd end up with a tier of spuds in each and every tire, and the
composted soil mix kept water requirements down since it acted as mulch.
He stacked them 6 deep by the end of the season.

I've never tried this, but it makes sense!


The only problem is that water accumulates inside the tires and the
spuds rot. It's hard to get proper drainage in those tires (I've tried -
it wasn't worth the hassle).

However, the same idea would work by piling 2x8s in a two or four foot
square.

..

Zone 5a in Canada's Far East.

In article ,
cloud dreamer wrote:

OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:
In article ,
Steve Newport wrote:


Have just tipped out two big containers (Saxon and Karlena) to harvest
the pots but there are no more pots that I would have got had I grown
them in traditional rows.

On examining the plants you can clearly see a big root ball at the
base which is where the potatoes were, but the stem then rises in a
big green rope to the surface but with no signs of additional side
roots as I was led to expect would happen.

It may well be that I did not water enough but I also wondered whether
there was some other more fundemental problem such as the wrong type
of potatoes to do this with.

Anybody any ideas?

Thanks
Steve


My dad told me that his grampa used tires to grow potatoes...
To increase yield, he stacked them over time and used a mix of sand and
composted strawor hay.

He'd start with two tires. Once the plant grew well above the top one,
he'd add another tire and a layer of the composted soil.

Then another

and another

He'd end up with a tier of spuds in each and every tire, and the
composted soil mix kept water requirements down since it acted as mulch.
He stacked them 6 deep by the end of the season.

I've never tried this, but it makes sense!


The only problem is that water accumulates inside the tires and the
spuds rot. It's hard to get proper drainage in those tires (I've tried -
it wasn't worth the hassle).

However, the same idea would work by piling 2x8s in a two or four foot
square.


Sounds good. :-)

Or cinder blocks.......
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson

You could also use a large tomato cage instead of tires and the excess water
would run off. I used tires once and they rotted also.

Dwayne

"cloud dreamer" wrote in message
...
OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:
In article ,
Steve Newport wrote:


Have just tipped out two big containers (Saxon and Karlena) to harvest
the pots but there are no more pots that I would have got had I grown
them in traditional rows.
On examining the plants you can clearly see a big root ball at the
base which is where the potatoes were, but the stem then rises in a
big green rope to the surface but with no signs of additional side
roots as I was led to expect would happen.

It may well be that I did not water enough but I also wondered whether
there was some other more fundemental problem such as the wrong type
of potatoes to do this with.
Anybody any ideas?

Thanks
Steve


My dad told me that his grampa used tires to grow potatoes...
To increase yield, he stacked them over time and used a mix of sand and
composted strawor hay.

He'd start with two tires. Once the plant grew well above the top one,
he'd add another tire and a layer of the composted soil.

Then another

and another

He'd end up with a tier of spuds in each and every tire, and the
composted soil mix kept water requirements down since it acted as mulch.
He stacked them 6 deep by the end of the season.

I've never tried this, but it makes sense!


The only problem is that water accumulates inside the tires and the spuds
rot. It's hard to get proper drainage in those tires (I've tried - it
wasn't worth the hassle).

However, the same idea would work by piling 2x8s in a two or four foot
square.

..

Zone 5a in Canada's Far East.

Top-posting corrected)


"cloud dreamer" wrote in message
...
OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:
In article ,
Steve Newport wrote:


Have just tipped out two big containers (Saxon and Karlena) to harvest
the pots but there are no more pots that I would have got had I grown
them in traditional rows.
On examining the plants you can clearly see a big root ball at the
base which is where the potatoes were, but the stem then rises in a
big green rope to the surface but with no signs of additional side
roots as I was led to expect would happen.

It may well be that I did not water enough but I also wondered whether
there was some other more fundemental problem such as the wrong type
of potatoes to do this with.
Anybody any ideas?

Thanks
Steve


My dad told me that his grampa used tires to grow potatoes...
To increase yield, he stacked them over time and used a mix of sand and
composted strawor hay.

He'd start with two tires. Once the plant grew well above the top one,
he'd add another tire and a layer of the composted soil.

Then another

and another

He'd end up with a tier of spuds in each and every tire, and the
composted soil mix kept water requirements down since it acted as mulch.
He stacked them 6 deep by the end of the season.

I've never tried this, but it makes sense!


The only problem is that water accumulates inside the tires and the spuds
rot. It's hard to get proper drainage in those tires (I've tried - it
wasn't worth the hassle).

However, the same idea would work by piling 2x8s in a two or four foot
square.


In article , jenco@st-
tel.net says...
You could also use a large tomato cage instead of tires and the excess water
would run off. I used tires once and they rotted also.


