Grow Your Own Magazine

Goodness, it's already time for the perennial 'what is the best variety' of potato for tubs/pots/buckets?

Well how was last years crop everyone? Looking for a tasty early variety please.....

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

Aaron Pilot for an all rounder and I love Vanessa as a great Salad potato.(2nd Early) again Kestrel with blue eyes is a great second early all rounder

You can grow maincrop but I find them too hungry for tubs.
I have grown these varieties for several years Aaron Pilot for 26 years in tubs.
Benacre

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http://lowestoftnaturalist-benacre.blogspot.com/

Strewth, some growing season that!!!!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Last year I grew Arran Pilot and Foremost in buckets and both dead really well, so I would recommend both. Also, lots of locals up here grow Kestrel in buckets for show purposes - dunno what it tastes like but the tubers are really attractive on the showbench

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Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday November 13th

Arran Pilot here too. Has anyone tried Arran Victory?

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LJ
Sure that in one of the other potato threads (probably about seed potatoes) Earthbabe said she had grown Arran Victory, but do not know if that was in tubs or not - especially as it is classed as a late maincrop variety, therefore probably requires a long growing season

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Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday November 13th

Rat I just wondered if anyone grew it. Nothing to do with tubs. I have just seen Earthbabes reply.

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What sort of growing period is there for earlies in tubs? How long from planting to picking for say, Arran pilot?

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

Sbp
As a very general rule of thumb you should allow earlies about thirteen weeks from planting to harvesting - best way is to give them their thirteen weeks then have a root around in your tub with your hands and see what you think - can be left longer if you think they need it.

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Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday November 13th

I think Charlotte is strictly speaking a second early, but it's the benchmark against which all else is judged.( My opinion and that of many professionals) 13 weeks should give you a good crop.

Read that Rocket are good for tubs as they have shorter haulms. Very quick to grow along with Swift as a first early. It was good to see Duke of York on GYO this evening as put mine to chit on windowsill couple of days ago - they are already showing tiny green lumps! I know some gardeners say that chitting isn't neccessary but at least if you've put a few spuds on the windowsill at this time of year it feels like your actually 'doing' something and getting some enjoyment from the process - does anyone else feel the same?

I chit mine Weavie. I've just got to see it happening !

Ah, just answered this in another thread ! Swift are better in tubs as they are shorter thanRocket & seem to perform better in tubs than Rocket. I usually grow Rocket as my 1st early in the lottie

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Last year I grew- in big pots and ex refuse bins- these: Swift, Rocket, Lady Chrystl, Foremost, Sharpe's Express, Maris Bard, Red Duke of York, and Carlingford (latter a second early, I believe). Best of all was Maris Bard. Best of the flouries was Sharpes Express (Red Duke good too). Of the more waxy, we liked Lady C. best. But subjective, of course. Of the super earlies Swift was substantially better than Rocket, which was bland in my husbandry.

I was taking notes, read that reply and dropped the pen laughing.

Less Aaron, more Methuselah...??

I did Charlotte and Duke of York in bags last year. Charlotte did really well, but the Duke of York were disappointing. I bought some cheap big pots in a sale in September (unfortunately they are coloured lilac! - thats why they were cheap!) so was going to try Charlotte again. I found the bags were not open enough to be able to see if they needed watering, so hoping the big pots will be better and I might get a better harvest.

Even he would only get a few harvests in his lifetime!!

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Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs

183.346 to be precise.

I was unexperienced with potatoes last year ( still struggling to understand spud speak! and definately don't quite understand early, late-early main crop type thing. I have three pots, When and which and what should I do for the best crop?). With my limited space I put swift in pots last year. The potential was great, I think I choose badly with swifts and was expecting a better crop. I would recommend not using them again.

Dobies(catologue free with this months GYO) have an offer of three sorts of seed potatoes and tato buckets.You can just buy the seed potatoes if buckets not needed!The type areRed duke of york,Maris piper and Charlotte.

I grew Arran Victory last year, but on sand and with the drought they didn't come to much. The ones that were big enough were fairly tasty, but needed steaming for mashing or they just disintegrated. I've about half a bag left, but not sure if they'll keep for much longer with the scab on them.

Arran Victory were my only real 'success' in what was a lousy year for spuds. Will be sticking a few earlies into buckets, just as an experiment, this year.

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Kris

I child-proofed my house, but they still manage to get in.

Muddy Musings - a blog

Lady Crystl did very well for me both in the ground and in 25 litre tubs. So well that I am growing it again this year.

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Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs