Laura McKenzie on mon 17 oct 05

Joel, this makes me think that either I put a platform of some sort in the
can that I can lower or I use a cage. If I went the platform route I could
use sticks in holes in the sides to hold up the plant platform and then
lower the platform by removing the sticks and have the next set of holes
with sticks in them ready. That sounds like too much trouble who knows how
much disturbance potatoes can take so I'll go with cages.

It would be good to have cages sitting over spots where I can't usually grow
stuff (like over the arsenic beds with lots and lots of cardboard between
the potatoes and the soil?)

Laura

Joel Gruver on mon 17 oct 05

Hello folks,

My observation is that there are 2 main reasons why container grown potatoes
sometimes perform very poorly.

#1 Only some potato varieties are well suited for container production...
see following excerpt from Irish Eyes-Garden City seeds for some varietal
recommendations.

#2 Potatoes need lots of sunlight to produce good yields... potato plants
often appear to grow well in the shade but yields are poor.

Joel

THE CAGE METHOD

Grow a few potato plants, each or in their own woode1:18 PM 11/13/00n box,
crib, barrel or wire cage. The container should be about 18x18 inches at the
base, about 24-30 inches tall, and able to be gradually filled with soft
soil or mulch as the vines grow. Set each container atop a well-prepared
fertile soil. Plant one strong seed piece and cover lightly with 4 inches of
soil. As the vines grow, gradually fill the container with mellow compost,
mulch or soil, but always make sure you don't cover more than one-third of
the vine's new growth. With some varieties, the underground stolons which
produce potato tubers keep on forming new ones for some time. In containers
the yield may be increased 200-3000 percent compared with open-field
culture. This is a great way to grow a lot of potatoes in a very limited
space. We recommend doing this with Yellow Finn, Indian Pit, Red Pontiac, or
the fingerling types. Watering requirements will be greater however, so
check the cages or containers frequently in warm weather.

Susan Setzler on mon 17 oct 05

thanks, Joel, I might try it again, but put it where I can water
better. Once I tried it with compost, but it was not completely
"cooked" and it cooked my potatoes. and another time they just didn't
produce. but it is a fun thing to try.

susan

james allAn on mon 17 oct 05

I wonder how it would work in a four foot square bed with high sides so
more compost could be added. I might join the experiment that way. I
don't think I would put them closed than one per square foot. My sunniest
bed is also convenient to water. I will have to research what would be the
variety most likely to succeed in my area.

James Allan
jallan6977@earthlink.net
EarthLink Revolves the almighty dollar

james allAn on mon 17 oct 05

Thanks will do the research.

James Allan
jallan6977@earthlink.net
EarthLink Revolves the almighty dollar

so
> more compost could be added. I might join the experiment that way. I
> don't think I would put them closed than one per square foot. My
sunniest
> bed is also convenient to water. I will have to research what would be
the

kathryn marsh on mon 17 oct 05

I often hear people complain that "volunteer" potatoes have come up
in old compost heaps and have very few potatoes despite magnificent
top growth. In every case I've been able to check the compost heap
was hidden in some shady and out of the way place

People are very cruel to their spuds - they and rhubarb seem to be
expected to grow on fresh air and nothing else. Jerusalem artichokes
are another sufferer from the "it'll grow anywhere" syndrome. I've
seen them expected to produce a crop in places where the bindweed gives up

kathryn

kathryn marsh on mon 17 oct 05

Its been done with huge success at one to a square Jim - I'd try
asking one of the square foot lists what varieties they recommend.

kathryn

Sue Jennings on tue 18 oct 05

--0-1543229457-1129620471=:31734

What does one to a square mean? One potato?

Kathryn Marsh wrote:
Its been done with huge success at one to a square Jim - I'd try
asking one of the square foot lists what varieties they recommend.
kathryn

--0-1543229457-1129620471=:31734

Laura McKenzie on tue 18 oct 05

I'll be plotting out a 4x4 spot to try a cage when I return. Perhaps I can
start a bit of a compost pile in the spot to get a leg up on it all. With
all this warm weather and carefully planned turning I might have some
finished compost when I"m ready to plant.

