Planting Potatoes in Bags of bags or pots
This is definitely the way forward regarding growing spuds in a small space and an
excellent way to get beautiful new potatoes often earlier than any grown in the garden as
bags of pots can be put in the greenhouse or somewhere sheltered.
Lots of places sell containers especially for growing potatoes but anything that is deep
enough should be fine. Use an old compost bag or dustbin - the spuds need space to form a
good crop, small pots don't give the same yield, but can be grown in black poly pots that
are about 8 inches in diameter or a huge, deep flower pot. It doesn't sound very big but you
can get a nice crop in it from one tuber.
If using compost bags or growbags, cut off one end and empty the contents into an old
dustbin to be reused. Rolls over the top of the bag, it also looks better if you turn the bag
inside out first so you have the black side showing rather than the side with the writing on.
Make sure there are enough drainage holes then un-roll the bag as you fill it with compost.
This gives you potatoes the whole length of the growbag standing up longways.
You can pick up large plastic pots quite cheap these days and they might give better
protection than a bag? Make sure you wash them out really well though, using Jeyes Fluid
for this purpose, you don't need much at a time, so it'll last along time and is really worth
doing. You will need some drainage holes in the bottom of the bin, and when you harvest
just tip the dustbin over.
As for the potatoes themselves, better get good quality seed potatoes, while potatoes from
the supermarket or saved from last years crop can be used, theses may have been sprayed
with goodness knows what or have traces of disease or blight which you could then be
transferring to your soil for years and years to come. It's really not worth the risk.
Chitting
Chitting means that you are growing shoots on the potatoes before they are planted which
gives them a head start. Some people don't bother chitting main crop potatoes, as they find
hardly any difference in crop yield. But first and second earlies would benefit a couple of
weeks head start, also growing earlies tend to be more cost effective as this is when prices
are high in the shops
Put them to chit about three weeks before you plan to sow them. If you need to store them
before chitting keep the potatoes in the dark, in whichever way suits you. Cardboard
box/wrapped in clean rags/pillowcase/envelopes just not plastic, as they will sweat.
To chit the spuds - put them to stand in an egg box bottom or scrunch up some newspaper
and put it in a tray in a light, cool place but not in direct sunlight. You need to put them
"rose" end upwards (that's the end with the most eyes) for best results. Look at them every
week and when you see them sprout little shoots wait until they are about 1 inch long
before planting. Always check every week as you don’t want the sprouts to get too long.
Only leave two/ three sprouts on each tuber and if they are big ones cut them in half for
double the seeds.
Planting
First earlies - plant from the end February to late May and will be ready for harvesting
10-12 weeks from planting.
Second earlies - plant from the middle of March to late May and will be ready for
harvesting around 13 weeks from planting.
Early maincrop - plant from the end of March to late May and will be ready for
harvesting around 15 weeks from planting.
Late maincrop - plant from the end of March to late May and will be ready for
harvesting around 20 weeks from planting.
These will very depending on where you live - a week or two earlier on south coast. Wait
until the soil has warmed up a bit or you will just set them back. You can start them in the
greenhouse or a sheltered spot for earlier crops.
Fill the bag about a third full with a mixture of soil and compost and plant the potato
tubers Depending on the size of the pot or bag, put 1 to 3 tubers in each one. They will
form side shoots and spread out, so no need to put in to many
Stand in the sun and water every few days if the compost feels dry as potatoes dislike being
either very wet or very dry. You find this out by sticking your fingers in, you'll soon get to
know.
As they grow "earth up” the plants, as when potatoes form they come to the top of the soil
if you cover with soil then the potatoes are not exposed to the light and won't turn green.
Do this when they are about 8" high; put more soil/compost on top so that the stems have
only about 4" showing. Do this until the compost gets to the top. This also protects the
stems from frost and encourages them to produce more roots and spuds. Carry on earthing
them up until you've filled the bag.
Usually there are potatoes there to be picked once the plants produce flowers but you can
leave the potatoes to grow bigger. Keep well watered and don't allow them to dry out. To
find out if you have spuds ready for picking, gently delve your hand into the compost
towards the bottom of the bag.
Harvesting is easy, tip the bucket out and collect all your potatoes. The compost can be reused elsewhere around the garden or added to the compost bin/heap.
Storage
Store them in paper sacks or large paper bags once harvested, somewhere cool and in the
dark or they'll go green. But if you can, leave them in the soil till you use them.