Please help me with very specific instructions for growing potatoes in
a compost bag.
I bought for a friend two Mimi and two Charlotte from Ryton Potato day
yesterday. They are for a friend who wants to grow them in a bag of
compost and she has lots of questions. Such as.
How many should i put the bag?
How long should they be chitted for?
When should i put them in the bag?
How will i know that they are ready?
any other information would be great. Please assume that i have no
knowledge whatsoever on potato growing.
thanks,
sarah x

"sahara" wrote in message
om...
: Please help me with very specific instructions for growing potatoes in
: a compost bag.
: I bought for a friend two Mimi and two Charlotte from Ryton Potato day
: yesterday. They are for a friend who wants to grow them in a bag of
: compost and she has lots of questions. Such as.
: How many should i put the bag?
: How long should they be chitted for?
: When should i put them in the bag?
: How will i know that they are ready?
: any other information would be great. Please assume that i have no
: knowledge whatsoever on potato growing.
: thanks,
: sarah x

Never grown them in a bag but if I imagine you are using a large 1/2 cwt
type bag of compost placed horizontally you could put two or even three at a
push. They potatoes should be set out in a light cool but frost free room to
chit, I.e. grow strong shoots. When these are an inch or so long carefully
trowel them into holes you have made, and don't forget shoots need to find
the hole so it mustn't be too small. Keep them moist but not overwatered and
usually earlies are ready about 12 weeks after planting but you can always
have a gentle feel around the compost to see if they are big enough. When
the haulm, the top, starts to die they are ready. I think you may have more
success with a large tub but you can only try it and see. Be careful that
your plants are not out in any late frosts without a bit of fleece or
newspaper over them

In article , sahara
writes
Please help me with very specific instructions for growing potatoes in
a compost bag.
I bought for a friend two Mimi and two Charlotte from Ryton Potato day
yesterday. They are for a friend who wants to grow them in a bag of
compost and she has lots of questions. Such as.
How many should i put the bag?
How long should they be chitted for?
When should i put them in the bag?
How will i know that they are ready?
any other information would be great. Please assume that i have no
knowledge whatsoever on potato growing.
thanks,
sarah x

Your friend may have a gro-bag in mind, but she would have a better
chance of success with an 80 litre bag of multi-purpose compost stood on
end. Slit open the top end and empty about half the compost out to keep
for subsequent earthing up. About three or four plants would be enough.
Chit the tubers in darkness until they are about 3-4ins. 7-10cm. long,
then set them about 6ins. 15cm. deep and press them down. The spare top
of the bag should be folded down at that stage. Put it in its intended
growing position because it will be quite heavy when watered. Pant
timing will depend on the chitting - that has already begun though you
may not see anything for a while yet. When the first leaves begin to
show, ensure that the plants have sufficient warmth, light, air and
moisture, but not an excess of any of those. In new compost, feeding
should not be necessary. When there is sufficient stem length under the
bottom leaves, begin earthing up to the leaves with the remainder of the
compost and continue until the top of the bag is reached. The tiny
tubers growing under the surface will be edible as soon as they form,
but wait until the plants are in flower, or a little longer, then put a
finger down until you find one. If it is the size of an egg or bigger,
you can use it, then take others as you want them. Once the tops go
brown and die off, you can have the lot out and store your crop in a dry
dark place.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 19:00:53 +0000, Alan Gould
wrote:

~In article , sahara
writes
~Please help me with very specific instructions for growing potatoes in
~a compost bag.
~I bought for a friend two Mimi and two Charlotte from Ryton Potato day
~yesterday. They are for a friend who wants to grow them in a bag of
~compost and she has lots of questions. Such as.
~How many should i put the bag?
~How long should they be chitted for?
~When should i put them in the bag?
~How will i know that they are ready?
~any other information would be great. Please assume that i have no
~knowledge whatsoever on potato growing.
~thanks,
~sarah x
~

I too bought some Mimi at Ryton to grow in a bag or a tub, mostly cos
I figure I can keep slugs out better that way.

I have a large bag of peat-free multipurpose compost which I'm hoping
will be ideal, as it retains moisture but is more open/well drained
than the peat alternatives. I'm thinking of growing them in buckets!

~Your friend may have a gro-bag in mind, but she would have a better
~chance of success with an 80 litre bag of multi-purpose compost stood on
~end. Slit open the top end and empty about half the compost out to keep
~for subsequent earthing up. About three or four plants would be enough.
~Chit the tubers in darkness until they are about 3-4ins. 7-10cm. long,
~then set them about 6ins. 15cm. deep and press them down. The spare top
~of the bag should be folded down at that stage. Put it in its intended
~growing position because it will be quite heavy when watered. Pant
~timing will depend on the chitting - that has already begun though you
~may not see anything for a while yet. When the first leaves begin to
~show, ensure that the plants have sufficient warmth, light, air and
~moisture, but not an excess of any of those. In new compost, feeding
~should not be necessary. When there is sufficient stem length under the
~bottom leaves, begin earthing up to the leaves with the remainder of the
~compost and continue until the top of the bag is reached. The tiny
~tubers growing under the surface will be edible as soon as they form,
~but wait until the plants are in flower, or a little longer, then put a
~finger down until you find one. If it is the size of an egg or bigger,
~you can use it, then take others as you want them. Once the tops go
~brown and die off, you can have the lot out and store your crop in a dry
~dark place.

For Mimi, if they get to egg size they're way too big! Cherry tomato
size is right. Charlotte is bigger.
I'd chit in light conditions until the sprouts are an inch long, but
otherwise agree on growing conditions. I think you need to check there
are some holes in the bottom of the bag, too, as you don't want
waterlogging. Since the varieties mentioned are both first early, then
you really need to dig up the plant when it flowers, and eat the
tubers as soon as possible!
Monty Don did this a year or so ago on GW and got quite a decent crop.


Good luck!

--
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!

Sorry for replying to self, but I just found one of my potato day
notes which will help here...

At the Q&A panel, someone asked what kind of medium do they recommend
for growing potatoes in containers, with a view to growing Mimi. The
panel said 1/3 leafmould, 1/3 compost and 1/3 loam is what they use.
The initial thought is that commercial compost is too fine to hold on
to enough moisture.

Also a lot of containers such as potato barrels don't work, especially
those in which you plant several layers of tubers. If you keep adding
compost to a deep barrel as the plant grows, this causes severe
compaction of the lower layers and this stops oxygen from reaching the
roots. They said one should add perlite to open up the structure, or
use 12/14" pots and have only one layer of seed potatoes. Don't bury
too deep or the yield will be disappointing.


--
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!

"jane" wrote in message
...
Sorry for replying to self, but I just found one of my potato day
notes which will help here...

At the Q&A panel, someone asked what kind of medium do they recommend
for growing potatoes in containers, with a view to growing Mimi. The
panel said 1/3 leafmould, 1/3 compost and 1/3 loam is what they use.
The initial thought is that commercial compost is too fine to hold on
to enough moisture.

Also a lot of containers such as potato barrels don't work, especially
those in which you plant several layers of tubers. If you keep adding
compost to a deep barrel as the plant grows, this causes severe
compaction of the lower layers and this stops oxygen from reaching the
roots. They said one should add perlite to open up the structure, or
use 12/14" pots and have only one layer of seed potatoes. Don't bury
too deep or the yield will be disappointing.


--
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!

Jane, Last year I planted three chitted seed potatoes (Winston) in six
inches of soil in the bottom of an 18 inch pot. I planted them wrapped in 2
large comfrey leaves. Every time the stems showed, I earthed up (covered
them in compost with shredded comfrey to a depth of 4 iches or so. I earthed
up about 3 or 4 times in all. To cut a long tale short, we harvested about
9 - 10 lbs of lovely potatoes from each of two pots. Keeping them waterd
enough was the hard bit - never let them dry out. This is the best result
I've had from about 4 tries over the years. I'll try again this year! I live
in Aberdeen, by the way, so they don't need much warmth! :-)

Chris S

In article , jane jane@moonrose.
demonmapson.co.uk writes
I think you need to check there
are some holes in the bottom of the bag, too, as you don't want
waterlogging.
Yes, I should have mentioned making drainage holes at the bottom of the
bag, also to stand the bag in a tray to catch any excess water.