The kids and I (leaving husband home to work) are going to North Georgia to
visit a friend's organic farm and then on to my folks house to spend the
night. I have plans for buying lots of apples on my trip too : )

Laura

Lance on tue 18 oct 05

So, the container to grow potatoes only needs to be 2:2-1/2 ft tall? I
had imagined 55 Gal (208 Litre) standing at about
4 ft tall? In other words, a standard outdoor trash container. Is this
correct or is a kitchen trash container (10-20 Gal)
sufficient?

Can't wait for spring. LOL - as there is a high expected of 93 degrees
today. Average temperature for the month is 78
degrees.

Lance

kathryn marsh on tue 18 oct 05

yes - in square foot gardening the bed is marked out with a square
foot grid and then you plant so many to a square - or so many squares
to a plant for squashes etc

k

james allAn on tue 18 oct 05

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One plant. Corn is planted even closer and I have gotten over 4 dozen ears from one 4*4 square.

James Allan
jallan6977@earthlink.net
EarthLink Revolves the almighty dollar

What does one to a square mean? One potato?

Kathryn Marsh wrote:
Its been done with huge success at one to a square Jim - I'd try
asking one of the square foot lists what varieties they recommend.
kathryn
------=_NextPart_84815C5ABAF209EF376268C8

----- Original Message -----

From: Sue Jennings

To: OGL@LSV.UKY.EDU

Sent: 10/18/2005 3:28:12 AM

Subject: Re: growing potatoes in a container

What does one to a square mean?  One potato?

Kathryn Marsh <kmarsh@IOL.IE> wrote:

Its been done with huge success at one to a square Jim - I'd try
asking one of the square foot lists what varieties they recommend.
kathryn

Sue Jennings on tue 18 oct 05

--0-60962211-1129679170=:99439

I built square foot gardening beds under that premise, but I have never split up my beds, I just plant as close as I can in a 4' X 4' bed. I thought you were supposed to plant potatoes a few inches apart, like 8 inches. That is using a part of the potato with at least two eyes. So in a 16 inch across round container, how may chunks of potato could you use?
Thanks, Sue
If we are going to do documentation, I think we need to tell how many chunks we started with, how many eyes on each, etc.

Kathryn Marsh wrote:
yes - in square foot gardening the bed is marked out with a square
foot grid and then you plant so many to a square - or so many squares
to a plant for squashes etc

> What does one to a square mean? One potato?

--0-60962211-1129679170=:99439

kathryn marsh on wed 19 oct 05

> So, the container to grow potatoes only needs to be 2:2-1/2 ft
> tall? I had imagined 55 Gal (208 Litre) standing at about
> 4 ft tall? In other words, a standard outdoor trash container.

The UK dustbin is about waist height, circular and about two foot diameter

> Is this correct or is a kitchen trash container (10-20 Gal)
> sufficient?

Whatever you have is fine. I use a two gallon bucket for my Christmas spuds.

kathryn

Tony and Moira on wed 19 oct 05

Potatoes need lots of sunlight to produce good yields... potato plants
> often appear to grow well in the shade but yields are poor.

Hi Joel
I can't now find the message which complained that potatoes would sometimes
grow vigorously in compost bins but produce very little crop. I have had the
opposite experience a few times when compost volunteers have been most
mighty producers of good-sized tubers.

Reading your above remark I am sure this success relates to the situation of
my bins which happens to be in full sun.

Moira

John D'hondt on thu 20 oct 05

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

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So in a 16 inch across round container, how may chunks of potato =
could you use?
Thanks, Sue
I would put just one small whole potato in that space or if you have to =
cut chunks at most two chunks. The second chunk would only be needed if =
the first one came to grief.
A good potato plant will fil up that space under normal conditions.
Seed potatoes now (from the seeds in the green fruits) I would plant at =
5 plants or so in that space because it would not be the intention of =
getting a bumper crop of those. Only enough to see how good or bad the =
new seedlings were.
john
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style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">

 So in a 16 inch across round =
container,
how may chunks of potato could you use? 

Thanks, Sue