Growing potatoes in bags

Sorry I am sure I have been told the answer to this question on here before but I can not find where....

Last year I grew tatties in 14" diameter pots but I was told that they would do alot better growing them in old compost bags so I am going to give that a try this year.

However how many seed tatties should I do per bag, last year I did one tattie per pot but I have since read that people do 2 or 3 per pot?

Thanks

 

I use old compost bags BC turn them inside out so the black side is out put a few extra drainage holes in and plant 3 per bag

 

Walnut - what difference does it make which side the black side is - out or in?

I never bothered with that apart from the holes, of course. Just stuck'm in and let'm get on wiv it! No fuss, no muss!

 

Hi, and sorry to hijack your post. I really don't know much about this, but I remember the Beech Grove garden grew potatoes quite sucessfully in compost bags last year, they turned the bags black side out (the idea was that the black should absorb more heat)with lots of holes for drainage.

This is my first year that I'm going to attempt to grow veg. My sister gave me a starting kit for potatoes for Christmas this year, but I really don't know how to start. The only instructions I have is to keep the potato tubers in a dry light place until planting. When should I be thinking about planting them? Are there different times to plant different varieties? The kit came with three buckets and three varieties of potatoes - Marrs peer, Charlotte, & red duke of york. Thanks for any replies

 

Don't appologise for joining in Papajo your input is welcome thats how we learn your answer is quite correct the black side absorbs more heat especially growing earlies, other than that I don't like the garish colours of the bags makes them stand out like sore thumbs.Keep them as your sister says until they chit(lots of little shoots grow out of the eyes) plant them 3 to a bucket try to keep the shoots from the frost as they poke through(keep heaping the compost over them)Maris peer is a second early should be planted about May Red Duke of York is a first early should be planted about April Charlotte is a first early salad potato again planted in April if you have a cool greenhouse and can keep them inside you can bring the times forward a few weeks

 

One more 'silly' question, I know about earthing up as the plant grows but how much compost do you start with when you plant them originally?

 

First year I did it I put too much compost in to start with so last year I filled it to about the 1/4 mark to start with Seemed to work ok for me

 

Thanks walnut, roll on April then.

 

And another silly question - how full did you let the bags get before you stopped earthing up?

Last year I just stopped at the top of the pot (well technically I did not earth up last year - an ill timed 3 week holiday to Australia leaving just after the tatties started to sprout meant I had to fill the tubs up right away from scratch!! My cat sitter was happish to water pots for me but I thought i might be pushing my luck to get her to earth up the tatties for me!!)

 

I went to the top but had loads of greenery :rolleyes: