1) Here we see potato plants thriving in a polytunnel. Already about four feet high, gobbling earthing-up material as new shoots sprout up everywhere. A problem we see with polytunnel growing is the "bolted" tuber, a tuber that grows too quickly and is hollow in places. However, yield is not affected because of the excellent growing conditions.
2) Compare the above photo with the next with plants growing outside the polytunnel. They are the same variety and were planted at the same time.
3) One problem with growing potatoes in a polytunnel is that they are uncontrollable. They grow quickly and plant stems bend over under their own weight and start laying down roots and hence, new tubers, everywhere.To get round this problem we are experimenting with growing potatoes in tubs and tyres so the plants can grow in a more controlled fashion. Previous year's potatoes grew all over the place and many potatoes were missed during harvest.
In the next photo, we see a potato plant growing in three old car tyres piled on top of each other. The seed potato started inside the bottom tyre and as the plant grew tyres were added with additional compost too.
4) The problem with this method is that the tyres are small. The potato plant is overly constrained. It is hard to "earth up" the plant as compost is not easily squeezed into the rim of the tyre. Also, it is easy to damage the plant when putting on another tyre and earthing up.Here we see a potato plant growing in a tub. There is plenty of room in the tub to earth up whilst at the same time constraining plant growth. The growth is vigorous, being inside the polytunnel, but the crop will all be found inside the tub at harvest time and nothing will be lost
ResultsPlanting potatoes directly into the soil is best when you have plenty of space. If you try to cram too many seed potatoes into a small area then each plant will compete for the light. Plants will then grow vertically too quickly and you will only get a small crop of small sized potatoes.
Container growing of potatoes is ideal for the small garden. Each plant's growth is constrained to a small vertical area. You can use deep containers to give plenty of space for three or four seed potatoes to grow. I find that the crop is heavier, with larger potatoes, when growing in containers compared to growing in a small plot of land.
Other advantages of container growing:
- No potatoes are lost as they are all easily found in the container.
- Earthing up is easier and less compost is required.
Other potato growing articles
Growing potato in tyres - everything you need to know
Storing potatoes - what to do with your potato harvest
Let us know
What are your experiences from growing potatoes?
Do you grow potatoes in containers too?
Add your comments below, which are always read and answered to.
13 comments:
james, good to see things growing well for you...
Here's a couple of comments.. I saw a thing on the BBC gardeners world programme recently were one of the presenters was trying a similar experiment of growing his spuds in old tryes.. I though it odd and have been involved in a discussion about it here on the
it's not easy being green forum
I'm not a big spud grower here.. I've yet to put my seed in and will hang back for a while longer so that I can have some new potatoes in the autumn. My main problem is that colorado beetle is rampant here and it requires absolute diligence to keep on top of them... either that or spraying with insecticide and it's something we're keen to avoid if we can.
Now... as for growing them inside the polytunnel.. it'll be interesting to see how the yield adds up inside vs. outside at harvest time. Is there not a risk that you're encouraging excess vegetative growth on the plant.. perhaps at the expense of tuber development?
Are you raising much else in your tunnel? I know you said you had some trauma with seedlings for tomatoes... I'd planted out our tomatoes (70 plants, ten varieties) a couple of weeks ago and I'm daily hoe-ing out fresh seedlings that are springing up everywhere from last years compost - hundreds of 'em. I'd say it's probably not too late to at least buy in some seedlings and give them a whirl in the polytunnel.
Thanks for the comments Adrian.
This is my second year of growing potatoes in a polytunnel. My first of growing in containers.
I've not seen any Colorado beetles round here but that doesn't mean there aren't any.
Excessive growth in the tunnel
Last year, I noticed that there were one or two very large and hollow tubers per plant. I assume they were the first tubers to form and things settled down after that.
The yield was over twice that of the plants outside the tunnel. The other tubers were on average twice the size of the ones outside, well-formed with no other problems.
The only other problem was a late season blight. During September of last year I went into tunnel to be greeted by the foul smell and greying leaves. I ripped out all the vegetation above the ground and left the potatoes there. I pulled a few out when they were needed. The tubers were fine.
Elsewhere in the tunnel
I do a lot of tree propagation in the tunnel. I leave the trees in tubs until they reach the roof and then plant them out.
That means that willows are out of the tunnel within the year. Birch take about two years. I have beech which are growing amazingly fast for hardwood trees.
Fruiting trees don't like tunnels. I quickly moved my apple and walnut trees out last year when the leaves started turning brown.
Other vegetables include lettuces, chiles, my stunted sweet peppers which I am tempted to hoe into the soil and some pak choi.
I tried leeks and carrots last year but they really don't like the conditions so all leeks, carrots and onions are grown outside.
I might try starting off leeks and onions inside the tunnel early next year and transplant them outside when the last frost has passed.
