growing potatos........

[Riz]

some facts about the potato:-

Inca Indians in Peru were the first to cultivate potatoes in about 200 BC.
In 1536 Spanish Conquistadors conquered Peru, became aware of the potato, and carried them to Europe.
Before the end of the sixteenth century, families of Basque sailors began to cultivate potatoes along the Biscay coast of northern Spain.
Sir Walter Raleigh introduced potatoes to Ireland in 1589 near Cork on the 40,000 acres of land given to him by Queen Elizabeth I in 1581.
Potatoes arrived in the Colonies in 1621 when the Governor of Bermuda, Nathaniel Butler, sent two large cedar chests containing potatoes and other vegetables to Governor Francis Wyatt of Virginia at Jamestown.
The first permanent potato patches in North America were established in 1719, most likely near Londonderry (Derry), NH.
Antoine-Auguste Parmentier, an economist and French army officer who ate many potatoes during his imprisonment in Hamburg during the Seven Year's War, helped King Louis XIV popularize the potato in France in the 18th century. Parmentier created a feast with only potato dishes, a concept he realized was possible while being imprisoned in Germany and fed only potatoes. Benjamin Franklin, ambassador to France, was in attendance of Parmentier's feast in 1767.
Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XV, was known to wear potato blossoms as a hair decoration.
French fries were introduced to the U.S. when Thomas Jefferson served them in the White House during his Presidency of 1801-1809.
Over the years of cultivation in Ireland, the potato had become the major food source to the Irish population. In 1845-46, a fungus destroyed the potato crops causing the Irish Potato Famine.
In October 1995, the potato became the first vegetable to be grown in space. NASA and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, created the technology with the goal of feeding astronauts on long space voyages, and eventually, feeding future space colonies.read more..... http://www.potatofacts.ca/mccain/en/facts/did_you_know/





Potatoes

Plant Height
Up to 45cm/18"
Time between planting and harvesting
16-22 weeks Where to plant
Outdoors in open ground or in containers
Planting time
March- April - temperature +10C/50F
How to plant
Most people buy "seed" potatoes. These are just small potatoes which have been certified as virus free. When you receive them usually in February, set them with the rose "eyes" uppermost in a light frost-free place. They will begin to sprout in about 6 weeks. Once the sprouts are about 2cm/3/4" long plant as below.
Open Ground - Plant the whole sprouted potato, sprouts up, about 12cm/5" deep and at least 30cm/12" apart in rows at least 60cm/2ft apart or in groups/blocks.
Containers - Best for growing small "new" potatoes. Use containers at least 30cm/12" deep. Place a 10cm/4" layer of soil or compost in the bottom of the container then rest the sprouted potatoes (space as above) on top of the soil. Add enough soil/compost to cover them by 2.5cm/1" only. See "growing on" below.
After Germination
Protect from frosts. Keep weeded.
Growing on - in Pots
Once the shoots emerge and have reached 15cm/6", add another 10cm/4" layer of soil/compost. Repeat to within 5cm/2" of the top of the container. Make sure you keep the tubers well covered with earth so they don't go green as this is poisonous. Keep watered. This method will give you a pot full of potatoes from base to top.
Growing on- in ground
Keep weed free. Make sure you keep the tubers well covered with earth so they don't go green as this is poisonous. Water well in dry weather.
Aftercare
As above.
Harvesting
Early/New Potatoes - Flowering usually indicates that potatoes have reached an edible size. Lift as required.
Maincrop - These can be lifted as required or left in the ground until the foliage has died back. They can then be lifted for storage.












potatoes are a wonderful crop for the first timer and much loved by many vegetable gardeners. If it is your first year on your plot then I recommend growing a few plants. this is the first time i am growing potatoes and i am growing them in a old soil bag ( b&q)

this potatoe is straight from the corner shop ..

this potatos with little green sprouts are called "chitted potatoe) basically its gone to seed ( i am sure youve seen these before)

i was busy for a while and neglected taking pics...

Punch holes in the bottom of the bag for drainage. roll the plastic sack back like a sleeve and put some regular B&Q soil inside it (around 4 inchs of it) place the spud with the shoots facing upwards on top of soil and then cover potatoe with soil, potatoes grow in just average soil, so a great deal of soil preparation is not really needed just enough to cover the spud, water in and leave , very quickly you will see leaves forming and it will start shooting upwards, keep adding soil as the plant grows ( rolling up sleeve of sack as you go)

[Riz]

here is the plant as we speak with its vines, as you an see the sack has been rolled right to the top

when the leaves start to brown, ill see what i harvested... its my first time so, so anything is a bonus

watering - Black or hollow centers on potatoes is often caused by over-watering. Irregular watering causes irregular shaped or knobby potatoes just like tomatoes, As a guideline, water potatoes (thoroughly) weekly during warmer summer weather.

[Abdullah Ali]

Above pic... Pototoes will come from this?

[Riz]

they grow under the ground ( or inside the sack in this case)
Potatoes are grown from tubers, known as seed potatoes,

here is a drawing :-

[Abdullah Ali]

How many do you reckon you will get from your one in the sack? How long will it take?

[Riz]

How many do you reckon you will get from your one in the sack? How long will it take?

hi abdullah..

its my first time growing them so at a guess mabe 2 dozen potatoes from one chitted potatoe i started. at the end of next week ill harvest what i have, and ill show you..

in the next couple of days inshallah ill be posting pics of a flower patch, ive grown all flowers from seedlings or seed. this will be in the new "users garden" section,

[Abdullah Ali]

Salam alaikum Riz,you are expecting 24 potatoes from the above sack? How long will they take(from beginning to end)?

[Riz]

i planted them pretty late , i should harvested in june .. i started them at the last minute..

really they should be started at the end of feb or early march, so 3 months from start to finish

[Abdullah Ali]

Do you expect to get 24 from the above(1)sack?

[Riz]

maybe even more than 2 dozen.. the sack feels pretty firm.. remember you can start of 10 sacks, and have enough potatoes to last you for a while..

this was my first time so i didnt know what to expect.. but its looking good inshallah.. the plant leaves look healthy and and are turning brown.. so maybe next week ill empty it all out and see what i have got :)

[Abdullah Ali]

Wow! I can't wait to get started.

[Riz]

Wow! I can't wait to get started.

you can also have a nice herb garden, all in containers,, they smell and taste wondeful espically basil ( lovley smell)

[Abdullah Ali]

Yeah I would like a nice mixture of Herbs aswell.

[Riz]

i harvested the potatoes today.. so i planted the chitted potato on the 5th may and i harvested today 9th august

here are the results.................

[Riz]

some more pics for your delight





i got some baby potatoes to wich is a bonus :)

[Abdullah Ali]

They look delicious, how long will they 'keep'? When will you start again? and when will they be ready again?
The above took 4 months to grow/harvest?
You grew these from 2 chitted potatoes?

[Riz]

They look delicious, how long will they 'keep'?

salaam ...



not long lol.. ill probarley hand them out to family.. thats what i usually do share with family and neighbours.. i enjoy giving them away more than i do eating them :)

[Riz]

put it this way.. i can start right now again if i wanted to and get a harvest in 3 months .. so in november i will have a sack full of potatoes

[Abdullah Ali]

Can you carry on doing this all throughout the year/s

[Riz]

The above took 4 months to grow/harvest?
You grew these from 2 chitted potatoes?

no 3 months from beginning to end..

yes two chitted potatoes,, remember i only had limited space in the sack,, so i could have yielded more if i had more room...

but then again if i wanted too, i could have had at least 5 sacks worth of potatoes growing around the garden if i desired......

this was a test with a regular corner shop potato.. you can also get "certified potatoes" ( disease free) that will gaurantee great yields..

but this was an experiment, and be honest with you abdullah i am well pleased with the results, they are aslo disease free which is a bonus, and a testament for growing in plastic sacks....

plus i didnt use any chemicals ,, it was all natural :)

[Sakeena]

those pictures look amazing, i'm kinda stunned that you managed to grown them from a black bag.

A little confused you say you started with one chitted potato and on this page you say 2, how many did you plant? So how many potatoes did you find in the end? How did they taste?

If you planted it late aka in May when it shouldve been done late Feb/early March and you claim on this page you can start again and have sack of potatoes by Nov, does that mean there isn't a particular time period in which one should plant potatoes? In other words you can start any time, even during winter?

Will you be planting potatoes again? I ask because i'm intrigued, i like the idea of growing my own food.

[Riz]

those pictures look amazing, i'm kinda stunned that you managed to grown them from a black bag.

thanks, people have been doing this for a while though

i wanted to save space so this was a good idea for me and it worked out better than i expected

A little confused you say you started with one chitted potato and on this page you say 2, how many did you plant? sorry,
let me clarify, i started 2 chitted potatos

So how many potatoes did you find in the end? How did they taste?around two dozen normal size ones and a dozen baby potatos, and yes they were totally delicious, i handed some out too neighbours and everyone loved them espically when i pointed out that i used no chemicals what so ever, even my mother who is a grower said she loved them,

very easy plant to grow, you could have sackfuls around the garden

If you planted it late aka in May when it shouldve been done late Feb/early March and you claim on this page you can start again and have sack of potatoes by Nov, does that mean there isn't a particular time period in which one should plant potatoes? In other words you can start any time, even during winter?potatos take around 3 months from planting to harvest so the only months you will have probelms growing because of the cold weather are mid december onwards and through till early march.

so if you plant some chitted potatos in early march and wait 3 months and then harvest , you can plant more potatoes in june and get another harvest in september and you can plant again in september and harvest in early december,

Will you be planting potatoes again? I ask because i'm intrigued, i like the idea of growing my own food.yes i will inshallah in early march.. a lot more this time, i will be growing them all the way through, i will be growing herbs, radish, ,onions and lots more..

[Sakeena]

thanks you for you prompt reply, just wondering what do you mean all the way through?

this is soo cool, but i have to wait 4 months before i can test it out for myself. I will be planting them in a sack inshallah - looks easier to harvest than me digging up my garden.

Just a few more question, when do you know the potatoes are done, is it when the leaves are brown? can you replant the potatoes you've grown for the next batch? what do with the shoots - can they be replanted?

