(This page was
originally published on www.nugget.demon.co.uk)
1. What equipment do I need to start?
A number of bottomless pots
at least 9 inches diameter, an equal number of plastic bowls, 2 inches deep and
at least 2 inches greater diameter, a bag of seed compost and a bag of John
Innes No. 3.
2. What variety of Potatoes should I grow?
Any first early
variety. Suggestions to try are... Arran Pilot, Home Guard, Pentland Javelin,
Suttons Foremost, any Ulster name. The author grows Foremost because they are
readily available locally, they are quick growing and, most importantly, he
likes their taste.
3. Got everything, what now?
Put your potatoes somewhere
convenient to "chit" and when ready, hopefully this will be late February /
early March, fill a bowl to the brim with seed compost. Put a pot in the bowl.
Put one potato in the bottom of the pot and cover with 2 to 3 inches of seed
compost. Water top and bottom and put your pot in a frost free environment and
wait until the first leaves appear. Give the leaves a day or two to get a bit
greener then cover with 2 to 3 inches of John Innes No. 3. Repeat this topping-up
procedure until the pot is full to the brim. Initially water the bowl, but when
the potato foliage is above the level of the pot change to watering top and
bottom.
4. When should I put the pots outside?
Basically as soon as
possible. The author is fortunate in that he lives close to the sea, has an open
south facing wall and rarely suffers from late hard frosts. You must prevent the
pots from becoming chilled and/or frost getting to the foliage.
5. When will my potatoes be ready to harvest?
Foremost usually
takes about eleven weeks to mature. Most varieties of early potato take eleven to
thirteen
weeks unless Spring is unduly cold. Dying back of the foliage is the first
visible sign that your potatoes are nearly ready.
6. What yield can I expect?
6.1. The author uses 9 inch
pots and 12 inch bowls purely because they were "hand-me-downs". From this size
a yield of about 1lb. is usual although one pot has produced 1lb. 4oz. The author
did try a 7 inch pot one year but the yield was only 8 oz. 6.2. In 1997
the author used two 11 inch pots he had acquired. The results were encouraging
in that the combined yield was 3lb.1998 was even better with a combined yield
from these larger pots of 3lb 5oz. No feed was used in either year. From this,
very limited, experiment it would appear that a larger pot gives a worthwhile
greater yield.
7. Are there any problems I am likely to experience?
Frost is the
main hazard. You must resort to any and every means to keep your pots / foliage
from any frost damage. Beware of ants setting up home in your pots. The
author has in the past lost one of his pots due to ants.
8. Any other tips?
One to reduce the overall cost a bit. If you
have followed the excellent FAQ on making a compost heap, come January you
probably have a nice warm sweet smelling productive heap. On a dry day dig up
some of it and riddle the bits you dig out. Store the riddlings in a bin bag and
use them in lieu of the seed compost. However if you do this only fill the bowl
half full. Put the pot on the riddlings and cover up the riddlings outside the
pot with as much sand as you can. As the riddlings are a nutritious source of
food for your potato you can also supplement the John Innes No. 3 with the riddlings.
However always cover the riddlings with John Innes No. 3. The reason for ensuring the riddlings are covered is because there may be a few live weed seeds in there and
you don't need the hassle of weeding your pots/bowls.
Questions which need answers in the fullness of time
1. Is there
an optimum size of pot? Presumably a bigger pot will produce a few more
potatoes until the law of diminishing returns sets in. 2. Is there a
"best" variety of potatoes for pots? 3. Is it worth feeding the pots? In 1997 the author tried an experiment by feeding
two of his 9 inch pots
using a propriety Tomato feed. However results were inconclusive in that the pot
with the highest yield, (20 ozs), and the pot with the equal lowest yield,
(15oz), were the two that had the feed applied.
GOOD READING
Organic Gardening. 1988 version. Author: Roy Lacey. Approved by the Soil Association. ISBN.0-7153-9175-5 Details on
potato varieties and a couple of ideas on growing potatoes for Christmas.
If you should try this FAQ it would be appreciated if you would take a few
minutes to tell us in urg the following... 1. Size of pots used. 2.
Number of pots. 3. Variety of seed potato. 4. Average yield
per pot. 5. Did you feed the pots? 6. If
yes... a. What did you use? b. Was the yield
higher on the fed pots? 7. Comments on the FAQ.
AUTHOR: Ron Lowe
Version 1.0 Version 1.1 August 1997. Para 6.2
added. Version 1.2 April 1999. Para 6.2 expanded. Good
Reading section added. Converted to html.
