Just been entered in a village competition to grow as many potatoes as
possible (by weight) in a bucket from one seed potatoe. I've never even
grown pots before so anyone got any tips?

Need to add drainage holes?
How deep to plant it in the bucket?
What compost etc?
Secret tips?

On 12 May, 22:40, "CWatters"
wrote:
Just been entered in a village competition to grow as many potatoes as
possible (by weight) in a bucket from one seed potatoe. I've never even
grown pots before so anyone got any tips?
Need to add drainage holes?
How deep to plant it in the bucket?
What compost etc?
Secret tips?

Phew!! In a bucket?! Now?! I've been thinking about this over a bowl
of musli. A bucket won't give you much room for mulching - spuds, as
they grow, that is the leaves above the soil, like mulching with the
soil around them or with any other sort of mulch. I use cut grass,
straw etc. It keeps the moisture in and keep light away from the
spuds.

If I was you: yes, I would make some holes under the bucket for good
drainage, I would get a bag of soil improver which is manure from B&Q
(not bark or any other!!) and grow your lonely spud in there. These
bags contain broken down manure and because you don't have time to
fidle about with manure, nor would anybody sell you a bucket full
only, it's the best medium for you. It's a bit costly for a bucket
but you can use the rest of the manure on your garden (but after the
competition - you will need as much OM as you can for your bucket). I
would fill half of the bucket, place your spud on top and cover to one
depth of your spud. As the shoots emerge I would add more of the
manure around the leaves, make a little mound around the leaves as
they grow. I would perhaps break an egg box and arrange it around the
plant to keep the moisture in, or use any sort of cardboard.

As for secrets .. well they wouldn't be secrets if I tell you ) I
can't think a one secret tip for spuds - the best one is your soil -
you want to give your spud the best environment, keep it moist, lots
of room since it's weight you are after and not the number of spuds.
By adding om as high as you can you'll give the spuds more matter to
grow in. That perhaps is the secret ;o) Good luck!

"La Puce" wrote in message
oups.com...
On 12 May, 22:40, "CWatters"
wrote:
Just been entered in a village competition to grow as many potatoes as
possible (by weight) in a bucket from one seed potatoe. I've never even
grown pots before so anyone got any tips?
Need to add drainage holes?
How deep to plant it in the bucket?
What compost etc?
Secret tips?

Phew!! In a bucket?! Now?! I've been thinking about this over a bowl
of musli. A bucket won't give you much room for mulching - spuds, as
they grow, that is the leaves above the soil, like mulching with the
soil around them or with any other sort of mulch. I use cut grass,
straw etc. It keeps the moisture in and keep light away from the
spuds.

If I was you: yes, I would make some holes under the bucket for good
drainage, I would get a bag of soil improver which is manure from B&Q
(not bark or any other!!) and grow your lonely spud in there. These
bags contain broken down manure and because you don't have time to
fidle about with manure, nor would anybody sell you a bucket full
only, it's the best medium for you. It's a bit costly for a bucket
but you can use the rest of the manure on your garden (but after the
competition - you will need as much OM as you can for your bucket). I
would fill half of the bucket, place your spud on top and cover to one
depth of your spud. As the shoots emerge I would add more of the
manure around the leaves, make a little mound around the leaves as
they grow. I would perhaps break an egg box and arrange it around the
plant to keep the moisture in, or use any sort of cardboard.

As for secrets .. well they wouldn't be secrets if I tell you ) I
can't think a one secret tip for spuds - the best one is your soil -
you want to give your spud the best environment, keep it moist, lots
of room since it's weight you are after and not the number of spuds.
By adding om as high as you can you'll give the spuds more matter to
grow in. That perhaps is the secret ;o) Good luck!


How about we all do it on here and see who can grow the most by weight?

We will have to rely on the honesty of the urglers, but how about it?

Anyone game for it?

Mike

--
The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association.
'THE' Association if you served in the Electrical Branch of the Royal Navy
Reunion Bournemouth August/September 2007
www.rneba.org.uk

On 12 May, 22:40, "CWatters"
wrote:
Just been entered in a village competition to grow as many potatoes as
possible (by weight) in a bucket from one seed potatoe. I've never even
grown pots before so anyone got any tips?

Need to add drainage holes?
How deep to plant it in the bucket?
What compost etc?
Secret tips?

I forgot!!! Don't plant an ordinary spud, those you eat and buy from
shops, but get yourself a spud seed. I'm not sure if you can just buy
one. It's a bit late for spud but that would be my best tip !

On 13 May, 09:36, "'Mike'" wrote:
How about we all do it on here and see who can grow the most by weight?
We will have to rely on the honesty of the urglers, but how about it?
Anyone game for it?

Well ... I've got some spuds in a bucket (a large one though). Does
this count? I've got about 3 week head start too. I'll win. I've won
in fact ;o)))

"La Puce" wrote in message
ups.com...
On 13 May, 09:36, "'Mike'" wrote:
How about we all do it on here and see who can grow the most by weight?
We will have to rely on the honesty of the urglers, but how about it?
Anyone game for it?