Since the varieties mentioned are both first early, then
you really need to dig up the plant when it flowers, and eat the
tubers as soon as possible!
I agree that he tubers will be ready at flowering time, but there's no
need to dig them up, take them as required and enjoy them fresh lifted.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

On Tue, 1 Feb 2005 16:40:15 -0000, "Chris Stewart"
wrote:

~
~"jane" wrote in message
...
~ Sorry for replying to self, but I just found one of my potato day
~ notes which will help here...
~
~ At the Q&A panel, someone asked what kind of medium do they recommend
~ for growing potatoes in containers, with a view to growing Mimi. The
~ panel said 1/3 leafmould, 1/3 compost and 1/3 loam is what they use.
~ The initial thought is that commercial compost is too fine to hold on
~ to enough moisture.
~
~ Also a lot of containers such as potato barrels don't work, especially
~ those in which you plant several layers of tubers. If you keep adding
~ compost to a deep barrel as the plant grows, this causes severe
~ compaction of the lower layers and this stops oxygen from reaching the
~ roots. They said one should add perlite to open up the structure, or
~ use 12/14" pots and have only one layer of seed potatoes. Don't bury
~ too deep or the yield will be disappointing.
~
~
~ --
~ 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!
~
~Jane, Last year I planted three chitted seed potatoes (Winston) in six
~inches of soil in the bottom of an 18 inch pot. I planted them wrapped in 2
~large comfrey leaves. Every time the stems showed, I earthed up (covered
~them in compost with shredded comfrey to a depth of 4 iches or so. I earthed
~up about 3 or 4 times in all. To cut a long tale short, we harvested about
~9 - 10 lbs of lovely potatoes from each of two pots. Keeping them waterd
~enough was the hard bit - never let them dry out. This is the best result
~I've had from about 4 tries over the years. I'll try again this year! I live
~in Aberdeen, by the way, so they don't need much warmth! :-)
~

Thankyou for this! 3 tubers per 18" pot...fantastic... I think I
shall acquire a couple this weekend. I've got Rocket as well as Mimi,
so this could be fun to watch as the former are apparently ready in 9
weeks. And I have comfrey plants up the allotment (they did very well
last year despite it being the first season since I planted the three
6" stalks I'd got given).

The trouble with this time of year is that I'm always waiting to do
the first plantings and get itchy fingers! Thinking of all the things
I'm going to (try to) do this year makes me just want to get on and do
it!

Put a large bag of seed compost inside to warm up a bit yesterday, so
I can start sowing this weekend :-)


--
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!

snip

Put a large bag of seed compost inside to warm up a bit yesterday, so
I can start sowing this weekend :-)


--
jane

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

Good luck :-)

Chris S

On Fri, 4 Feb 2005 14:39:07 -0000, "Chris Stewart"
wrote:

~snip
~
~Put a large bag of seed compost inside to warm up a bit yesterday, so
~ I can start sowing this weekend :-)
~
~
~ --
~ jane
~
~ Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
~ you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
~ Mark Twain
~
~Good luck :-)

thanks!

I usually do leeks about now, and annual stuff like rudbeckias. It's
also fun to pop dwarf French beans in pots inside: they've two chances
and having fresh beans in May is really nice :-) and Amsterdam forcing
carrots also grow well in pots.

It's just nice to see stuff growing again. Though this year I don't
think I'll do what I did a couple ago, and plant a butternut squash
inside in March. Darn thing took off like a rocket and never did get
put outside as it was too big by the time frosts were over!


--
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!

I usually do leeks about now, and anniversary being like rudbeckias. It's also fun to pop dwarf French beans in pots inside: they've two chances and accepting beginning beans in May is absolutely nice and Amsterdam forcing carrots aswell abound able-bodied in pots.