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Post by Ron on Nov 29, 2016 7:09:54 GMT
Things may not be turning out as I envisaged. If you visit the website of a company that manufactures and sells compost like Levington's or Westland, they provide data sheets that you can look at which give information including the ph. A ph of 7 is neutral, anything less is acidic and anything greater is alkaline. It seems that the ph of different brands varies a lot and some ericaceous composts have the same ph as multi-purpose, the only difference is there's no lime in them. Have emailed Westland for confirmation.
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Post by Ron on Nov 29, 2016 9:27:43 GMT
Had a reply already ... 'Thank you for your email. Our multi-purpose composts will have a pH of around 6 however our ericaceous composts will be around 4.5 -5. I have checked the data sheet and it seems that there has been an error, I have taken action to get this changed. Please be assured that our ericaceous composts are suitable for all acid loving plants.'
You'd think they'd have got that right first time.
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Post by Ron on Dec 7, 2016 13:20:14 GMT
Some information regarding growing potatoes in bags (from allotment-garden.org) ...
'It’s critical to keep watering, usually daily when growing strongly. Potatoes like a lot of water. You don’t want the compost soaking wet but moist all through.
If you can, use rainwater from a water butt rather than tap water. Tap water often has a neutral to high pH (alkaline) and potatoes prefer to grow in somewhat acid soil with a pH of 5.5 against the 6.5 / 7.0 preferred by most of our vegetables. In more alkaline soils they often develop scab which is very unattractive in new or salad potatoes.'
I'm growing mine at 5.8 as plants take up nutrients less well from soil/compost that is too acidic. (As ph is a logarithmic scale, ph 5.5 is two and a half times more acidic than ph 5.8.)
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Post by Barbara on Feb 4, 2017 12:41:35 GMT
Ron, I just bung mine into a trug and off they grow. I've just bought this years spuds . Lady Christal first earlies. Kestrel, second ... Sarpo Mira, Main crop.
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Post by Spruance on Feb 4, 2017 15:47:03 GMT
In terms of growing spuds in bags my late uncle used to advocate adding compost/soil as the shoots developed rather than filling the container completely at the outset, and this certainly seemed to work better than the ones my Mum grew last year on the full from the start basis. Not sure about the soil pH as our soil is naturally neutral and I don't do anything to change it. Lincolnshire is also a big commercial potato growing area but I suppose that farners might just tweak the pH to suit.
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Post by Ron on Feb 4, 2017 20:27:15 GMT
Ron , I just bung mine into a trug and off they grow. I've just bought this years spuds . Lady Christal first earlies. Kestrel, second ... Sarpo Mira, Main crop. I've got three from the Sarpo family, Barbara, Kifli, Blue Danube and Axona. (Also Cara and Charlotte). When I was reading up on them there was a warning about Axona and Mira, you should harvest them in good time. If they are left, say to the first frosts, they tend to grow too big and be hollow. |
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Post by Ron on Feb 4, 2017 20:35:31 GMT
In terms of growing spuds in bags my late uncle used to advocate adding compost/soil as the shoots developed rather than filling the container completely at the outset, and this certainly seemed to work better than the ones my Mum grew last year on the full from the start basis. Not sure about the soil pH as our soil is naturally neutral and I don't do anything to change it. Lincolnshire is also a big commercial potato growing area but I suppose that farners might just tweak the pH to suit. I've tried that method, Spruance , and it does make a difference. You get more potatoes along the stem. They tend to be smaller though. I found a tip online which is said to maximize yields. In a bag about 2 feet to 2 feet 6 inches diameter, fill to one third and put 3 tubers in, then fill to two thirds and put 2 tubers in, then fill to the top. Going to do that and see how it does. I doubt that farmers would go to the expense of altering soil ph, potatoes will grow okay in neutral soil, I'm sure. I just thought that as I've got the opportunity to set the ph as I want it, I would follow the recommendation. Again, it's a case of wait and see whether or not it makes a difference. |
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Post by Rosefriend on Feb 5, 2017 10:53:29 GMT
All I can say on the whether to fill or not discussion is that at the beginning of GWD we had trials as to which way was better, as well as whether to chit or not and the results was that there was 2 weeks difference with chitting at the beginning and none at the end. As far as filling up was concerned it made no difference whatsoever to the amount of spuds - just made things easier... All the years that I have been growing spuds in bags I feel it is soil, weather, variety and good luck Ron, !! |
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Post by Ron on Feb 5, 2017 12:03:49 GMT
All I can say on the whether to fill or not discussion is that at the beginning of GWD we had trials as to which way was better, as well as whether to chit or not and the results was that there was 2 weeks difference with chitting at the beginning and none at the end. As far as filling up was concerned it made no difference whatsoever to the amount of spuds - just made things easier... All the years that I have been growing spuds in bags I feel it is soil, weather, variety and good luck Ron , !! I remember the chitting trial, Rosefriend, but I have another reason for doing it, yet another tip discovered on the internet. If you chit you can control the number of shoots. Reducing them to three per tuber it's claimed, results in fewer but bigger potatoes. I'm interested to see if it works out. I don't know if the claim about yield has any truth to it but it is certainly easier than the layering method. Soil: again I'm experimenting a bit, seeing if the slightly acidic compost makes a difference. Weather: can't control that! Watering is important though and I have a plan for that (more later and pics when I've set it up). Variety: chosen varieties for their didsease resistance and claimed yield. Luck: all good I hope  |
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Post by Rosefriend on Feb 5, 2017 12:05:13 GMT
Looking forward to seeing the results Ron, !! |
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Post by Ron on Feb 5, 2017 12:23:50 GMT
Looking forward to seeing the results Ron , !! You may be aware of the Quadgrow system for tomatoes which Bagpuss posted. I've bought 8 extra wicks from them which I'm going to use with the bags. The bags I've got are tall enough for me to put a resevoir of water in the bottom, copying the system used for the tomatoes. I've got plenty of pots to use for the water, just need to make a lid. |
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Post by Rosefriend on Feb 5, 2017 12:30:02 GMT
Looking forward to seeing the results Ron , !! You may be aware of the Quadgrow system for tomatoes which Bagpuss posted. I've bought 8 extra wicks from them which I'm going to use with the bags. The bags I've got are tall enough for me to put a resevoir of water in the bottom, copying the system used for the tomatoes. I've got plenty of pots to use for the water, just need to make a lid. Sounds well thought out Ron, !! What happens if they get too much water - we had one year that it rained more than usual and I hardly got any spuds as they all rotted due to too much water!! The compost stank!! I know a potato farmer here in Germany and he explained to me once about watering spuds and the right and wrong times - forgotten most of it of course but it was in fields and not in tubs. I remember him saying that tubs (potato sacks) always need less water, as no matter what the water doesn't drain as it would in a field... I have given up growing spuds actually as my tomato blight came from the potato blight once year and I still have it...toms are worth more to be than spuds and being alone I only eat a few anyway.... |
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Post by Ron on Feb 5, 2017 12:38:08 GMT
You may be aware of the Quadgrow system for tomatoes which Bagpuss posted. I've bought 8 extra wicks from them which I'm going to use with the bags. The bags I've got are tall enough for me to put a resevoir of water in the bottom, copying the system used for the tomatoes. I've got plenty of pots to use for the water, just need to make a lid. Sounds well thought out Ron , !! What happens if they get too much water - we had one year that it rained more than usual and I hardly got any spuds as they all rotted due to too much water!! The compost stank!! I know a potato farmer here in Germany and he explained to me once about watering spuds and the right and wrong times - forgotten most of it of course but it was in fields and not in tubs. I remember him saying that tubs (potato sacks) always need less water, as no matter what the water doesn't drain as it would in a field... I have given up growing spuds actually as my tomato blight came from the potato blight once year and I still have it...toms are worth more to be than spuds and being alone I only eat a few anyway.... Once again, a plan! Thought about the watering/drainage thing and have a large bag of Perlite to add to the compost. Also the 'Sylvagrow' peat free compost I'm using is better draining than most. |
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Post by Ron on Feb 9, 2017 10:34:13 GMT
Oh dear, I have a problem. When I bought the bags for the potatoes they were described as 22" wide which I took to be the diameter as they are round. I didn't check that when they arrived, have only just done so. They are 22" wide when measured flat so the diameter is only 14". So from an expected volume of 110 litres I have just 45 litres per bag, not good. I'll either have to buy more bags or use the old pots which are 60 litre.