Well ... I've got some spuds in a bucket (a large one though). Does
this count? I've got about 3 week head start too. I'll win. I've won
in fact ;o)))



Front bucket of a JCB?

Disqualified

:-)

Mike


--
The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association.
'THE' Association if you served in the Electrical Branch of the Royal Navy
Reunion Bournemouth August/September 2007
www.rneba.org.uk

"'Mike'" wrote in message
...
How about we all do it on here and see who can grow the most by weight?

I'm told the village record is 9lbs from one seed potato in the bucket
(supplied). I assume some kind of improvised "height extension rings" are
allowed but you must be able to take the lot to the opening event in
September.

"La Puce" wrote in message
ups.com...
On 12 May, 22:40, "CWatters"
wrote:
Just been entered in a village competition to grow as many potatoes as
possible (by weight) in a bucket from one seed potatoe. I've never even
grown pots before so anyone got any tips?

Need to add drainage holes?
How deep to plant it in the bucket?
What compost etc?
Secret tips?

I forgot!!! Don't plant an ordinary spud, those you eat and buy from
shops, but get yourself a spud seed. I'm not sure if you can just buy
one. It's a bit late for spud but that would be my best tip !

Bucket and seed pot supplied by organisors. Opening in Sepember so we have
time to catch up.

On 13 May, 10:54, "CWatters"
wrote:
Bucket and seed pot supplied by organisors. Opening in Sepember so we have
time to catch up.

You mean 'you' have time to catch up ;o)

Will you use OM then? Where's the competition?

On 13 May, 12:40, Anne Jackson wrote:
Wouldn't we all need to grow the same type of potato, to make it an
absolutely level playing field...I only have Pink Fir Apple, which
are not particularly heavy croppers. I prefer quality to quantity! ;-)

Ditto there then. I've got pink fir too. Quatity to quantity we say!!

'her'

"Anne Jackson" wrote in message
...
The message from La Puce contains these words:

On 13 May, 12:40, Anne Jackson wrote:
Wouldn't we all need to grow the same type of potato, to make it an
absolutely level playing field...I only have Pink Fir Apple, which
are not particularly heavy croppers. I prefer quality to quantity!
;-)

Ditto there then. I've got pink fir too. Quatity to quantity we say!!

So, if Mike can acquire _one_ Pink Fir Apple seed potato, we might have
a competition on our hands? ;-)

--
'She'

Freedom is always the freedom of dissenters.
~Rosa Luxemburg


Are you throwing down the Gaun ....... Gardening Glove?

;-)

Mike


--
The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association.
'THE' Association if you served in the Electrical Branch of the Royal Navy
Reunion Bournemouth August/September 2007
www.rneba.org.uk

"Anne Jackson" wrote in message
...
The message from La Puce contains these words:

'her'

Ooops! Did I forget to change my 'She' sig, somewhere?

I try to restrict it to one particular group, where one
ill-mannered poster referred to me as 'she', so I adopted it!

Sometimes I forget to change it...

--
AnneJ

Freedom is always the freedom of dissenters.
~Rosa Luxemburg



:-))

As long as you keep your signature within the charter of 4 lines, like mine,
you will be OK

:-))

Mike


--
The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association.
'THE' Association if you served in the Electrical Branch of the Royal Navy
Reunion Bournemouth August/September 2007
www.rneba.org.uk

"CWatters" wrote in message
...
Just been entered in a village competition to grow as many potatoes as
possible (by weight) in a bucket from one seed potatoe. I've never
even
grown pots before so anyone got any tips?

Need to add drainage holes?
How deep to plant it in the bucket?
What compost etc?
Secret tips?

This may help you a little:

http://tinyurl.com/2vt5xp

Regards,
Emrys Davies

On 13 May 2007 02:28:50 -0700, La Puce wrote:

Well ... I've got some spuds in a bucket (a large one though). Does
this count? I've got about 3 week head start too.

About that head start here as well except our "bucket" is two stacked
255/55R18 Land Rover tyres. Plenty of space to mulch up, as only the
bottom tyre is filled with compost/last years tomato grow bag. Be
interesting to see what we get, if anything, as we planted a few sprouting
"baking potatoes" bought from the super market...

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

On 13 May, 22:44, "Dave Liquorice" wrote:
About that head start here as well except our "bucket" is two stacked
255/55R18 Land Rover tyres. Plenty of space to mulch up, as only the
bottom tyre is filled with compost/last years tomato grow bag. Be
interesting to see what we get, if anything, as we planted a few sprouting
"baking potatoes" bought from the super market...

I have a 'thing' with using tyres. I'd happily grow flowers in them
but not food stuff. I feel it's wrong. But ... it does work and each
to its own thing ;o)

It's funny but I was thinking about baking potatoes. We eat rather a
lot of them here - kids find it easy (and satisfying) to cook when I'm
not here. I've never come across baking potatoes seeds. Has anyone?
I'll be tempted to have a go next year.