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potato growbag experiment
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Message 1.Ìý
Posted by also (U14824616) on Wednesday, 10th August 2011
Having grown potatoes on bags for the last 2 years in the method suggested by various magazines/ web sites etc., I thought I would try an experiment.
I placed some compost in the bottom of bag (1) as normal and placed my pots on top and covered with more compost and built up the layers as they grew. all normal stuff.
At the same time that I started bag (1), I started bag (2) the same way, but after placing my pots in I completely filled the bag to the top, which meant I had nothing more to do except water them.
I recently emptied out both bags and found that bag (2) had a slightly bigger crop than bag (1). So I know what I will be doing from now on.
Has anyone else tried the same way and if so what results have you had? -
Message 2
Posted by netherfield (U3897706) on Wednesday, 10th August 2011
I used method 2 for a few years now,usually with T&M potato fertiliser.
This year the only difference has been the fertiliser-
Because this is the first year it's hard to justify,but the crop of spuds have excelled themselves,so next year it will be sheep pellets again.
The biggest 'Kestrel' this year weighed in at 2lb 7oz, I reckon to have about 30% more crop this year compared with last. -
Message 3
Posted by PAC (U14478656) on Wednesday, 10th August 2011
I'm getting great crops from filling the growbags to the top too, so won't be trying the "fill 'em up as they grow" method!
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Message 4
Posted by zulu (U14347742) on Thursday, 11th August 2011
Having grown potatoes on bags for the last 2 years in the method suggested by various magazines/ web sites etc., I thought I would try an experiment.
I placed some compost in the bottom of bag (1) as normal and placed my pots on top and covered with more compost and built up the layers as they grew. all normal stuff.
At the same time that I started bag (1), I started bag (2) the same way, but after placing my pots in I completely filled the bag to the top, which meant I had nothing more to do except water them.
I recently emptied out both bags and found that bag (2) had a slightly bigger crop than bag (1). So I know what I will be doing from now on.
Has anyone else tried the same way and if so what results have you had?
Ìý Interesting. I tried your #2 method last year and again this year and from two tatties in the bag I was awarded with almost 2 kilo of fairly large tatties. Mind you I watered and fed with the 'rite'. Neighbours informed me that my tatties would turn out red but they were fibbing
I too found this method much simpler especially as I only have room for bags, of which I had six. -
Message 5
Posted by bookertoo (U3655866) on Thursday, 11th August 2011
Very interested in this, as have found over last couple of years that trying to get out and gradually fill the bags as previously advised has been very difficult - for a variety of reasons which are not gardening so don't need to go int here. If we could fill them from the start, that would be great - I also do not have the space to grow them in open ground, so have been trying in bags. Will certainly try this way next year - thanks.
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Message 6
Posted by zulu (U14347742) on Thursday, 11th August 2011
Good luck for next year. It really is that simple. I use this method for various plants/veg. Just bung it in and let it get on with it and I haven't experienced much heartache yet. If it's a plant it'll want to grow, upwards!
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Message 7
Posted by blueberry77 (U14703896) on Friday, 12th August 2011
How deep are your bags and how soon do you see the leaves breaking the surface in method 2 (ie fill up to start with) ?
Do you get as much greenery in the second method ? -
Message 8
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Friday, 12th August 2011
This year I started off with good intentions using method 1 but then went on my gollies at the end of April for 2 weeks. Some bags were full others only 2/3 full of compost.
If you remember the cracking April we had, when I got back they'd grown like triffids and so I didn't put any more compost in the bags for fear of snapping off the foilage.
I don't even think you need to fill those bags bought for spuds to the top with compost. I got the same size crop from the bags 2/3 full as those which were full of compost.
I'll give method 2 a try next year because it's such a faff having to top up the bags and if it worked for you...
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Message 9
Posted by PAC (U14478656) on Friday, 12th August 2011
I followed method 2 and there is a great abundance of greenery!!
the bags I used were the Miracle-gro pre-prepared compost = v good results -
Message 10
Posted by koala_girl (U12702629) on Sunday, 14th August 2011
That is very interesting. I will give method 2 a try next year. I had a mini trial of my own this year. I grew half of them in my normal way, which is turning an old compost sack inside out and punching holes in the bottom, and half in "proper" sacks from the GC (bought in the sales). The ones grown in old compost sacks had far more potatoes than the other ones. I wondered if it could be anything to do with the colour? Inside out compost sacks are black but the proper ones were green.
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Message 11
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Sunday, 14th August 2011
Koala girl. What you say about the colour of the bag is an interesting point.
I watered my bags nearly everyday particularly when the weather began to heat up, my garden gets sun all day (when we get it)
Black attracts the sun, I'm sure the dark green bags attract it just as much but if old compost bags are not turned inside out the outer colour is predominately white, you would think the bags wouldn't heat up as much and there would be less need to water. Or am I reading to much into this.
Think I'll have an early night -
Message 12
Posted by also (U14824616) on Monday, 15th August 2011
Sorry blueberry, have been off the web for a few days so hence late reply.
My bags are about 40cm (16 inches) deep, but after reading some of the later posts I think I will try less depth next year as like others, I don't think it needs to be so high. (why waste compost if it's not needed.
Most of mine in the ground only get up to max. of 20cm (8inches) cover and they are usually very good crops.
As for the time to show greenery, I guess it took about 3 weeks, and yes I got as much greenery in method 2 as in method 1.
have a go and good luck -
Message 13
Posted by also (U14824616) on Monday, 15th August 2011
Sorry for late reply ,but have been off web for a few days.
We learn a bit every day. I will follow your example and only fill the bags 2/3 next year, as it's a way of saving some compost, and it also helps the problem of finding a home for all the spent compost at the end of the season. cheers -
Message 14
Posted by koala_girl (U12702629) on Monday, 15th August 2011
Oh yes, it's always difficult to decide what to do with all that compost when you empty the sacks. This year I have been all around the garden spreading used potato compost over every available bit of soil and I still have another sack left to empy.
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Message 15
Posted by bookertoo (U3655866) on Friday, 19th August 2011
You know, there is no need at all to replace the compost in potato bags each year. You can top it up with fresh compost, stir in some good fertiliser and use it at least twice more. We are into our second year using the same compost treated in this way, and have just as good a crop as we did the first time.
I think the idea came from someone on this site, although I cannot be absolutely certain about that.
If yu are left with alot of compost at any time, you can add it to your compost bin as long as your stir it in, after you have top dressed the whole garden, trees, hedges, pots and containers - and that ould take a great deal of it could it not? -
Message 16
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Friday, 19th August 2011
Although tempting bookertoo to use it again, a word of warning to anyone who does, I did one year witha second crop and one bag had vine weevil in, it could have been a bit of bad luck but I ended up with vine weevil in a few pots too.
Consequently with my christmas spub bags I seived the compost to make sure nothing was in it before using it again, there wasn't but then I had spud plants coming up in flower pots not a major disaster though as they just pull out -
Message 17
Posted by blueberry77 (U14703896) on Saturday, 20th August 2011
Thanks for the update. I have grown in tubs before, but using the top-up as they grow method. I'll give the easier way a go next year.
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Message 18
Posted by Pumpkin_Patch_Paul (U14565900) on Saturday, 20th August 2011
I reuse my compost just freshen it up with some blood fish and bone and a handfull of growmore ,should get 3 years out of it before startig new again.
I mean plants will grow in water as long as they are getting a feed I believe one of the supermarket gaints range of tomatoes they sell never see any soil. -
Message 19
Posted by Barney_pl (U13897738) on Saturday, 20th August 2011
I've read this with interest.
One of my three Christmas potato bags (old compost bags) did less well than the other two in the early growth stakes (no idea why, as all three were done at the same time, in the same way), so it hasn't been topped up as the others have. It'll be interesting to see what, if any, difference there is in yield.
Last year, when I grew them in commercial bags, two of these were small, one much larger, and the two small bags were bursting with beautiful potatoes when I turned them out, while the bigger bag, earthed up as usual, did less well. (They were the GW "pay P&P only" Vivaldi 'potaoto growing kit'.).
Maybe Gardener's World programme could run a national trial - it would make more sense than the sunflower / pumpkin trials!
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