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Gardening

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

Original poster

growing potatoes in a tub

10 replies

kiskidee · 05/04/2007 12:44

i got a huge tub (at least 3 ft across and the same deep) in which to plant potatoes for a gardening club which i run for teens.

problem is i have never planted potatoes before.

looking for the best how to strategies.

please!

OP posts:
gscrym · 05/04/2007 12:51

I've had mine planted for about a month now and not much activity. Either I have a black thumb and have killed yet more plants or I've got lazy spuds.

Original poster
kiskidee · 05/04/2007 13:13

how do you plant them though. jsut put them in like you do bulbs? the ones i have said i am still in the time slot to put them in. do you have to wait for them to sprout a bit or just stick em in when you can see the little growing buds coming out.

i should just really go do my own research, shouldn't i? [lazy emoticon]

OP posts:
Jamantha · 11/04/2007 06:09

Far as I know you put them out on the side somewhere to let them develop shoots, then plant them. We grew some in a tub last year. We put them in some soil/compost then when the green growth came through we added more compost and so on until the tub was full. We then let the top growth grow on for a while and when the right time according to the instructions came round we emptied the tub out, and had a pile of the nicest salad spuds you can imagine. We only had a small tub, but got a nice big bowl full. Doing more this year, should have planted by now, must do so this week - thansk for the reminder

Furball · 11/04/2007 07:23

I've planted some in two old bins in the garden. I brought them on to sprout then planted them in shallow soil and will add to the height of it as they grow. This info is useful.

If you have no established garden plot, or if there just isn't enough available space within your garden, you can still grow a respectable crop of spuds, and do a little recycling at the same time. Potatoes thrive in the warm environment of a soil filled tire!
Four tires + Two pounds of seed potatoes + Good soil = 20-30 pounds of winter potatoes!
Pick a spot where you can stack your tires which is out of the way and preferably out of sight. Loosen the surface of the soil just enough to allow for drainage, and set your largest tire in place. Fill the inside of the tire casing loosely with good topsoil, and then set 3-4 potato seeds into the soil. (Use sticks or rocks to keep the casing rings spread open.) Add enough soil to the tire "hole" to bring it to the same level as the soil inside the tire.
When the new plants are eight inches tall, add another tire and soil to the stack, as in the first level. Repeat the process for your third, and if desired, fourth tires. As you add tires and soil to the stack, the 8" of the plant stalk is covered with soil. By doing this, the existing stalk essentially reverts to a root status and the plant is forced to grow upward to once again find the sunlight which it needs. (much like if you were to try to eliminate a dandelion by covering it with a scoop of soil) By raising the soil level this way (in 8" increments) the plant is able to continue growing without suffocation, and at the same time you are creating a 24-30" tap root from which many more lateral roots can develop. Each lateral root can then produce additional potatoes (at 3-4 levels rather than the normal single layer). When you water, be sure that the soil is thoroughly moistened all the way to the base of the pile.
The tires act as an insulator and heat "sink" for your potatoes. This added warmth will cause the lateral roots (where the new potatoes form) to multiply more rapidly, thereby giving you more potatoes. When you need fresh potatoes next fall and winter, harvest the crop from the top tire, and remove it from the pile. More potatoes??? Next tire...

MrsWho · 11/04/2007 11:09

How many do you pt in an old bin?
We have loads of potatos left and may use the old bins?

Furball · 11/04/2007 14:50

I planted 3 in each. also drilled holes in the bottomn for drainage

MrsWho · 11/04/2007 17:52

Thanks

juuule · 12/04/2007 11:41

We've had potatoes growing from peelings In fact, I suspect that there are some growing in my compost bin My dad presented me with 2lbs of potatoes he grew from my peelings. He says I peel them too thickly.

juuule · 12/04/2007 11:43

Just read Furballs post. What a great idea. I'm going to print it off.

Original poster
kiskidee · 13/04/2007 07:22

OH WOW. great advice! i am glad i came back to check. i bought a huge tub for this project. will have fun.

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