1000KG of potatos from 5 Plants

As the title suggests, have a look at this little video from the alottment channel.

http://www.thegrowyourownchannel.tv/feature.aspx?id=985q66w15&title=1 Ton of Potatoes

Have we been doing it all wrong?

Steve...

 

Thanks Steve - really interesting. Its hard to believe a ton of potatoes.

It has reinforced one view that I have had for a long time. If you want a really big pot plant you must put it in a really big pot. The most remarkable thing about the video to me, was the spacing.

 

Yup five foot spacing, I've found another reference which recommends 6 foot spacings...and sells a "Potato heavy weight cropper kit", probably several pentland crown tubers and some fetiliser

http://www.victoriananursery.co.uk/vegetable_seeds/potato_heavy_weight_cropper_kit/

Think I'll apply for more alotmments, I need one to grow an onion....another for a carrot...

Steve...

 

However this does raise a serious point. The yield per plant is huge, but is the yield per square foot any greater than normal? If not all you are doing is saving a bit on seed potatoes

 

Well, considering I just spent 30 quid on seed potatoes (17.5kg)...I like the thought of just buying a five tuber pack.

Steve...

 

One slug-bite could wipe out 20% of your yield though.

 

Thats works out I have a room for three on my little plot... Looks like I shall be sticking to my bins.

 

It should work!

Some years ago a speaker at the gardening club told a similar story, but he said that he pegged the stems down, where they touched the soil and extra plants formed, thus more potatoes.

They were planted on level soil not ridges!

Never tried it myself,


PS. IT IS FORBODEN TO MENTION slugs IN THE SAME BREATH AS POTATOES!

 

I really don't have a use for a ton of potatoes.
Maybe I should just plant 1 - that should be plenty :D

 

Could be worth a go. Like the feeding bit too, never occured to me to feed potatoes.

 

I'm with John on this.
I dont doubt that one spud could easily produce a 5th of a ton of taters, but I dont think the uk growing season is long enough in one year.

Its a Mantis ad, not a problem, I have one, but I dont use it for that.:D

Ziggy, why has it never occurred to you to feed potatoes?

 

Probably because they grow this big without feeding pete,



But if they can get bigger, then i'll give it a go. I should have thought about it, I feed all the other Solanaceae :DOH:Even the Deadly Nightshade.

 

I always feed potatoes. It would never have occured to me not to.
And I agree with John about that silly machine thing - whatever it was.
I could have dug a better hole in half the time with a spade.