This morning I turned out a potato container-this is the result from 4 tubers-the variety was homeguard and they will be joined with lamb shank later-not all of them obviously !!
Geof - I plant 5/6 tubers to one spud bag and expect to get 3 to 4 times more spuds, with a lot more larger one's. I may have been lucky in previous years with the varieties but believe me, that's not a good harvest. If the haulm is still lush and green, leaving them in a couple more weeks makes all the difference in size, less marble too.
Just had Red Duke of York for tea, it was pot luck dipping into the bag but every spud was as big as your larger one's. One of the nice things about having them so fresh is they don't need peeling, the skins just rub off.
Let us know how your King Edwards fair, I've not tried that one. 50p is a good price, potato fairs are a good place to buy tubers,usually at competitive prices...
I left mine in longer this time before starting to harvest, tried to wait till the leaves died but didn't quite manage that.
May try xmas spuds again, nows the time to plant. Last year the bags froze solid and couldn't be dug up till February
I'm glad you said that Zoomer44. I was wondering if I was too late to try potatoes for Christmas. Mine will be in a container. And it will be my first time. But now I know, I can go ahead. Thanks.
We emptied 2 out of 3 of ours at the w/e as they flowered a week or two ago & the foliage was going yellow. With the sodden soil I didn't want to risk them all rotting off.
The big potato bag had charlottes in from seed potatoes. The crop was okay, half filled a large colander. Some really good large ones & a fair few marble sized ones. I was hoping for at least double that. They were lovely though.
The other huge tub had anyas in. I just chitted a few supermarket ones to see what would happen. The crop was the same as the seed charlottes & they were perfect. I know there are concerns with disease etc. which is why you're meant to use proper seed potato stock. As they go in tubs here, not in the ground I wasn't so worried & will definitely try it again one year with better weather.
...and it's it's not always the quantity but the quality which matters...I usually just over fill a large colander per bag, this year I'm leaving them in the bags and just dipping in, hoping the marble sized one's will grow larger.
Thanks for that link geoff. Useful. He used a bag in that article. I have empty growbags at hand, only the 20ltr ones though. I know they'd be tall enough, but would they be wide enough, once I've started hilling?
Alternatively, I have a large plastic dustbin spare, or a few of those thick, plastic,rectangle recycling bins. I suppose I could try all 3, see what works.
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This morning I turned out a potato container-this is the result from 4 tubers-the variety was homeguard and they will be joined with lamb shank later-not all of them obviously !!
Geof - I plant 5/6 tubers to one spud bag and expect to get 3 to 4 times more spuds, with a lot more larger one's. I may have been lucky in previous years with the varieties but believe me, that's not a good harvest. If the haulm is still lush and green, leaving them in a couple more weeks makes all the difference in size, less marble too.
Just had Red Duke of York for tea, it was pot luck dipping into the bag but every spud was as big as your larger one's. One of the nice things about having them so fresh is they don't need peeling, the skins just rub off.
It was an experiment more than anything and though it was a large container-not large enough-I dont think-but the four tubers only cost 50p-so.....
The second container with the other 4 -I will leave for a few more weeks
There are still 2 more growing King Edwards for later
Let us know how your King Edwards fair, I've not tried that one. 50p is a good price, potato fairs are a good place to buy tubers,usually at competitive prices...
I left mine in longer this time before starting to harvest, tried to wait till the leaves died but didn't quite manage that.
May try xmas spuds again, nows the time to plant. Last year the bags froze solid and couldn't be dug up till February
I'm glad you said that Zoomer44. I was wondering if I was too late to try potatoes for Christmas. Mine will be in a container. And it will be my first time. But now I know, I can go ahead. Thanks.
I found this the other day
http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/planting/how-to-grow-potatoes-for-christmas/131.html
We emptied 2 out of 3 of ours at the w/e as they flowered a week or two ago & the foliage was going yellow. With the sodden soil I didn't want to risk them all rotting off.
The big potato bag had charlottes in from seed potatoes. The crop was okay, half filled a large colander. Some really good large ones & a fair few marble sized ones. I was hoping for at least double that. They were lovely though.
The other huge tub had anyas in. I just chitted a few supermarket ones to see what would happen. The crop was the same as the seed charlottes & they were perfect. I know there are concerns with disease etc. which is why you're meant to use proper seed potato stock. As they go in tubs here, not in the ground I wasn't so worried & will definitely try it again one year with better weather.
Zoomer-have looked again at my picture-it is deceiving and there were nearly 3 kilo there-so am happy enough
...and it's it's not always the quantity but the quality which matters...I usually just over fill a large colander per bag, this year I'm leaving them in the bags and just dipping in, hoping the marble sized one's will grow larger.
Thanks for that link geoff. Useful. He used a bag in that article. I have empty growbags at hand, only the 20ltr ones though. I know they'd be tall enough, but would they be wide enough, once I've started hilling?
Alternatively, I have a large plastic dustbin spare, or a few of those thick, plastic,rectangle recycling bins. I suppose I could try all 3, see what works.