I have three tomato plants that managed to survive. They are still only about 4 inches high. Unfortunately I can't buy in as everyone else round here grows only salad tomatoes whereas I grow only pasata tomatoes for my pasta and curries.
I've learnt a lot this year from all the things that have gone wrong. I'll still grow more than last year but next year will be even better.
One thing I need to invest in is a heated propagator. Argos seem to have a decent one.
Could you get more barrels like the blue one pictured? I would then (try) cut the top and bottom off, and us the remaining ring to stack on top of the already-growing tub. Build it up as the 'tatoes grow. I have not done this with plastic barrels, but have had a pretty good success doing similar using a plastic compost-bag; initially rolled the sides down low, and kept unrolling and filling as the potatoes grew.
Thanks for a great idea - I think I will get some barrels and try it! Althoug I have plenty of space, we also have plenty of pests'n'predators for potatoes, so this could be a good way to keep things compact and protected and still get spuds.
That's a good idea, the stacking of plastic rings. Much less cumbersome than car tyres.
I also like the plastic bag method too.
East to grow these potatoes. I look forward to next month and having a rummage around my earthings up for a few early potatoes.
I was wondering, what is the average timespan to grow potatos in a tub? From the time I plant to about the time I can harvest, how long would it take?
I could probably start harvesting in my polytunnel after 3 months or so. It would be a case of rummaging around underneath and pulling out sufficiently large potatoes rather than digging the whole lot up.
I treat potato plants like apple trees (the French call them pommes de terres - "apples of the earth") and pick when needed rather than waiting and digging the whole lot up.
Of course, outside of a polytunnel the growing time is slower. I have earlies inside the tunnel and potatoes for the end of the year outside.
There are different varities for harvesting times, earlies, mids and lates.
Hi there
Im looking for blogs about potato growing. We are growing some ourself but there is a problem with them. Any chance a budding potato grower could nip to my blog and look at the photo - see if they can tell me whats up? I'd greatly appreciate it.
Hazel (Ireland)
http://hazel-athome.blogspot.com/2006/07/help-bad-potatoes.html
Hi,
Can I plant potatoes as late as the end of May?
Thanks
John
Yes, certainly. I'm still planting them now.I will just leave them in the tubs for longer.
I never pull the plants up until they have finished producing potatoes, I just rummage around under the earth with my hands and pull out the precise size of potato I need.
Hi Guys
I have grown potatoes in various containers over the years and like tyres as yields tend to be higher.
The Comment in the article about the problem with filling the tyre rims can be overcome by stuffing straw or grass cuttings (or a mixture of both)
into the rim before you put it on top of the previous tyre.
There are 2 advantages with this, firstly you save on compost and secondly the tubours will still grow in the grass/straw as it rots down into more compost to be use on another crop for the next growing season.
Happy Growing
Coll
very interesting, how about cutting some of the tyre walls off
to make an upright tube. Also how about these bags that builders get sand and gravel in containing about a tonne. I think they just get binned. Phil.
Hello. I stumbled upon this blog and have some experience growing potatoes in a contained area. As a framework I use discarded wire fencing such as sheep or goat fence, long enough to enclose the prepared planting area -- usually about 3 feet wide (1 meter) and length as desired. I've made both circular beds and oval, depending on the space and length of wire available. You can splice lengths of wire as needed. The fencing I use is about 3 feet tall -- short enough that I can reach over it in the early stages yet tall enough for generous depth.
The bottom horizontal wire is nipped off to create prongs that stick in the ground and hold the wire fence in place. Arrange the wire fencing around the bed; don't worry if it looks a little funky. Tie the ends of the wire as needed to enclose the space; use any convenient material such as jute or baling twine.
The seed potatoes are placed on top of the prepared bed. Then cut strips of corrugated cardboard about 8 inches wide (20 cm) and as long as possible. The corrugations should run the short way so the strips will bend around corners. Cardboard strips are put just inside the perimeter of wire, overlapping as needed.
Then start filling in the wire "container" with mixed topsoil and compost, covering the seed potatoes. Stop a little short of the top of cardboard. The soil holds the cardboard in place and your seed potatoes are now covered nicely. As the plants grow, you may add more cardboard strips, placing the bottom of the new strips INSIDE the first layer of cardboard. Fill with mixed soil & compost as before, gently filling in around the plants. Repeat as desired or until you run out of fill. The cardboard does not leak water if shingled as described. At the end of season, peal away the fencing & cardboard. The potatoes will be enclosed within the fenced area.
The resulting area makes a nice raised bed for something else next season. The old cardboard may be re-used as mulch; the wire may be re-used indefinitely in new potato beds. I'm a relatively new gardener and haven't tracked yields, but this method was pretty easy and I think most of the potatoes were harvested.
An excellent treatise Diane. I am going to try it this spring. Thank you.
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