growing potatoes

[grannie39]

has anyone any ideas about growing potatoes in containers? thanks

[Buenchico]

The Royal Horticultural Society has plenty of ideas about it:
http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0506/pota toespots.asp

Chris

[Clanad]

We do it regularly here in the western U.S.

I grow them in the plastic 25 to 40 gallon garbage barrels simply because they are the cheapest. First, one cuts or drills several holes in the bottom to promote drainage.

Then, place the barrel(s) where you want them for the season since they will become heavy by harvest time. Should be a place where they will get at least 6 hours of sun a day... more's better.

Place about 8 inches or so of common bagged soil (unless you have a spoil pile in your garden where you can get dirt). Using your choice of seed potatoes, place about 4 or 5 around the perimeter of the bottom of the barrel, but not to close to the outer wall.

Then, water about an inch a week. After the spuds sprout, let them start growing and after they are well leafed out almost cover them with additional dirt. Do this throughout the growing season, watering as advised. When the tops yellow and begin dying out, test a plant to see how they are producing. I wait at least two weeks after the tops die back to harvest, but you can safely wait until the weather turns cold.

I use red skinned potatoes, but have grown Yukon Gold's successfually... Good luck...

[chas2008]

we threw some old spuds that had sprouted into a large flower pot last year , they grew no problem. You wont get masses of spuds but we were happy and theres nothing like home grown taters...We will be doing it again this year