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Post by Ron on Feb 9, 2017 14:20:19 GMT
Problem solved, 5 x 18" square 24" deep bags on the way.
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Post by Ron on Feb 13, 2017 10:43:20 GMT
Problem solved, 5 x 18" square 24" deep bags on the way. They have just arrived and I'm pleased with them. Plenty big enough and sturdy, seed potatoes in the GH chitting. |
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Post by andy on Feb 15, 2017 17:33:48 GMT
Question for you potato growers. Do any of you just bung a few spuds from Tesco in the ground/tubs/sacks. I appreciate the nursery grown seed potato is virus free but it's got to be worth a go with some Tesco spuds??
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Post by Rosefriend on Feb 15, 2017 17:42:41 GMT
Question for you potato growers. Do any of you just bung a few spuds from Tesco in the ground/tubs/sacks. I appreciate the nursery grown seed potato is virus free but it's got to be worth a go with some Tesco spuds?? Not only have I done it, but I know quite a few here that have done it and had very good results andy,!! |
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Post by Ron on Mar 26, 2017 15:56:08 GMT
That's it, the seed potaoes are in.  |
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Post by Ron on Mar 26, 2017 16:19:36 GMT
I've read an interesting fact about growing potatoes in bags. The single biggest reason for poor yields is the roots getting too hot. You should shade the bags (not the plants) from the sun if you can.
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Post by maglonian on Mar 26, 2017 19:09:18 GMT
Wow that's a serious amount of potatoes you'll hopefully have there Ron, Not sure if I dreamt this but too much sun on bags turns the tubers green too ? |
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Post by Rosefriend on Mar 27, 2017 5:49:08 GMT
Not sure if I dreamt this but too much sun on bags turns the tubers green too ? That's a new one for me maglonian, - never heard of that before or had it happen... |
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Post by Barbara on Mar 27, 2017 7:02:31 GMT
Are you opening a chippy Ron,  |
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Post by Ron on Mar 27, 2017 8:04:42 GMT
Hhaha, maglonian, that's light on the tubers themselves if they aren't covered enough, unless maybe the dye in the green bags runs ...  Barbara, I've erred on the side of caution in case the yields are small and I can always give any excess away. Also it seems this size of bag is better and I wanted to test out some different varieties. I've also used different growing media, for instance one bag of Swift is in peat free ericaceous, the other in peat based ericaceous, one bag of Charlotte is in ericaceous the other in general purpose compost. You know how I like to complicate things |
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Post by Barbara on Mar 27, 2017 12:43:44 GMT
I think you need your own TV programme Ron, |
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Post by Ron on Mar 27, 2017 13:46:33 GMT
I think you need your own TV programme Ron , I'd give Monty a run for his money Barbara! |
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Post by maglonian on Mar 28, 2017 18:14:13 GMT
Hhaha, maglonian , that's light on the tubers themselves if they aren't covered enough, unless maybe the dye in the green bags runs ... ... you would not believe the times I've argued my case only to think I've heard it or read it |
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Post by Ron on May 28, 2017 18:41:33 GMT
An update on the potatoes in bags, they are growing well. Lost some in the two on the left to mice but there are plenty left.  |
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Post by Ladygardener on May 30, 2017 11:47:36 GMT
Yes they're looking good Ron, |
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Post by Ron on Jul 9, 2017 17:56:23 GMT
You don't expect too many from first earlies so I suppose this isn't too bad. Yield from two bags of Swift. Just 2g off 2kg in weight.  |
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