[Riz]

just wondering what do you mean all the way through?

i meant i am going to plant potato's so i can inshallah have continuous spuds until december,



Just a few more question, when do you know the potatoes are done, is it when the leaves are brown? can you replant the potatoes you've grown for the next batch? what do with the shoots - can they be replanted?yep

when the leaves (vines) are browning you can harvest.. or just wait the whole 3 months and then harvest like i did, as you can see my vines are not even brown...

they can be planted but not right away, you have to get them to "chit" ( little shoots growing out of spud)


the shoots can be thrown away on the compost heap ( below pic)

[Riz]

Potato Chitting

http://www.selfsufficientish.com/potato.jpgNo its not a swear word, chitting basically means getting http://www.selfsufficientish.com/chit.JPG (http://www.selfsufficientish.com/bigspudpic.jpg)green shoots coming from your potatoes ready for planting out, see image on the left, this is how they should look, not like the image on the right. (the long and spindly one)
The conditions were slightly different for the two, I placed mine (pic on the left) on my kitchen window sill in an egg box for a few weeks, just slightly out of the direct sunlight and they chitted fine. Ideally you should let the green shoots grow to be about 1.5 - 3 cm (1/2-1inch) tall.

[Riz]

Salaam..


2008 grow

You still have a couple of weeks to get your potatos "chitted" if you want to start them of in mid April for harvesting in mid July..

I have already started some, and some have chitted i have put them in a old egg box and left in an indirect light in a cool place, as you can see they are sprouting up...

[Sakeena]

this may be a silly question but my potatoes look rotten (darken in colour and skin looks wrinkled slightly) is that normal? i didn't place it on a windowsill.

[Riz]

this may be a silly question but my potatoes look rotten (darken in colour and skin looks wrinkled slightly) is that normal? i didn't place it on a windowsill.

Its not a silly question at all, Ive had the same thing happen to my spuds they are chitting really well, but they do look wrinkly and soft, ( i dont know the answer, but i am looking into it) get back to ya as soon as i know :)

I will start my spuds of outdoors maybe on Saturday in plastic sacks like i did last season, I will be chitting more spuds soon as well ready to plant outdoors, so i will be staggering my grow..

[Riz]

sakeena..

found some info, the bottom of the spud is wrinkling and going soft because there is not enough moisture at the bottom of the spud, aslong as it keeps chitting its cool. if it goes brown and even more wrinkly, you will have to start again and chit some more potatos...

[Riz]

Its mid april so i decided to start some potatoes, even thought they are wrinkly and soft at the bottom, it was chitting nicely, i hope we don't get any frost in the evenings now, but i will risk it anyway, i still have more spuds i will start in 2 weeks and so on,

here is pics of the spuds as you can see its has chitted really well..

pic 1 & 2

pic 3 is an old used soil bag

pic 4 I am making irrigation holes at the side of the soil bag and at the base just using a screwdriver

[Riz]

you probarley cant see the holes i made, i made several holes.

pic2 :- i have rolled the sack right down to the bottom

pic3 :- i have filled the soil bag with soil around 3 to 4 inches making sure you there isnt any air pockets in the corners

[Riz]

pic1:-plant the spuds flat with the "rose eye" facing upwards

pic2:- give it a good watering enough to wet the soil well

[Riz]

cover the spuds with a layer of soil around 1 inch, and leave in the sunniest spot in the garden and inshallah the shoots will grow,, i will keep you all updated on my progress.

[Riz]

An update, its the 4th of may.. and i can see the the leaves on the spuds growing a little..

[Riz]

another update on the spuds..

i separated the spuds and put one in another soil bag, with the great weather we have been having the last couple of days, they are growing really well..

here is the latest pic..

[Riz]

the potato is spreading out in the soil bag, and doing really well at the moment, even though its a overcast day today...

[Kirsten]

I'm giving potatoes a try for the first time this year - we'll see how it goes! I'm really excited, my little potato pieces with eyes are currently drying in the sun

Unfortunately, I discovered that I'm kind of stupid and one of my cut pieces doesn't have an eye. It has the stub from where the potato was originally separated from the mother plant.

[Riz]

Are you growing them in the ground kirsten !?

of course you dont have to wait for the potatoe to chit before you can plant them, it just cuts the time down a bit..

i have done enough stupid things in the past like once i planted tulip bulbs upside down in the ground, and then remembered afterwards and it was too late to dig them up and i actually forget were abouts i planted them,, regardless to say none of them actually sprouted ;(

[Riz]

the potatoe vine is really shooting upwards , i had to put in more soil... i cant see any predators munching on the vines, so thats good :)

[Riz]

today i saw some slime trails inside the soil bag, slugs have munched of a few leaves, so i scattered some slug and snail killer inside... I am not going to bother with nutrients and fertilizers for the spuds, last season was the same and they grew perfectly, no black holes or green potatoes , some potatoes came out really knobbly, thats due to infrequent watering, and thats my fault. so there!! :)

[Kirsten]

They look big and healthy :)

I think a squirrel ran away with one of my seed potato pieces. And he didn't take the one with no eyes!!!

[Riz]

^ lol

[Riz]

the potato flowers are showing up...

[Riz]

the vines are looking nice and healthy and the flowers are beginning to open up...

i have 4 bags which i am growing spuds in, some are small at the moment, so i am giving them a weekly solution of nitrogen mixed with 5 litres of water ( i had the nitrogen since last year so i will just use this on one sack of spuds and then compare the results)

[Riz]

the flowers have opened up, I must say i am enjoying growing spuds in plastic sacks the leaves are really healthy and shiny..

[Riz]

so i started them on the 17th of april and it takes 3 months.. so expected time to harvest will be july 17th.. :)

[Riz]

i wont be filling all the sacs with soil, ill be leaving some half full just to harvest a few spuds from them. i have allready sourced out a little vegetable patch in the back of the garden so next season i will be growing spuds in the ground..

[Riz]

flowers on the potatoe vine, and then the seeds emerging form within the flower... its the first time ive ever seen potatoe seeds :)

[Riz]

another look at the potatoe seeds..

