Growing Potatoes in Containers
Potatoes are a crop that do really well here and that many people like to grow. They are relatively easy to grow in containers there are just a few things that you need to know. All what you need to grow potatoes in containers are:
Large 10 litre containters (you could use pots or buckets);
Crocks – bits of broken plant pots or pebbles;
Soil or compost;
Certified seed potatoes from reliable supplier.
Earlies potato variety is the first new potatoes of the season. They mature fast in around 10 weeks have thin skin and do not store well. They should be eaten soon after harvesting and are best choose when growing potatoes in containers.
Chitting of potatoes
Seed potatoes are small tubers grown in areas of low virus infection.
“Chitting”, or sprouting, aids early growth.
As soon as tubers are obtained
(usually February), place them upright in trays, with the most eyes or dormant sprouts uppermost, in a cool, frost-free, light place.
They will send out healthy, short, green shoots. Chitting takes about 4-6 weeks.
Planting of potatoes
Put crocks in the bottom of your container or buckets for drenage and then half-fill them with your soil or compost.
Rub off all but two or three large shoots from each seed before planting to
ensure larger potatoes.
Plant the potatoes seed with most of the shoots pointing upwards. Cover them with 10cm of soil.
‘Earthing Up’ Plants
Ensure your plants are kept well watered but try not to wet the foliage. It is
also necessary to regularly draw soil up around the emerging stem. This
practice is called earthing up and it prevents the skins of the newly formed
tubers becoming green and poisonous on exposure to light.
Add about 10cm of soil/compost when the stems are 15cm tall and
continue to repeat this earthing up until the plants have grown to within 5cm of the top of the container.
Harvesting you potato crop
To harvest container grown potatoes (generally around flowering time)
simply tip your container upside down. Break up the soil by hand to expose the tubers.
Yardiac.com the Gardening Super Store
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