Potato Growing 2025

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by JWK, Jan 1, 2025.

  1. WeeTam

    WeeTam Total Gardener

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    • AuntyRach

      AuntyRach Total Gardener

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      I looked for potatoes at GC today but quite big packs if I’m only doing a tub.

      What’s the ‘return’ on say 4 spuds? Just thinking will I be ‘in pocket’?

      Everything has gone up in price - even seeds! They wanted £4 for a packet of micro green seeds, and like @pete and @Spruce have mentioned, only a few seeds in some packets of veg!
       
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      • pete

        pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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        Just me personally, but spuds are not worth growing if you hope to save money, I'm not growing any this year, just not worth the effort, I can buy them cheaper.
         
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        • Spruce

          Spruce Glad to be back .....

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          I was in B&Q and the plastic bottle of slow release is now over £8.00 I am sure it was £6 last year
           
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          • JWK

            JWK Gardener Staff Member

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            I grow first earlies in containers, 2 seed potatoes per container provides enough for around 4 dinners for the 3 of us. Given that the first earlies are really expensive in the supermarket I consider it worthwhile. To keep costs down I don't grow in bought in compost, just use garden soil from an area that hasn't had spuds or potatoes the previous 2 years.

            The big bonus is fresh home grown new potatoes taste far better than any shop bought ones.

            Maincrop potatoes are cheap and tasty from the shops so might not be worthwhile. I grow a few rows of these at the allotment and am still digging them up since last September. They are good in a rotation, help improve the soil and keep weeds down.
             
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            • Cordy

              Cordy Super Gardener

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              I grow a few Potatoes, 2 seed potatoes to a 30 litre plastic tub.

              Compost, Chicken Pellets, Fish blood and Bone, plus 'Special Potato fertiliser'

              We expect about 8 lbs of potatoes per tub.

              I planted a few Foremost and Jersey Royals today -- both first earlies.
              King Edwards and Sarpo Mira to be planted on 17th March, both main-crop.
               
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              • Hanglow

                Hanglow Super Gardener

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                I was reading that expected yield for first earliest is 7 times the planted weight, main crops closer to 12 times. Have people found that to be accurate? Will of course depend on a variety of factors. I might plant a couple soon in a tub in the gh
                 
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                • JWK

                  JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                  Roughly 10 times I would say, obviously varies tremendously with earlies as the first few I pick in May are quite small and that's when they are expensive in the shops. Later on into the Summer they come up jacket sized.
                   
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                  • hailbopp

                    hailbopp Keen Gardener

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                    I have never understood why people use compost, especially bought in for growing spuds in containers unless they don’t have access to their own soil, live in a flat maybe? Once the spuds get going you keep earthing them up so weeds don’t really get a hold before the spud foliage cover the earth. It makes the spuds somewhat expensive using bought in. I, like JWK, use garden soil that has not had spuds growing in it for a while and maybe add the odd dollop of manure or compost. Does the job.
                     
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                    • AuntyRach

                      AuntyRach Total Gardener

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                      Thanks for the info folks.
                      Well, I have been gifted a small bag (7) of Charlottes! My Sister bought 3 bags for £5 in ‘What!’

                      So if I use my own compost, and produce more than a saucepan full - that’s fine by me!
                       
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                      • Jungle Jane

                        Jungle Jane Starved Of Technicolor

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                        Any recommendations for a good boiler maincrop? I bought Maris Piper by mistake and am not sure if that will make a good boiler or not as it's mainly a chipper.
                         
                      • JWK

                        JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                        It's a really good all-rounder @Jungle Jane, makes good mash
                         
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                        • pete

                          pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                          I often buy maris piper from the supermarket for chipping and I do find they fall apart when boiling, as @JWK says, ok for mash.

                          I have also bought charlotte for eating as a solid boiled potato.

                          Best for Boiling
                           
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