Perhaps punch several holes in the (bottom-facing) sidewall of
the tyres?


--
Want Freebies?
http://www.TheFreeStuffList.com/
Check The Free Stuff List

In article ,
"Dwayne" wrote:

You could also use a large tomato cage instead of tires and the excess water
would run off. I used tires once and they rotted also.

Dwayne


A wire frame... maybe chicken wire or something.

Cool idea! :-)
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson

In article ,
wrote:

In article , jenco@st-
tel.net says...
You could also use a large tomato cage instead of tires and the excess
water
would run off. I used tires once and they rotted also.


Perhaps punch several holes in the (bottom-facing) sidewall of
the tyres?


lol Ever tried to cut holes in tires?
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson

wrote:

Top-posting corrected)



"cloud dreamer" wrote in message
...

OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:

In article ,
Steve Newport wrote:



Have just tipped out two big containers (Saxon and Karlena) to harvest
the pots but there are no more pots that I would have got had I grown
them in traditional rows.
On examining the plants you can clearly see a big root ball at the
base which is where the potatoes were, but the stem then rises in a
big green rope to the surface but with no signs of additional side
roots as I was led to expect would happen.

It may well be that I did not water enough but I also wondered whether
there was some other more fundemental problem such as the wrong type
of potatoes to do this with.
Anybody any ideas?

Thanks
Steve


My dad told me that his grampa used tires to grow potatoes...
To increase yield, he stacked them over time and used a mix of sand and
composted strawor hay.

He'd start with two tires. Once the plant grew well above the top one,
he'd add another tire and a layer of the composted soil.

Then another

and another

He'd end up with a tier of spuds in each and every tire, and the
composted soil mix kept water requirements down since it acted as mulch.
He stacked them 6 deep by the end of the season.

I've never tried this, but it makes sense!


The only problem is that water accumulates inside the tires and the spuds
rot. It's hard to get proper drainage in those tires (I've tried - it
wasn't worth the hassle).

However, the same idea would work by piling 2x8s in a two or four foot
square.



In article , jenco@st-
tel.net says...

You could also use a large tomato cage instead of tires and the excess water
would run off. I used tires once and they rotted also.



Perhaps punch several holes in the (bottom-facing) sidewall of
the tyres?

Tried it. With the tires piled on each other, it was near impossible to
ensure all the water was out. I used a 1/2 inch spatula type drill bit
to punch large holes in the sides and treads. No go and it wasn't easy
work.

In the end, I would have been better off getting out the circular saw,
cutting a piece of 2x8 untreated lumber into 2 foot sections and nailing
them together...then piling them up 16, 24 or 32 inches high. It would
have taken ten minutes and cost less than $20 for the wood - and the
assembly would have been reuseable.

I plan to try that technique next year.

..

Zone 5a in Canada's Far East.

In article ,
cloud dreamer wrote:

You could also use a large tomato cage instead of tires and the excess
water
would run off. I used tires once and they rotted also.



Perhaps punch several holes in the (bottom-facing) sidewall of
the tyres?

Tried it. With the tires piled on each other, it was near impossible to
ensure all the water was out. I used a 1/2 inch spatula type drill bit
to punch large holes in the sides and treads. No go and it wasn't easy
work.

In the end, I would have been better off getting out the circular saw,
cutting a piece of 2x8 untreated lumber into 2 foot sections and nailing
them together...then piling them up 16, 24 or 32 inches high. It would
have taken ten minutes and cost less than $20 for the wood - and the
assembly would have been reuseable.

I plan to try that technique next year.

I wonder how well using plastic lattice would work?
Wood lattice would rot.
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson

OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:

In article ,
cloud dreamer wrote:


You could also use a large tomato cage instead of tires and the excess
water
would run off. I used tires once and they rotted also.



Perhaps punch several holes in the (bottom-facing) sidewall of
the tyres?

Tried it. With the tires piled on each other, it was near impossible to
ensure all the water was out. I used a 1/2 inch spatula type drill bit
to punch large holes in the sides and treads. No go and it wasn't easy
work.

In the end, I would have been better off getting out the circular saw,
cutting a piece of 2x8 untreated lumber into 2 foot sections and nailing
them together...then piling them up 16, 24 or 32 inches high. It would
have taken ten minutes and cost less than $20 for the wood - and the
assembly would have been reuseable.

I plan to try that technique next year.


I wonder how well using plastic lattice would work?
Wood lattice would rot.


I'm not talking lattice. I'm talking about 2x8s - solid lumber. With
proper drainage, it would take 15-20 years for it to rot. (Longer if you
took it apart every year (to get at the potatoes) and restacked them in
a different order).