[Kirsten]

I'm way behind you apparently :)

Flowers (http://i37.tinypic.com/eufsew.png)

They're pretty :) I seem to remember seeing purple potato flowers somewhere, can't remember where though..

[Riz]

I'm way behind you apparently :)

Flowers (http://i37.tinypic.com/eufsew.png)

They're pretty :) I seem to remember seeing purple potato flowers somewhere, can't remember where though..

I think you started your grow later than me, but the kind of weather you are having i am sure you will harvest before me. I checked mine out today it has been 3 months since i started them, the vines are still green and lush. so i will give them another week or maybe longer. Saw a few slime trails inside the plastic bag but no sign of the predators, its been wet and humid in the evenings and thats the time slugs and snails love. Now i have the seeds on the potatoe vine growing i wonder if the plant will concentrate its energy in making the seeds or ripening the potatoes inside the sack.. Soon find out :)

[Riz]

some more pics i taken today, as you can see some soil bags are completley full and some are half full..

i should be havesting the first batch of spuds next week sometime inshallah..

[~Obsidian~]

You're meant to keep re-covering the vines as they grow right? So does this include leaves and all, and do they then rot under the soil or are they fine? :) (I know you're meant to leave a bit poking out still) but if you cover the leaves will it be fine? And how are your potatoes doing now?

[Riz]

You're meant to keep re-covering the vines as they grow right? So does this include leaves and all, and do they then rot under the soil or are they fine? :) (I know you're meant to leave a bit poking out still) but if you cover the leaves will it be fine? And how are your potatoes doing now?

yes keep adding soil,, the vines have majority of the leaves on the top so it will grow a huge stalk, its cool the leaves that are in the soil will just rot away and not affect the spuds... mine are doing fine i was tempted to have a look today but i wont because the vines are still lush and green, but i may do it next week sometime..

edit:- Dont cover the leaves with soil, just the vines

sometimes smaller leaves growing on the stalk can get buried in the soil, but thats fine,

[Riz]

As you can see the leaves are yellowing thats a sign of maturity. Ive had the potatos growing for 3 months now...

some seeds on the potato vine ( they look a bit like tomatoes) the seeds are inside

[~Obsidian~]

Umm..potato seeds? :confused:

[Riz]

Umm..potato seeds? :confused:

yeah.. even onions have seeds ya know :D


the berries that grow among the foliage of potato plants. An average plant produces dozens of berries, each of which contains hundreds of tiny seeds. Similar in appearance to tomato seed,

[~Obsidian~]

yeah.. even onions have seeds ya know :D


the berries that grow among the foliage of potato plants. An average plant produces dozens of berries, each of which contains hundreds of tiny seeds. Similar in appearance to tomato seed,

:o I know about onion seeds...(cooking with them lol) but potato seeds just seems a little odd :D

[Riz]

As you all know by now i am sure, that i started of a few spud grows so i can stagger the grow and have spuds to eat through the growing season, I bought the spuds from the local corner shop and planted one spud per bag.. and here are the results i could have left them for another 2 weeks i feel, but i just felt like having a look today :)

not a bad little haul i feel, some nice potatos if i left them for another maybe 2 weeks they would have gone really brown, so with the rest of the bags i will leave longer than i did with this one, but overall i am pleased with the results. In future grows i am not going to bother with filling the soil right to the brim of the sack i will just quarter fill them like i have done with the last spuds i planted, i have saved the soil as well for future use.


i got a knife and just slit the bag open


http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC00579.jpg

[Riz]

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC00580.jpg

[Riz]

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC00581.jpg



the vines can go on the compost heap

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC00582.jpg

[Riz]

If i had harvested 2 weeks ago i would have got "new early spuds" without the red skin,

but if i would have harvested in 3 weeks time i feel the potatos would have a nice thick red skin ( maincrop) at the moment its in-between the two, i can easily just peel the red skin of with my finger nail revealing a new potato.

i still have 3 other bags of potatos still growing so i will harvest them later than i would have.. I am glad i started 4 bags in total this way i can tell how long to leave them and when to harvest..

[Kirsten]

wow I'm impressed!!! I'm hungry just looking at them :)

I have bad news - it rained heavily yesterday and a bamboo plant got knocked off of its shelf and fell right onto my potato plant. Which promptly broke - all the stems cracked right at the base :(

[~Obsidian~]

:( ^^

My potato plant is flourishing :D 3 weeks on and I've already re-covered the stems - and then they shot up again overnight! Although they seem to be my cat's enemy, he takes every opportunity to snap a stem and rip the bag open :(

[Riz]

wow I'm impressed!!! I'm hungry just looking at them :)

I have bad news - it rained heavily yesterday and a bamboo plant got knocked off of its shelf and fell right onto my potato plant. Which promptly broke - all the stems cracked right at the base :(

thanks kirsten :)

thats a shame.. you still have plenty of time to start some more of anyway..

[Riz]

some more spuds, this sack is only a 1/4 full and this is how in future i will be growing spuds... the vines have yellowed so i opened the bag up...

[Riz]

nice small bounty... this is the best part of growing vegetables when all your hard work through the growing season comes to an end... I still have 2 more bags filled with spuds and ill wait for that a bit longer this way i can harvest spuds at diffrent times instead of getting lots all in one day

[~Obsidian~]

Lovely!

