Reading all the potato posts here makes me want to try growing them
too. What do you think are the best varieties to grow for a beginner?
The perfect answer, which I suspect will not exist, would be a variety
that is resistant to pests and disease, under/over-watering, and at
the end of it has excellent flavour and can be used for boiling,
mashing, chipping, and roasting!

Regarding growing in tyres and buckets, what height does the plant
eventually grow to? I am wondering how deep the tyres/buckets have to
be.

I presume that you plant one per tyre/bucket? I have seen potatoes
sold in 1kg bags in the garden centre. If I plant one per bucket, I'm
going to need a lot of buckets! Or is it like buying a pack of 500
seeds: you don't use all of them at once?

Thanks.

On Wed, 3 Mar 2004 09:02:27 -0000, "Sue da Nimm"
. wrote:


wrote in message
.. .
Regarding growing in tyres and buckets, what height does the plant
eventually grow to? I am wondering how deep the tyres/buckets have to
be.
We use builders buckets from Wickes, at 89p each

Made out of recycled Spanish tyres!

and rotate these to provide
new potatoes all year.
A few holes in the bottom of the buckets will prevent hubby from pinching
them to wash the car...
If you can get hold of some seaweed add a bit to each bucket - I have no
idea why, but it transforms the flavour of the spuds.
Yields are lower than garden-grown (which is where the rest of the bag go)
but the flavour and texture are devine.

I presume that you plant one per tyre/bucket? I have seen potatoes
sold in 1kg bags in the garden centre. If I plant one per bucket, I'm
going to need a lot of buckets! Or is it like buying a pack of 500
seeds: you don't use all of them at once?

We often "chit" spuds bought for consumption from the greengrocer and plant
those rather than seed potatoes.
One of the best results came from a bag of Tesco Value spuds!

Which type of potato do supermarkets sell as baking potatoes?
--

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit;
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad

On Wed, 03 Mar 2004 10:51:54 +0100, martin wrote:

~On Wed, 3 Mar 2004 09:02:27 -0000, "Sue da Nimm"
. wrote:
~
~
wrote in message
. ..
~ Regarding growing in tyres and buckets, what height does the plant
~ eventually grow to? I am wondering how deep the tyres/buckets have to
~ be.
~We use builders buckets from Wickes, at 89p each
~
~Made out of recycled Spanish tyres!
~
~and rotate these to provide
~new potatoes all year.
~A few holes in the bottom of the buckets will prevent hubby from pinching
~them to wash the car...
~If you can get hold of some seaweed add a bit to each bucket - I have no
~idea why, but it transforms the flavour of the spuds.
~Yields are lower than garden-grown (which is where the rest of the bag go)
~but the flavour and texture are devine.
~
~ I presume that you plant one per tyre/bucket? I have seen potatoes
~ sold in 1kg bags in the garden centre. If I plant one per bucket, I'm
~ going to need a lot of buckets! Or is it like buying a pack of 500
~ seeds: you don't use all of them at once?
~
~We often "chit" spuds bought for consumption from the greengrocer and plant
~those rather than seed potatoes.
~One of the best results came from a bag of Tesco Value spuds!
~
~Which type of potato do supermarkets sell as baking potatoes?

Usually Estima or Marfona. I'm growing Estima this year because of
this. (2nd earlies). I have some 'proper' seed potatoes plus one of
the supermarket ones that sneaked behind the microwave when I wasn't
looking and started to chit on its own so I shall see if it makes a
difference.

For bucket-grown spuds, it's best to use first earlies. I'm growing
Accent.

I must add at this point this is only my second year of spud growing!


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

On Wed, 03 Mar 2004 10:51:54 +0100, martin wrote:

~On Wed, 3 Mar 2004 09:02:27 -0000, "Sue da Nimm"
. wrote:
~
~
wrote in message
. ..
~ Regarding growing in tyres and buckets, what height does the plant
~ eventually grow to? I am wondering how deep the tyres/buckets have to
~ be.
~We use builders buckets from Wickes, at 89p each
~
~Made out of recycled Spanish tyres!
~
~and rotate these to provide
~new potatoes all year.
~A few holes in the bottom of the buckets will prevent hubby from pinching
~them to wash the car...
~If you can get hold of some seaweed add a bit to each bucket - I have no
~idea why, but it transforms the flavour of the spuds.
~Yields are lower than garden-grown (which is where the rest of the bag go)
~but the flavour and texture are devine.
~
~ I presume that you plant one per tyre/bucket? I have seen potatoes
~ sold in 1kg bags in the garden centre. If I plant one per bucket, I'm
~ going to need a lot of buckets! Or is it like buying a pack of 500
~ seeds: you don't use all of them at once?
~
~We often "chit" spuds bought for consumption from the greengrocer and plant
~those rather than seed potatoes.
~One of the best results came from a bag of Tesco Value spuds!
~
~Which type of potato do supermarkets sell as baking potatoes?

Usually Estima or Marfona. I'm growing Estima this year because of
this. (2nd earlies). I have some 'proper' seed potatoes plus one of
the supermarket ones that sneaked behind the microwave when I wasn't
looking and started to chit on its own so I shall see if it makes a
difference.

For bucket-grown spuds, it's best to use first earlies. I'm growing
Accent.

I must add at this point this is only my second year of spud growing!


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

On Wed, 03 Mar 2004 10:51:54 +0100, martin wrote:

~On Wed, 3 Mar 2004 09:02:27 -0000, "Sue da Nimm"
. wrote:
~
~
wrote in message
. ..
~ Regarding growing in tyres and buckets, what height does the plant
~ eventually grow to? I am wondering how deep the tyres/buckets have to
~ be.
~We use builders buckets from Wickes, at 89p each
~
~Made out of recycled Spanish tyres!
~
~and rotate these to provide
~new potatoes all year.
~A few holes in the bottom of the buckets will prevent hubby from pinching
~them to wash the car...
~If you can get hold of some seaweed add a bit to each bucket - I have no
~idea why, but it transforms the flavour of the spuds.
~Yields are lower than garden-grown (which is where the rest of the bag go)
~but the flavour and texture are devine.
~
~ I presume that you plant one per tyre/bucket? I have seen potatoes
~ sold in 1kg bags in the garden centre. If I plant one per bucket, I'm
~ going to need a lot of buckets! Or is it like buying a pack of 500
~ seeds: you don't use all of them at once?
~
~We often "chit" spuds bought for consumption from the greengrocer and plant
~those rather than seed potatoes.
~One of the best results came from a bag of Tesco Value spuds!
~
~Which type of potato do supermarkets sell as baking potatoes?

Usually Estima or Marfona. I'm growing Estima this year because of
this. (2nd earlies). I have some 'proper' seed potatoes plus one of
the supermarket ones that sneaked behind the microwave when I wasn't
looking and started to chit on its own so I shall see if it makes a
difference.

For bucket-grown spuds, it's best to use first earlies. I'm growing
Accent.

I must add at this point this is only my second year of spud growing!


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

On Wed, 03 Mar 2004 08:43:06 GMT,
am wrote:

Reading all the potato posts here makes me want to try growing them
too. What do you think are the best varieties to grow for a beginner?
The perfect answer, which I suspect will not exist, would be a variety
that is resistant to pests and disease, under/over-watering, and at
the end of it has excellent flavour and can be used for boiling,
mashing, chipping, and roasting!

It's really down to trial and error. What seems to be the ideal spud (
at least in the seed catalogue ) may well not work for you - local
climate, soil condition, environment etc. all have an effect of the
wellbeing of the crop.

For the beginner I would recommend what's known as a 'first early' -
AKA New Potatoes. These will crop before there's a risk of potato
blight.

From my own experience I have found Charlotte to be an excellent new
potato, and Foremost to be a decent 'workhorse' - both with a good
flavour.

For roasting and chipping you'll need a later variety ( a 'main crop'
type, or at a pinch a 'second early' ).

Regarding growing in tyres and buckets, what height does the plant
eventually grow to? I am wondering how deep the tyres/buckets have to
be.

The plants can grow quite high, due to the process of 'earthing up'.
The principle involved is a that as the plant grows you enclose the
stem with earth ( leave just a few leaves at the top ). This
encourages the plant to throw out productive shoots, which increases
the yield per plant. Realistically I'd say about three foot is a good
bet

I presume that you plant one per tyre/bucket? I have seen potatoes
sold in 1kg bags in the garden centre. If I plant one per bucket, I'm
going to need a lot of buckets! Or is it like buying a pack of 500
seeds: you don't use all of them at once?

Potatoes are heavy feeders, so they need a fair bit of space - and I
would think that a couple of spuds per bin would be all you could get
away with.
It certainly wouldn't hurt to experiment - you'll still a get a crop,
though the overcrowded pot would yield smaller spuds ( no bad thing
for a salad potato ).

The seed potatoes won't keep - you either use them or lose them.

Whatever method you go for, have a think about some frost protection -
such as fleece - because even a light frost will knock the plants back
( it will rarely kill them though, but it's so disheartening to see
your foot-high plants fall into a mush ).

Regards,



Thanks.


--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

On Wed, 3 Mar 2004 09:58:05 +0000 (UTC),
(jane) wrote:

On Wed, 03 Mar 2004 10:51:54 +0100, martin wrote:

~On Wed, 3 Mar 2004 09:02:27 -0000, "Sue da Nimm"
. wrote:
~
~
wrote in message
...
~ Regarding growing in tyres and buckets, what height does the plant
~ eventually grow to? I am wondering how deep the tyres/buckets have to
~ be.
~We use builders buckets from Wickes, at 89p each
~
~Made out of recycled Spanish tyres!
~
~and rotate these to provide
~new potatoes all year.
~A few holes in the bottom of the buckets will prevent hubby from pinching
~them to wash the car...
~If you can get hold of some seaweed add a bit to each bucket - I have no
~idea why, but it transforms the flavour of the spuds.
~Yields are lower than garden-grown (which is where the rest of the bag go)
~but the flavour and texture are devine.
~
~ I presume that you plant one per tyre/bucket? I have seen potatoes
~ sold in 1kg bags in the garden centre. If I plant one per bucket, I'm
~ going to need a lot of buckets! Or is it like buying a pack of 500
~ seeds: you don't use all of them at once?
~
~We often "chit" spuds bought for consumption from the greengrocer and plant
~those rather than seed potatoes.
~One of the best results came from a bag of Tesco Value spuds!
~
~Which type of potato do supermarkets sell as baking potatoes?

Usually Estima or Marfona. I'm growing Estima this year because of
this. (2nd earlies). I have some 'proper' seed potatoes plus one of
the supermarket ones that sneaked behind the microwave when I wasn't
looking and started to chit on its own so I shall see if it makes a
difference.

We are looking for large floury baking potatoes ( even "flowery"
http://www.hedging.co.uk/potatoes.html) potatoes.

We have grown Maris Piper but they never reach the size of supermarket
potatoes


For bucket-grown spuds, it's best to use first earlies. I'm growing
Accent.

I must add at this point this is only my second year of spud growing!

We've been grown potatoes for years. We originally got an allotment
because we were fed up with bintjes and Dutch grown vegetables in
general. In the meantime things have improved.
--

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit;
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad

"martin" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 3 Mar 2004 09:58:05 +0000 (UTC),

[snip]

We've been grown potatoes for years.

What, no happy childhood as juvenile potatoes?

[snip]

Franz

On Wed, 03 Mar 2004 08:43:06 GMT,
am wrote:

Reading all the potato posts here makes me want to try growing them
too. What do you think are the best varieties to grow for a beginner?
The perfect answer, which I suspect will not exist, would be a variety
that is resistant to pests and disease, under/over-watering, and at
the end of it has excellent flavour and can be used for boiling,
mashing, chipping, and roasting!

It's really down to trial and error. What seems to be the ideal spud (
at least in the seed catalogue ) may well not work for you - local
climate, soil condition, environment etc. all have an effect of the
wellbeing of the crop.

For the beginner I would recommend what's known as a 'first early' -
AKA New Potatoes. These will crop before there's a risk of potato
blight.

From my own experience I have found Charlotte to be an excellent new
potato, and Foremost to be a decent 'workhorse' - both with a good
flavour.

For roasting and chipping you'll need a later variety ( a 'main crop'
type, or at a pinch a 'second early' ).

Regarding growing in tyres and buckets, what height does the plant
eventually grow to? I am wondering how deep the tyres/buckets have to
be.

The plants can grow quite high, due to the process of 'earthing up'.
The principle involved is a that as the plant grows you enclose the
stem with earth ( leave just a few leaves at the top ). This
encourages the plant to throw out productive shoots, which increases
the yield per plant. Realistically I'd say about three foot is a good
bet

I presume that you plant one per tyre/bucket? I have seen potatoes
sold in 1kg bags in the garden centre. If I plant one per bucket, I'm
going to need a lot of buckets! Or is it like buying a pack of 500
seeds: you don't use all of them at once?

Potatoes are heavy feeders, so they need a fair bit of space - and I
would think that a couple of spuds per bin would be all you could get
away with.
It certainly wouldn't hurt to experiment - you'll still a get a crop,
though the overcrowded pot would yield smaller spuds ( no bad thing
for a salad potato ).

The seed potatoes won't keep - you either use them or lose them.

Whatever method you go for, have a think about some frost protection -
such as fleece - because even a light frost will knock the plants back
( it will rarely kill them though, but it's so disheartening to see
your foot-high plants fall into a mush ).

Regards,



Thanks.


--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

"martin" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 3 Mar 2004 09:58:05 +0000 (UTC),

[snip]

We've been grown potatoes for years.

What, no happy childhood as juvenile potatoes?

[snip]

Franz

On Wed, 03 Mar 2004 08:43:06 GMT,
am wrote:

Reading all the potato posts here makes me want to try growing them
too. What do you think are the best varieties to grow for a beginner?
The perfect answer, which I suspect will not exist, would be a variety
that is resistant to pests and disease, under/over-watering, and at
the end of it has excellent flavour and can be used for boiling,
mashing, chipping, and roasting!

It's really down to trial and error. What seems to be the ideal spud (
at least in the seed catalogue ) may well not work for you - local
climate, soil condition, environment etc. all have an effect of the
wellbeing of the crop.

For the beginner I would recommend what's known as a 'first early' -
AKA New Potatoes. These will crop before there's a risk of potato
blight.

From my own experience I have found Charlotte to be an excellent new
potato, and Foremost to be a decent 'workhorse' - both with a good
flavour.

For roasting and chipping you'll need a later variety ( a 'main crop'
type, or at a pinch a 'second early' ).

Regarding growing in tyres and buckets, what height does the plant
eventually grow to? I am wondering how deep the tyres/buckets have to
be.

The plants can grow quite high, due to the process of 'earthing up'.
The principle involved is a that as the plant grows you enclose the
stem with earth ( leave just a few leaves at the top ). This
encourages the plant to throw out productive shoots, which increases
the yield per plant. Realistically I'd say about three foot is a good
bet

I presume that you plant one per tyre/bucket? I have seen potatoes
sold in 1kg bags in the garden centre. If I plant one per bucket, I'm
going to need a lot of buckets! Or is it like buying a pack of 500
seeds: you don't use all of them at once?

Potatoes are heavy feeders, so they need a fair bit of space - and I
would think that a couple of spuds per bin would be all you could get
away with.
It certainly wouldn't hurt to experiment - you'll still a get a crop,
though the overcrowded pot would yield smaller spuds ( no bad thing
for a salad potato ).

The seed potatoes won't keep - you either use them or lose them.

Whatever method you go for, have a think about some frost protection -
such as fleece - because even a light frost will knock the plants back
( it will rarely kill them though, but it's so disheartening to see
your foot-high plants fall into a mush ).

Regards,



Thanks.


--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

The message
from am contains these words:

Reading all the potato posts here makes me want to try growing them
too. What do you think are the best varieties to grow for a beginner?
The perfect answer, which I suspect will not exist, would be a variety
that is resistant to pests and disease, under/over-watering, and at
the end of it has excellent flavour and can be used for boiling,
mashing, chipping, and roasting!

Maybe the nearest would be Golden Wonder?

Regarding growing in tyres and buckets, what height does the plant
eventually grow to? I am wondering how deep the tyres/buckets have to
be.

About knee height.

I presume that you plant one per tyre/bucket? I have seen potatoes
sold in 1kg bags in the garden centre. If I plant one per bucket, I'm
going to need a lot of buckets! Or is it like buying a pack of 500
seeds: you don't use all of them at once?

I grew 12 in a 24" planter. Some peat in the bottom, then four chitting
spuds, and covered them. When there was enough growth on those four,
four more spuds, and carefully covered them so the tops of the first
four were clear of the surface, and so-on.

You can use a forty gallon drum and get about thirty seed potatoes in
it. Don't forget drainage in the bottom. Only put the peat in loosely or
you'll have an eruption out of the top and some of your spuds won't do
very well.

A better way (especially with plastic drums) is to get a hole saw and
cut four or five holes in the side at the level you plant the first
spuds.

Arrange the spuds evenly in a square or circle, and when the haulm is
long enough, poke it out through the holes and cover the spuds with
peat. Make the next layer of holes, etc.

For the obsessively technically-minded, arrange something which
constantly turns the barrel so all the plants get a similar amount of
light........

HTH

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

On Wed, 3 Mar 2004 11:23:12 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"martin" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 3 Mar 2004 09:58:05 +0000 (UTC),

[snip]

We've been grown potatoes for years.

What, no happy childhood as juvenile potatoes?

[snip]

Spoil sport it was for Rusty :-)

Just a chip off the block...
--

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit;
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad

The message
from am contains these words:

Reading all the potato posts here makes me want to try growing them
too. What do you think are the best varieties to grow for a beginner?
The perfect answer, which I suspect will not exist, would be a variety
that is resistant to pests and disease, under/over-watering, and at
the end of it has excellent flavour and can be used for boiling,
mashing, chipping, and roasting!

Maybe the nearest would be Golden Wonder?

Regarding growing in tyres and buckets, what height does the plant
eventually grow to? I am wondering how deep the tyres/buckets have to
be.

About knee height.

I presume that you plant one per tyre/bucket? I have seen potatoes
sold in 1kg bags in the garden centre. If I plant one per bucket, I'm
going to need a lot of buckets! Or is it like buying a pack of 500
seeds: you don't use all of them at once?

I grew 12 in a 24" planter. Some peat in the bottom, then four chitting
spuds, and covered them. When there was enough growth on those four,
four more spuds, and carefully covered them so the tops of the first
four were clear of the surface, and so-on.

You can use a forty gallon drum and get about thirty seed potatoes in
it. Don't forget drainage in the bottom. Only put the peat in loosely or
you'll have an eruption out of the top and some of your spuds won't do
very well.

A better way (especially with plastic drums) is to get a hole saw and
cut four or five holes in the side at the level you plant the first
spuds.

Arrange the spuds evenly in a square or circle, and when the haulm is
long enough, poke it out through the holes and cover the spuds with
peat. Make the next layer of holes, etc.

For the obsessively technically-minded, arrange something which
constantly turns the barrel so all the plants get a similar amount of
light........

HTH

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from am contains these words:

Reading all the potato posts here makes me want to try growing them
too. What do you think are the best varieties to grow for a beginner?
The perfect answer, which I suspect will not exist, would be a variety
that is resistant to pests and disease, under/over-watering, and at
the end of it has excellent flavour and can be used for boiling,
mashing, chipping, and roasting!

Maybe the nearest would be Golden Wonder?

Regarding growing in tyres and buckets, what height does the plant
eventually grow to? I am wondering how deep the tyres/buckets have to
be.

About knee height.

I presume that you plant one per tyre/bucket? I have seen potatoes
sold in 1kg bags in the garden centre. If I plant one per bucket, I'm
going to need a lot of buckets! Or is it like buying a pack of 500
seeds: you don't use all of them at once?

I grew 12 in a 24" planter. Some peat in the bottom, then four chitting
spuds, and covered them. When there was enough growth on those four,
four more spuds, and carefully covered them so the tops of the first
four were clear of the surface, and so-on.

You can use a forty gallon drum and get about thirty seed potatoes in
it. Don't forget drainage in the bottom. Only put the peat in loosely or
you'll have an eruption out of the top and some of your spuds won't do
very well.

A better way (especially with plastic drums) is to get a hole saw and
cut four or five holes in the side at the level you plant the first
spuds.

Arrange the spuds evenly in a square or circle, and when the haulm is
long enough, poke it out through the holes and cover the spuds with
peat. Make the next layer of holes, etc.

For the obsessively technically-minded, arrange something which
constantly turns the barrel so all the plants get a similar amount of
light........

HTH

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/