Potatoes in bags.

Has anyone grow potatoes in bags? Just found article on internet and was thinking that i might give it ago. What is the best variety and what is the yield like?

Rusty

 

one of my clients grows potatoes in the large green recycle bins and he says it works well (he knicked all the nieghbours recyle bins)

strange guy ... he has a tesco trolley that he uses for BBQ's

in south africa, I saw guys grow potatoes in car tyres .... as the plant breaks through the soil, they stack another tyre and fill with soil ... eventually, you have several tyres stacked ontop of each other ...

 

Despite the fact my sis in law gives them to us for free off the farm ,I did buy a large bag but ran out of my own compost and spare soil to fill it, and so had to buy some in. The end result was however a rather poor crop so last year I sacrificed a small border and grew some smashing earlies and got a better yield too.

 

Hiya Rusty.

I only ever tried it once, and yes, it was nice to have some extra early spuds, but the yield was pretty small. As far as I'm concerned, it's only worth doing if you're low on available space, or just for the fun of it.

Cheers...Freddy.

 

I decided to grow 7 varieties last year all in bags, I had a fairly good go of it as well. as i only have a small plot (bottom of the garden) bags is my only option did toy with the idea of using a black plastic dustbin.

 

It doesn't work for all the varieties insofar as the spuds growing all the way up.

Tried simliar with Arran Pilots last year and they only grew in a clump at the bottom, despite being earthed up 2 feet.

It has worked with Pink Fir Apples.





Have any other Members had sucess with that method? Would like to know what other varieties work.

 

Blimey Ziggs, that aint bad!

 

Not bad for one plant Freddy, mind you, they were a tree to get out of the collars.

Can you imagine if i'd earthed them up with tyres instead?

Do you remember matey on here last year with his tonne of spuds from one plant?

 

A tonne from one plant? For real? That would be incredibly impressive.

Even if its an exaggeration, I'd love to know the technique. I always grow spuds, and most years get a good crop, but never anything even in the same league as that.

 

Not exactly, but it does ring a bell...

 

I'll do a search

 

Sorry, it was from 6 plants but here you go,

The Grow Your Own Channel - 1 Ton of Potatoes

Originally Posted by Steve R.

 

Wish he'd done another video at harvest time so we could see his results. Interesting idea though...mind you, think my spade does a good enough job of making a hole!!

 

I think there was a follow up about earthing up the side shoots, but far too lashed up to look for it now.:inautumnleaves:

 

I grew spuds in sacks a few years ago, yield was dissappointing in comparison to what was planted.

Young potato plants...



A forest of potato foliage..



In retrospect and having grown them in the ground now I would only plant one tuber per sack if I did it again as opposed to the often recommended 3 tubers. Plant potatoes too close together and the result is many small tubers, which is what I got from these sacks.

Make sure your sacks have have some drainage holes in, I used a garden fork on the compost bags in the pics above.

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One tonne of spuds trial...Growing Potatoes Forums • View topic - 1 tonne of potatoes?

I watched this with interest last year to see what the results would be.

Using Pentland Crowns one member got 5KG from a plant grown in a compost bag (which supports my theory of planting one per sack above). And 14KG from one plant planted in the ground with nothing else planted near it, thats still only 8% of the yield required to get one tonne from six seed potatos.

Of course, it's only a small trial.

Steve...