Growing New Potatoes

[cruising]

How do I grow new potatoes in a sack bag

[Thunderbird+]

I've never tried this method but after giving it some thought, I think in principle it could work well and worth experimenting with.

You will need a heavy duty plastic bag that will not allow light topenatrate through, roll the sides down about a 3rd of the way, fill with general purpose compost, plant 1or 2 chitted seed potatoes, depending on bag size, pierce some drainage holes in the bottom and as the shoots come through roll up the sides 2 or 3 turns and add more compost each time until the bag is full. As you require your new potatoes, just reverce the proccess by rolling down and making sure to keep light out of the bag as you go, I think the bags would really need to be strong though, old compost bags may be ideal. You can do a similar method to this with a stack of old car tyres, even on a paved area. Well thats my idea anyway Good Luck.

[flubber]

That idea does work. I have also grown a few in a bucket (putting drainage holes in the bottom and lower sides) just keep the potatoes and shoots covered as they grow. When the bucket/bag/sack is full of earth let the shoots flower-when the flower dies the potatoes are ready.

[WendyS]

Yes, I'm sure Thurderbird's suggestion would work. I've previously grown a few potatoes in a really large black plastic shrub pot and they were fine. The important thing is to keep the light away from the potato tubers all the time. I've also grown them equally well in an old compost heap which was maturing while the second heap was being built up nearby.

[cruising]

thanks for the replies, however I can not understand if the potatoes in the bottom are planted first and are not picked till last is this not a bad thing, also how can all the potatoes flower when on top of each other?

I am going to try this but just wondered what happens

thanks