Mine are coping, although I get confused as to when to cover them...when 1 stalk reaches 6 inches? Or when the majority does? :confused:

I got my friend started with her own lot today, two small chitted potatoes in a 20 litre grow bag (by the book). What size are the sacks that you use?

[Riz]

hi..

i saw the pic at ummah.com and they are looking fine, you can cover the vines right up to the big leaves, , i have just the one spud growing from each sack as it will get bigger and bigger, if you tease one of the spuds out gently you can repot it in another sack, thats if you wish too..

you could have posted your pics on muslimgrower :)

and your tomatoes are looking fine

[~Obsidian~]

I planted them on the 19th, are you saying that I can still take one out? That was an old picture, they're bigger than that and I've recovered them (for the third time I think) I think I've nearly reached the top of the sack! So is it okay if I completely cover up a couple of vines to reach the big leave

You didn't say anything about the size sack that you're using

[Riz]

I planted them on the 19th, are you saying that I can still take one out? That was an old picture, they're bigger than that and I've recovered them (for the third time I think) I think I've nearly reached the top of the sack! So is it okay if I completely cover up a couple of vines to reach the big leave

just let them be then..

Yes you can do that but as the vines stretch out the leaves usually grow on the top of the vines ( the canopy) so if small leaves get covered in soil thats ok As you can see from my pics the leaves are on the top of the stalks..



You didn't say anything about the size sack that you're using


i use 75 litre bags, simply because i needed a lot of soil at the time, but remember i only quarter filled some of the sacks and i got around dozen big spuds and around half a dozen baby ones so its all good. Its looking good though.
is this your first time growing spuds ?

[~Obsidian~]

just let them be then..

Yes you can do that but as the vines stretch out the leaves usually grow on the top of the vines ( the canopy) so if small leaves get covered in soil thats ok As you can see from my pics the leaves are on the top of the stalks..

i use 75 litre bags, simply because i needed a lot of soil at the time, but remember i only quarter filled some of the sacks and i got around dozen big spuds and around half a dozen baby ones so its all good. Its looking good though.
is this your first time growing spuds ?

:D LOL at the edit!
I meant is it ok to completely cover the top of a stalk? Because some of them are really tall and some are kinda small.

Yup, first time growing them.

So they would totally burst out of a 20L bag then wouldn't they :S

[Riz]

:D LOL at the edit!
I meant is it ok to completely cover the top of a stalk?

the pic i saw on ummah.com was perfect, no not the top of the stalk as the leaves are growing from there,just cover the parts directly below the leaves, but its cool if you leave a couple of inch of the stalk showing, the technique is called "hilling" check this small video out and you will know what i mean,, obviousley youre not growing in the ground but the same principle applies .
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=F7l_DOlx1Uo

Yup, first time growing them.

So they would totally burst out of a 20L bag then wouldn't they :Syou will get lots of baby spuds ( which i prefer) you will be fine i have seen many smaller containers and you can still get a decent harvest.. your vines are looking healthy though :) well done !!

[~Obsidian~]

the pic i saw on ummah.com was perfect, no not the top of the stalk as the leaves are growing from there,just cover the parts directly below the leaves, but its cool if you leave a couple of inch of the stalk showing, the technique is called "hilling" check this small video out and you will know what i mean,, obviousley youre not growing in the ground but the same principle applies .
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=F7l_DOlx1Uo

you will get lots of baby spuds ( which i prefer) you will be fine i have seen many smaller containers and you can still get a decent harvest.. your vines are looking healthy though :) well done !!
Hmm methinks I'll have a dig through, may have covered a couple of tiny vines :eek: Baby spuds are preferable, easier to cook with. Healthy vines? Not if the snails have anything to do with it, leaves go missing :( (even after I put down pellets!)

[Riz]

looks good sis...

how often do you water them ? do you use the blue slug/snail pellets or the organic pellets which are greyish in colour ?

here are some of mine still in the garden, as you can see from my previous pics, some of the sacks i quarter filled and some half filled and some fully filled.. In future i will just quarter fill all of them...

[~Obsidian~]

looks good sis...

how often do you water them ? do you use the blue slug/snail pellets or the organic pellets which are greyish in colour ?

here are some of mine still in the garden, as you can see from my previous pics, some of the sacks i quarter filled and some half filled and some fully filled.. In future i will just quarter fill all of them...

Thanks. Water them everyday usually or the rain does the watering. I used the blue ones (didn't like doing that!! dying snails galore!) but now they're so small (the snails) that they're dodging them I reckon!

No wonder you wouldn't wanna fill them!! SEVENTY-FIVE LITRE sacks :eek: Can't wait til my potato vines outgrow the bag :D

[Riz]

Thanks. Water them everyday usually or the rain does the watering. :D

Black or hollow centers on potatoes is often caused by over-watering. Irregular watering causes irregular shaped or knobby potatoes. As a guideline, water potatoes (thoroughly) weekly during warmer summer weather.

[~Obsidian~]

Black or hollow centers on potatoes is often caused by over-watering. Irregular watering causes irregular shaped or knobby potatoes. As a guideline, water potatoes (thoroughly) weekly during warmer summer weather.

:eek: aye aye cap'n, cutting down on the watering sir!

[Riz]

the spuds i harvested tasted gorgeus, ill probarely harvest the rest of the 3 sacks in one go,

[Riz]

I harvetsed all my spuds today, and i got around 20 kilos in total from 3 bags, i am really impressed by the quality of the spuds, so this is my last potatoe harvest for this season.. i hope you enjoyed the pics and those of you who have still have spuds in the sacks please share your pics with us...