..

Zone 5a in Canada's Far East.

In article ,
cloud dreamer wrote:

Tried it. With the tires piled on each other, it was near impossible to
ensure all the water was out. I used a 1/2 inch spatula type drill bit
to punch large holes in the sides and treads. No go and it wasn't easy
work.

In the end, I would have been better off getting out the circular saw,
cutting a piece of 2x8 untreated lumber into 2 foot sections and nailing
them together...then piling them up 16, 24 or 32 inches high. It would
have taken ten minutes and cost less than $20 for the wood - and the
assembly would have been reuseable.

I plan to try that technique next year.


I wonder how well using plastic lattice would work?
Wood lattice would rot.


I'm not talking lattice.

I understood that, the lattice concept was a new suggestion and would be
simpler and quicker for those of us that are carpentry challenged. G

I'm talking about 2x8s - solid lumber. With
proper drainage, it would take 15-20 years for it to rot. (Longer if you
took it apart every year (to get at the potatoes) and restacked them in
a different order).

Plastic lattice should last indefinitely?

Around here, solid lumber will rot in about 5 years in the open like
that. The ambient humidity levels are too high.

And there are abundant agricultural termites.
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson

OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:

In article ,
cloud dreamer wrote:


Tried it. With the tires piled on each other, it was near impossible to
ensure all the water was out. I used a 1/2 inch spatula type drill bit
to punch large holes in the sides and treads. No go and it wasn't easy
work.

In the end, I would have been better off getting out the circular saw,
cutting a piece of 2x8 untreated lumber into 2 foot sections and nailing
them together...then piling them up 16, 24 or 32 inches high. It would
have taken ten minutes and cost less than $20 for the wood - and the
assembly would have been reuseable.

I plan to try that technique next year.


I wonder how well using plastic lattice would work?
Wood lattice would rot.


I'm not talking lattice.


I understood that, the lattice concept was a new suggestion and would be
simpler and quicker for those of us that are carpentry challenged. G

I'm talking about 2x8s - solid lumber. With
proper drainage, it would take 15-20 years for it to rot. (Longer if you
took it apart every year (to get at the potatoes) and restacked them in
a different order).


Plastic lattice should last indefinitely?

Around here, solid lumber will rot in about 5 years in the open like
that. The ambient humidity levels are too high.

And there are abundant agricultural termites.



Termites? Wow. picking feet off floor

No termites here. We actually have few pests - no snakes, racoons, deer,
ground hogs. The worst gardening pest I have to account for are slugs
and hares (that couldn't climb a 2 foot fence if their lives depended on
it).

We do have a wet climate (the most precipatation and fog in the country)
but it's rarely humid to the point that it's oppressive. (The ocean also
has a breeze).

..

Zone 5a in Canada's Far East.

In article ,
cloud dreamer wrote:

OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:

In article ,
cloud dreamer wrote:


Tried it. With the tires piled on each other, it was near impossible to
ensure all the water was out. I used a 1/2 inch spatula type drill bit
to punch large holes in the sides and treads. No go and it wasn't easy
work.

In the end, I would have been better off getting out the circular saw,
cutting a piece of 2x8 untreated lumber into 2 foot sections and nailing
them together...then piling them up 16, 24 or 32 inches high. It would
have taken ten minutes and cost less than $20 for the wood - and the
assembly would have been reuseable.

I plan to try that technique next year.


I wonder how well using plastic lattice would work?
Wood lattice would rot.


I'm not talking lattice.


I understood that, the lattice concept was a new suggestion and would be
simpler and quicker for those of us that are carpentry challenged. G

I'm talking about 2x8s - solid lumber. With
proper drainage, it would take 15-20 years for it to rot. (Longer if you
took it apart every year (to get at the potatoes) and restacked them in
a different order).


Plastic lattice should last indefinitely?

Around here, solid lumber will rot in about 5 years in the open like
that. The ambient humidity levels are too high.

And there are abundant agricultural termites.



Termites? Wow. picking feet off floor

Heh. ;-)

While I thank the nature gods I've never had house termites, I have
found them out back destroying any wood things that touch the ground
unless it's railroad ties or heavily treated lumber.

And that's not suitable for growing food items. G


No termites here. We actually have few pests - no snakes, racoons, deer,
ground hogs. The worst gardening pest I have to account for are slugs
and hares (that couldn't climb a 2 foot fence if their lives depended on
it).

My dogs would make short work of bunnies.

Gleefully. :-(


We do have a wet climate (the most precipatation and fog in the country)
but it's rarely humid to the point that it's oppressive. (The ocean also
has a breeze).

This is the South...... ;-)

South Central Texas.
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson