potatoes

I need some advice please about growing potatoes.

I have a plastic dust bin without a lid,and it was suggested to me to cut out the bottom and then place the bin upside down on the soil, then all i have do is lift the bin up and get the potatoes when they are ready.
What i would like to know is, how many seed potatoes do i put in the ground, which are the best potatoes, (i have heard jersey potatoes are nice) and also what month do i plant them.

 

This might help; http://tinyurl.com/2tplbo

 

I did a similar thing with large compost bags. I left some compost in the bottom and put three seed potatoes (maincrop) in. As they grew I just added more soil. It was so easy to harvest them as I just had to pull the bag of at the end.

Check out Tg's help as the timing will depend on what type you want to grow. You will probably fit four to five seed potatoes in a dustbin.

Good Luck

 

Thanks TG and badsal for that excellant advice,will order potatoes now.

 

Go for it. I use a commercial potato barrel, but the principle is the same.

Fill the barrel to about 1/4 full with compost. Place 5 seed potatoes on to and cover with compost. As they grow keep adding more compost to cover the stems until the barrel is full.

 

Hi - I also need some potato advice...
I have just got my seeds and have set them to chit... but I am new to potatoes - I am planning to grow them in containers that I will make from wood - but I am not sure what size to make... the potato growing bags I have seen say they are 18" high by 12" wide - this doesnt seem very big - and they say they can hold 3-5 seeds...

how many seeds would you expect to put in a compost bag, for example? :confused:

[ 08. February 2007, 12:02 PM: Message edited by: Hawthorn Cottage ]

 

http://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/Guides/GrowingPots.htm

 

That is a really useful link, MF! Thanks for that!

 

Thank you for that link- thats a really big help...
I just wish it would stop raining!!!

 

Great - I've printed that out for reference.

 

Another link here -

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0506/potatoespots.asp

 

Thanks Dave - having photos really helps too.
I think I probably need to move my seeds in from the porch - they are not doing much out there, I see from this info that they need a bit more warmth.

 

I've just done the same thing HC. I'd moved mine from the greenhouse into the polytunnel, but nothing was happening very fast so I've now moved them back again!

 

i've had my pot's in a container since probably may and th efoliage keeps coming and from what i can see i only have marbles under the soil !! something wrong perhaps ??