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Compost in Potato bags

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Jenny77 (U1157419) on Thursday, 16th February 2012

  Hello,
  
  I grew potatoes in 3 bags last year. Filling them with new compost everytime is going to make them quite expensive to grow so I was going to try to reuse some of it. It's also not very sustainable otherwise.
  
  I was thinking of mixing it with a bit of new stuff and some fertilizer, do you think this should be ok?
  
  Thanks
  Jenny

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Kleftiwallah (U13700999) on Friday, 17th February 2012

  "Do you think this should be O.K. ? Yes, this will be O.K.
  
  It is standard practice to envigorate your soil with a new injection each year. Carry on, there is enough goodness still in the soil after doing this for another years spuds. Cheers, Tony.

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• Message 3

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  Posted by MuddyFork (U10051443) on Friday, 17th February 2012

  Jenny,
  When growing potatoes in open ground you are told not to use the same area 2 years running to avoid a build up of diseases. I grow my potatoes in bags and each year use a new area of the veg patch to provide the soil to fill them, using the bag soil from last year to replace what has been removed. I then add chicken manure and homemade compost to the bags. Has worked well for me for the past 4 years.
  MF

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• Message 4

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  Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Friday, 17th February 2012

  Theres always a risk using old compost of pests being in it.
  
  I used the same compost twice in one year and there was an infestation of vine weevil in the compost. It hasn't put me off though, this year it will be a mix of old and new home grown compost.
  
  I would advise not adding mushroom comost to the mix though when growing spuds as I read somewhere spuds don't grow particularly well in it. My brother mixed in mushroom compost last year and it was the wost crop he had ever had.

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• Message 5

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  Posted by CelSue (U5036102) on Saturday, 18th February 2012

  I grew spuds in bags using my own compost last year fed with homemade liquid feed as an experiment. Worked really well. Not sure if using the same soil is a good idea but might be cheaper to put soil from the garden in and feed.
  
  Good luck,
  
  CelSue

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• Message 6

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  Posted by Jenny77 (U1157419) on Monday, 27th February 2012

  Thanks for all your help. Think I'll try a mixture of soil from the garden and compost.
  Cheers
  Jenny

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• Message 7

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  Posted by bookertoo (U3655866) on Tuesday, 28th February 2012

  I grow huge amounts of things in bags and pots and certainly could not afford to replace the compost every year. I re-use what is there, top up with new, add fertiliser and vermiculite for drainage and carry on - this will be the fourth year our spuds have been in the bags, and I expect as good a crop this year as we've had the last three.
  
  i would be very unhappy about using garden soil in bags or pots as there are always issues with drainage, infestations and compaction. Besides, I need the soil in the garden, not in the pots or bags.

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• Message 8

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  Posted by Vixxihibiscus (U13865184) on Wednesday, 29th February 2012

  I grow lots in pots and bags as I have a small urban garden and I do have an allotment but it is 80 miles from my house! So lots of crops still need to be grown at home. I do reuse compost all the time but as with my allotment I always practice crop rotation.
  
  Apart from the associated pest and disease risks, this years crops will have taken out all their nutrients and these will be depleted for next years crop. I always grow potatoes but I will then use the potato compost for some beetroot or peas, herbs or cut salads the following year (not tomatoes as they are the same family and hungry feeders), then some brassicas in the winter or pots of strawberries for the following year? I also use it to fill pots with bulbs and plants, rejuvenate fruit bushes.
  
  What with tomatoes, beans and potatoes being my hungriest feeders, I always use the newest compost for them and divvy out all the pre-used stuff for the others with as someone has said additions of manure, or comfrey tea. I also make a "bean pit" in a large pot for my runner beans as I do on the allotment with all my old peelings etc.
  
  Best of luck!

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• Message 9

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  Posted by Laura (U9085143) on Friday, 2nd March 2012

  I admire all who grow produce in containers, getting excellent results usually, but I find that filling and emptying them, as well as sometimes having to move them, is heavy and exhausting work so I grow mostly in open ground. The soil here is not the best being acid, heavy and WET. On the plus side I must count my blessings that I do have enough room in the ground outside to grow vegetables and some flowers too whereas there are many that are not so fortunate and therefore have no option but to use containers.

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