[Riz]

nice and big :)

[Kirsten]

Wow!!! those look better than the ones you get from the grocery store!

[~Obsidian~]

Multi-coloured! Remind me of Angel cakes...:D

Looking forward to harvesting me own now :D

[~Obsidian~]

Potatoes are doing ok. Survived snail attacks and have been relocated. They're all still growing on one side of the bag

[Riz]

It looks very healthy..even if it feels and looks lob sided they will still grow well i feel..

[~Obsidian~]

Taken this morning

[Riz]

looks good... can you see any flowers developing yet ?

[~Obsidian~]

Nope:o

[Riz]

when did you start it off ?

[~Obsidian~]

Erm....maybe the 19th of July I think?

[Riz]

ok.

so youre looking at a mid -october harvest. still have some time..:natur011:

[~Obsidian~]

Yeap! Although...I'm kinda worried about whether they're going to be ok or not, I hope they aren't in infected soil :(

[Riz]

Yeap! Although...I'm kinda worried about whether they're going to be ok or not, I hope they aren't in infected soil :(

why would it be infected ?

[~Obsidian~]

why would it be infected ?

See this (http://www.muslimgrower.com/discussionforum/showpost.php?p=1836&postcount=5) post

[Riz]

Oh yes..

TOO be honest with you i think its just open manure and compost people purchase for allotments and not sacks of soil/compost/manure you would buy from B&Q as they are boiled and sanitized before hand.. I think you should be ok as i have not had any problems and i buy all sorts of soil from diy shops espically this year and i have not had any issues with any type of soil...

[~Obsidian~]

Phew! :D Thankee!

[~Obsidian~]

Riz what did you do with your soil after you harvested?

[Riz]

i inserted it back in the soil bag and will use it for top soil in my veg patch for next season...

[~Obsidian~]

Ah righty, I was wondering because I can't use it for my potatoes or toms next time, thinking what to do....

[Riz]

yeah..

i have 4 bags full of soil, ill be making use of that next season.. cant bloody wait.!!!!!!

[~Obsidian~]

If I was to harvest my potatoes today, what would they look like? Because I think the squirrels have totally dug up the stems...:(

[Riz]

have the flowers developed, if they have you might be lucky and get some baby spuds..

when did you start the spud grow ?

[~Obsidian~]

Thanks for the prompt response! Err...started it on the 19th of July I think. No flowers or buds...just exposed/flopping (not flaccid..I hope!) stems...whadja think?

[Riz]

ok.

let me see a pic of it !? if possible

[~Obsidian~]

I went and had a closer look...(a MUCH closer look)...I may have been panicking...other than exposed stems it seems ok...:confused:

[~Obsidian~]

I wanna harvest I WANNA HARVEST :twister2: can I harvest yet? Although with the dodgy watering I'm not expecting any good taters....(won't be posting up any pics lol)

[Riz]

I wanna harvest I WANNA HARVEST :twister2: can I harvest yet? Although with the dodgy watering I'm not expecting any good taters....(won't be posting up any pics lol)

yeah sure why not :)

if you get any baby spuds,,, I request some pics .

[Riz]

well lol ?

[~Obsidian~]

Hehe! I didn't do it yesterday coz it was mildly drizzly..and today I'm too cold to spend that much time in the garden...I'll let y'all know when I do though!

[Riz]

Hehe! I didn't do it yesterday coz it was mildly drizzly..and today I'm too cold to spend that much time in the garden...I'll let y'all know when I do though!

cmon stop making excuses :)

you might be pleased with the results .

its a nice bright day were i am though :natur011:

[~Obsidian~]

Lol it's not an excuse, I already have a cold, rather not send myself over the edge for the sake of a few (probably disappointing) potatoes!

[~Obsidian~]

Guess what...I did it anyway :eek:

I should have left them for longer...that was an ABYSMAL harvest...and a dismal one too...and any other word that means the same thing and rhymes!!

A few baby potatoes...and a rotten one (ewww) and a bunch of bugs on the rotten one

:( And now I'm even colder too lol, i came in and washed my hands with cold water and it actually felt warm :eek:

[Kirsten]

Well, you're not alone in pitiful harvests this year! Here's all I got:

http://i38.tinypic.com/33kyzgl.png

I think Riz should share his harvest with us :D

[Riz]

Guess what...I did it anyway :eek:

I should have left them for longer...that was an ABYSMAL harvest...and a dismal one too...and any other word that means the same thing and rhymes!!

A few baby potatoes...and a rotten one (ewww) and a bunch of bugs on the rotten one


The weather did not do you any favours though.. over watering can make them rotten aswell.. Its cool though next season will be better inshallah. now you have your first ever spud grow out of the way.. :)

[Riz]

Well, you're not alone in pitiful harvests this year! Here's all I got:


I think Riz should share his harvest with us :D

Not bad at all kirsten.. potato growers will tell you to use a "seed potatoe" because they will be disease free, But as you know i have never used the seed potatoes ( its a good idea though) It was your first time so not a bad little haul.. In future we should all inspect the potatoes before we plant them looking out for black marks on them etc....

shame my harvest has been eaten by my little greedy nephews and nieces :sunny:

[~Obsidian~]

Well, you're not alone in pitiful harvests this year! Here's all I got:
I think Riz should share his harvest with us :D

