Growing potatoes

[Bigbob]

Its really only worth growing first early in containers they take 90+ days from planting to eating im planting mine end of march they take a month to come threw end of April most frosts should be finished and every time theres 8 inches of growth cover them up again till your within a couple of inches of the containers top 

Im going into poundland . pound world every time im out and get a box of potato fertilizer £1 every time i top them up i put a handful on top of the old compost 

I get liquid  container  plant food , tomorite  and plant food mix them togther and put 2 capfulls in a watering can and i call it feed them friday when i do all the containers 

During the summer i spend a hour a day deadheading flowers working on the tubs and the 2 hours feeding on friday  i find it really peacefull  

Google potatoes and see what you fancy i grew one  last year  as i liked the colours after seeing for sale at a supermarket 

[Wylye]

19 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

Yep, I forgot mention slugs. My grandfather used to spread what he called 'basic slag' heaven knows what it was but I know it hurt like hell in a cut on your hand. It was a type of fertilizer I know but I am certain that any slugs touching it would not be happy at all.  Back then Arran Pilot where the new spud  and still are a nice eating potato.

I just want some earlies for summer use.

Basic slag was a by-product of the iron and steel industry and was an excellent source of semi-soluble phosphate and lime. It was used mainly on grassland and was replaced in the 1970’s by ground rock phosphate from North Africa as the steel processes changed. Farmers mourned the loss of slag as it was cheap and readily available, the rock phosphate was a poor substitute. 

[Bigbob]

9 minutes ago, Wylye said:

Basic slag was a by-product of the iron and steel industry and was an excellent source of semi-soluble phosphate and lime. It was used mainly on grassland and was replaced in the 1970’s by ground rock phosphate from North Africa as the steel processes changed. Farmers mourned the loss of slag as it was cheap and readily available, the rock phosphate was a poor substitute. 

If your worried about slug copper tape round the container £1  from any pound shop LOL 

[Walker570]

25 minutes ago, Wylye said:

Basic slag was a by-product of the iron and steel industry and was an excellent source of semi-soluble phosphate and lime. It was used mainly on grassland and was replaced in the 1970’s by ground rock phosphate from North Africa as the steel processes changed. Farmers mourned the loss of slag as it was cheap and readily available, the rock phosphate was a poor substitute. 

Thanks for that. I remember in about 1955 three miners wives from the village sitting carefully cutting some very large Scottish seed potatoes in half leaving a bud on each side and they dipped the cut side in basic slag to seal it. This doubled the amount of potatoes that could be grown from one cwt bag of seed spuds. We used to grow about 50 acres back then which was a lot of spuds but very small by todays standards.  This was the time the October school holiday was called "Tatter picking holiday" and kids would vie for a place on the picking team. They used to get 5/- a week, grown ups, usually again miners wives would get 10/-.  

[ditchman]

13 hours ago, Walker570 said:

Thanks for that. I remember in about 1955 three miners wives from the village sitting carefully cutting some very large Scottish seed potatoes in half leaving a bud on each side and they dipped the cut side in basic slag to seal it. This doubled the amount of potatoes that could be grown from one cwt bag of seed spuds. We used to grow about 50 acres back then which was a lot of spuds but very small by todays standards.  This was the time the October school holiday was called "Tatter picking holiday" and kids would vie for a place on the picking team. They used to get 5/- a week, grown ups, usually again miners wives would get 10/-.  

i didnt know your family made their money from slave ownership

[Walker570]

If I remember correctly my father moved to a better job in about 1954 going from farm to farm fitting thses ne fangled milking machines for Fullwood and his weekly wage was about £3 10s. They did supply him a van, a bullnose Morris with just the drivers seat.  How would todays Milleniums survive?

[amateur]

5/-, luxury!

When I were a lad i'Yorkshire, I went tater pickin an only got a 1d.

Admittedly, I was 6 years old and only lasted the day!