Potatoes in pots

[Winged one]

I am hoping to use a 50l compost bag, and a new bag of compost to top it up, for growing some charlotte's for Christmas dinner.

Is a 50l compost bag the right size? And how many tubers should I put in that (they are sold in 10 packs, but I can give a few to an uncle for him to try in his greenhouse).

[scampbeast]

I am growing potatoes for the first time. I had understoor that you needed to wait until they flowere before pulling them. However I noticed some people post about early crops and I was wondering what was the earliest I could pull them. I don't mind getting some small potatoes (I want some small and sweet). I have had a bit of a rumage round the top of the pots they are growing in and there are a few potatoes visable which seem a nice size.

[Demeter]

Hi scampbeast (notice you're new here - welcome to the vine!) This is my first year with spuds as well - and with almost everything else come to mention it

What variety of potatoes are you growing? From what I can gather, different varieties are early, second early, early maincrop and maincrop depending on how long they take to mature (i.e. from about 3 months up to about 6+ months, I think) to the ideal potato for that variety. Someone who knows better than me will be a long in a bit though...

Having said that, I understand that you can harvest them at the "wrong" stage if you want to (e.g. take some little ones early from a variety that's meant to be harvested later as big maincrop potatoes), it's just that the variety you've chosen will be best if harvested at the intended time, if you see what I mean. Anyway, if it were me, I'd be sorely tempted to try the spuds you can see that are a reasonable size, you can always let the rest grow on a bit after all

[Demeter]

Volunteers in compost bin!

I've noticed today that I've a volunteer potato plant growing in my compost bin. One of the shoots has come out of a ventilation hole in the side and is growing sneakily up the back where I didn't see it until it was already huge!

Can't decide whether to let it do its thing and harvest the spuds, or whether to rip it out - I had wanted to put the compost I am making on a bed where I am going to grow tomatoes next year! Oh dear...

[BarleySugar]

I always had volunteers in the compost, but still used it on tomatoes. I'm experimenting this year by putting potato peelings in th bokashi bin, hopefully, after 'pickling' they won't be able to grow.

[dvervaet]

Crop rotation and successional planting - a complete muddle to me

Hi,

I wonder could anyone throw any light on this. There is crop rotation and successional planting, let's forget complementary for a second.

I read in a gardening magazine that you can plant late brassicas (according to one of my gardening books, group A) after e.g. beans (group C) and kale (group A) after new potatoes (group A). I can possibly follow the first suggestion, i.e. brassicas after beans, but will the 2nd one work? How does that affect crop rotation for next year? Do I then put carrots or parsnips in the beds that I used for either of those next year or how do I go about it?

I am also rather confused on the different classifications, one of my books puts leeks in group A (a 3-year rotation system), another one puts leeks with all the other allium groups (4-year crop rotation). Can anyone suggest a crop rotation system that I can follow, i.e. see the logic in?

Thank you in advance for any useful suggestions!

Regards,

dvervaet

[Demeter]

Hi,

I wonder could anyone throw any light on this. There is crop rotation and successional planting, let's forget complementary for a second.

I read in a gardening magazine that you can plant late brassicas (according to one of my gardening books, group A) after e.g. beans (group C) and kale (group A) after new potatoes (group A). I can possibly follow the first suggestion, i.e. brassicas after beans, but will the 2nd one work? How does that affect crop rotation for next year? Do I then put carrots or parsnips in the beds that I used for either of those next year or how do I go about it?

I am also rather confused on the different classifications, one of my books puts leeks in group A (a 3-year rotation system), another one puts leeks with all the other allium groups (4-year crop rotation). Can anyone suggest a crop rotation system that I can follow, i.e. see the logic in?

Thank you in advance for any useful suggestions!

Regards,

dvervaet

I'm confused - do you mean that potatoes are in group A, the same group as brassicas? That doesn't sound right to me.

Having said that, every system is different - as you've seen with the 2 different rotations putting leeks in with alliums or not... personally, i would, because they are botanically in the same family. Dunno why the other plant didn't but someone else might have a clue...

And you'll probably end up breaking the rules anyway, when you run out of space or have something you urgently need to plant that doesn't fit in with the scheme you've selected!

If you're after suggestions, then I would go for either a 3-year or 4-year rotation (whatever suits the space you have available) and then stick to the advice for the scheme you've got, as closely as you practically can, but not religiously.... As long as you don't grow the same family/group in the same place in consecutive years you'll probably be more or less ok!

PS you'll probably get more answers posting a separate thread - also worth using the search button to see what others more expert than me have already said on this subject.

[scampbeast]

What variety of potatoes are you growing?

I have no idea, I planted some which went to seed from a bag I bought in Costco They have not flowered yet but there are some nice looking small potatoes near the top and I wondered if they would be OK to eat. They have been growing for about 8 weeks.

[Winged one]

I am hoping to use a 50l compost bag, and a new bag of compost to top it up, for growing some charlotte's for Christmas dinner.

Is a 50l compost bag the right size? And how many tubers should I put in that (they are sold in 10 packs, but I can give a few to an uncle for him to try in his greenhouse).

Anyone got any views on this please?

[Demeter]

I have no idea, I planted some which went to seed from a bag I bought in Costco They have not flowered yet but there are some nice looking small potatoes near the top and I wondered if they would be OK to eat. They have been growing for about 8 weeks.

8 weeks is very quick - lucky you to have actual spuds already! Don't see any reason why you shouldn't eat them

[Alice]

Scampbeast, 8 weeks won't be enough no matter what kind of potatoes they are. The surest test is to leave them til the foliage starts to turn yellow and die down
If you have nice ones near the surface take them and eat them, and leave the rest to grow on.You can eat them any size - it's just about getting a good crop from your bucket. Enjoy.

[scampbeast]

The surest test is to leave them til the foliage starts to turn yellow and die down
If you have nice ones near the surface take them and eat them, and leave the rest to grow on.You can eat them any size - it's just about getting a good crop from your bucket. Enjoy.

Thanks for the advice, the foliage has started to turn yellow so I might pick a few out and give them a try. I had 1 lot planted in a smaller tub to get small potatoes and more planted in larger tubs to get some good sized baking potatoes. I will leave the others to grow a bit more.