Lady you got more than me!! Mine were baby potatoes though and I ate them last night...they were gorgeous!! I had to peel them though, and didn't actually need the peeler...I could just push the skin off and had a lovely, smooth, gorgeous little crisp potato...:D

[Kasim]

Lady you got more than me!! Mine were baby potatoes though and I ate them last night...they were gorgeous!! I had to peel them though, and didn't actually need the peeler...I could just push the skin off and had a lovely, smooth, gorgeous little crisp potato...:D

Poor potatoes who sacrifice themselve for needs of the hungry lol

[Kirsten]

Poor potatoes who sacrifice themselve for needs of the hungry lol

haha that reminds me of a clip from "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" (great book, by the way - it's about a family who moves to a farm for one year and swears to eat only whatever they can grow/buy locally). Basically there's a segment about how we are big bad evil people who massacre plants, especially the poor poor carrots, who are supposed to live for two years - spend one year building up energy (growing what we eat, the big taproot) and one year actually flowering, but we steal it and kill it and eat it right after it did all of its hard work building up that energy.

I felt kind of guilty after that :p

[Tania]

The 20 l bags have to be filled with soil completly or just to half? :o

[~Obsidian~]

You want to start off with about 4 inches of soil in the bag, and the potato should be in that soil, covered. As the stems grow you will fill the bag with more soil and will end up with a full bag towards the end!

[Tania]

That would be 10 cm. I saw the pics but i couldn't understand when i stop to fill the bag :o

[~Obsidian~]

me either :p until I asked again, you wanna roll down the side of the bag too so that enough light gets to the stems!

[Riz]

I really hope all of you will grow potatoes this season, as its one of the easiest things to do and the most rewarding... Over 13 pages of info on this thread and two successful grows by me in plastic bags, so please check out some pics and do some reading on this thread...

here is a small vid to explain the benefits of chitting a potatoe before you sow it :)

chit potatoes

http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/potatoes-chitting/

[rainbox]

My potatoes have just started sprouting! Yay! :)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3357/3410891059_0dc626ba28.jpg

[~Obsidian~]

Yippee!:p

[Riz]

hey martine..

i am loving your pics :)

i will be growing some spuds in B&Q buckets this season... Not bought any spuds yet...

[rainbox]

Check out the potatoes! :)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3631/3518321104_a4a2be11da.jpg?v=0

[Riz]

wow !!!

i have not even started mine yet..

but thanks to your pic i will tomorrow :)

[Nife180]

Omg, You just reminded me of my chitting potato. I forgot it's been chitting since March 29, Doesn't look bad. One eye has gone crazy with growth, :)

And that's a nice healthy plant, good luck!

[Foz]

doing well rainbox

i planted a couple of potatoes and totally forgot about them..just did it as an experiment...checked today and they doing well....will post pics soon

[ze leetle elper]

Stuck 2 potatoes in the ground a week ago. No progress yet, will keep my eye out for anything sprouting there :p

[Nife180]

Your eye or the potatoe's :P, Umm.. * cough * Lame joke...

I think you should leave the potatoe's eye uncovered a bit, It'll help the potato to sprout faster since It needs light to chit.

[Foz]

my potatoes

[~Obsidian~]

:goodpost:

[Riz]

this time around i will be growing spuds in containers ( buckets) the yield will be smaller than in the grow bags, but i really wanna try it, so i started of one spud in each bucket..

lets see how i will do. :)

[Riz]

my potatoes


fozia..

it would have been better if you dug a trench and layed the potato as you will have to cover the vines as the vine grows upwards...

a bit like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuOpRGYEJ3g

and then hilling potatoes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7l_DOlx1Uo

[Foz]

thanks for that! now i know for next time!!

they were really old potatoes at my parents house..they had gone abroad for 2 months and id forgot to bring the potatoes home and use them

and then decided to stick them in the ground and see what happens! should have done my research first!

[Foz]

heres my potatoes..

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k90/fozpot/STA50933-2.jpg.

im a bit confused as dont know what im doing lol....am i meant to be covering up now with more soil?

[Riz]

wow very nice indeed,, i have recently started mine...

you can either dig a trench and replant the potatoes in that, and as the vines grow "hill" them as cover the stalk with compost/soil,, remember the spuds grow under the ground and not above it..

or alternatively you can grow some in containers like i am doing .. just fill container with 2 inch compost and place the spud in the middle and cover with a fine layer of compost, as the vines grow just keep adding compost to it, and you will be fine..

its the way i am doing it ..

[Foz]

so will they be ok if i dig them up now and then stick them in a trench?

[Riz]

i have never tried it, but i think it should be ok, its still a young plant, so go for it :)

[Foz]

may have a go tomorrow...

or may just leave them and see what happens

[Riz]

i put a single spud in one container/bucket..

leaves are growing slowly :)

[~Obsidian~]

:goodpost:

I'm not repeating a potato grow after last year!

[rainbox]

So I just came back after a week in Cornwall, (I'd got a neighbour to water my plants) and my potatoes are not doing so well. The leaves are going yellow and falling off. Any idea what causes this? The soil seems quite wet, can it be to much water? It's a bit of a bummer because when I left they were healthy strong green leaves with flower buds forming and now it's quite sad looking. Fingers crossed it'll recover!

[Riz]

martine..

yeah it could be too much water... when did you start your spud grow, has it been close to 3 months ?

hey did i tell ya, am using mulch to grow spuds, lol thought ill try it without compost or soil :)

[rainbox]

It's 2 and a bit months since they started sprouting, they're not done already are they? They haven't even flowered yet. All the leaves seems to be going though, they are even more yellow and spindly today. :(

How's the mulch working out? Neat idea! What sort of mulch are you using?

[rainbox]

Of course on the photo they don't look too bad, but they really are quite yellow and thin :P

I gave them some fertilizer yesterday though, maybe that will make a difference. Fingers crossed!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3390/3616756736_21718f12e6.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3356/3615938775_b50c3e5afb.jpg?v=0

[Riz]

How's the mulch working out? Neat idea! What sort of mulch are you using?

its looking ok, the vine is growing well, i used ground cover "chip bark"


cant really tell from the pic , but they do go yellowy when they are getting mature though....

[Kirsten]

How funny to read this thread now that I am in the land of the Incas... I have been eating potatoes every day, for every single meal, for the last five weeks! At least they have lots of different ways to cook it since they find a way to put it into everything - sandwiches, pasta, soup, etc :) There are 12,000 varieties here - absolutely incredible!

[Nife180]

How funny to read this thread now that I am in the land of the Incas... I have been eating potatoes every day, for every single meal, for the last five weeks! At least they have lots of different ways to cook it since they find a way to put it into everything - sandwiches, pasta, soup, etc :) There are 12,000 varieties here - absolutely incredible!

That's really Amazing and 12,000 varieties :eek: stunning. most of the exotic fruit came from there.

[rainbox]

Wow Kirsten! I'm quite jealous, I hope I get to go there someday!

I have decided to dig up my potatoes, they don't seem to be getting any better, and because I'm not sure what's wrong with them I thought I'd dig them up just in case.

It's not too late to plant some more though is it? :D

[Riz]

so what did you see when you dug ? :)

yeah course you can start some more, i planted some today too

[rainbox]

I haven't got around to it yet, I thought I'd save it for when I'll actually eat some so they're fresh from the ground. Hopefully tonight! :)

[Riz]

my potatoes in buckets are doing well, i am using chip bark instead of compost

[edibles]

my potatoes in buckets are doing well, i am using chip bark instead of compost
can i ask why you are using chip bark
I started a potato plant the other day still young though.

[Riz]

can i ask why you are using chip bark
I started a potato plant the other day still young though.

i was thinking maybe i could re-use the chip bark for 2 seasons, this way i don't have to buy more compost or soil to grow spuds..

[Tania]

Could i plant new potatoes ?

[Riz]

^ yes tania....

[rainbox]

This is a bit late, but here's a picture of my potato harvest.... Not very much, but very tasty! I'm sure there would have been loads more if I'd let them grow for longer.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3628/3653504405_1f3869b725.jpg?v=0

[edibles]

looks like plenty to me

[Riz]

This is a bit late, but here's a picture of my potato harvest.... Not very much, but very tasty! I'm sure there would have been loads more if I'd let them grow for longer.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3628/3653504405_1f3869b725.jpg?v=0


congrats martine.. they look really healthy too, I think you did really well... and was it your first time growing spuds in a container !? :cheerleader::cheerleader:

[Riz]

my spuds in containers

[Tania]

Congratulation Martine and they have a good size - are easy to clean up. Riz your spuds look very healthy too.

[rainbox]

congrats martine.. they look really healthy too, I think you did really well... and was it your first time growing spuds in a container !? :cheerleader::cheerleader:

Yep first time growing in container. They were delicious - so yummy in fact I forgot to save some to plant again! Oh well, I'll just have to buy some new ones of the same type when I get to Norway. The type is 'Anya' by the way. Highly recommended! :)

[Foz]

well i dug up my potatoes....

quite surprised as still got a few even though ive dug them up early....

[Riz]

very good fozia :)

they look really healthy :)

[Riz]

I am bumping this thread........

It would be great if all members grew spuds this season, Everyone has potatoes laying around the kitchen... plenty of pics on this thread,

even if you dont have a garden you can grow them in old soil bags like i did, its one of the most rewarding things i have done... especially after 3 months you open the bag up and you have a dozen spuds from just one chitted potato.. its a great feeling :)

i have not started any yet when i do i will post up some pics, plenty of info on this thread, so if youre a newbie with spuds just post up any questions you have and we shall all try to guide you...

[Foz]

ive not got round to doing it yet

[Riz]

neither have i foz, but will do soon

i remember you grew great spuds last season and it was your first time doing it, i was really impressed by your grow....

[Riz]

This thread has 18 pages but if you read the first few pages you can see how successful i and a few other memebrs were at growing them :)

I think we should all grow spuds this season in pots or in used soil bags or in the ground... its best to buy certified potatoes which are guaranteed to get healthy spuds and big yields.. but the only issue with that is you cant buy a few certified potatoes you have to buy the whole bag but i wont need so many, so i go down to the local corner shop and select a few good ones that are not cracked or showing signs of damage and mould and i usually start them off.

i will be buying some baby spuds and some regular spuds from the shop and chitting them buy just leaving them in indirect light and then i will be starting them off in sacks and the baby spuds in biggish containers,,

Its so rewarding after 3 months or so when you are ready to harvest and see lots of spuds that have grown its such a great feeling... and of course you can stagger your grow by starting off spuds every 2 weeks so this way you get little amounts all the way through autumn.... you can really neglect them as well they dont require much watering and just like damp conditions and not really WET so when you water dont over do it...

I have never used any nutrients or fertilizers for the spuds so its all natural and that's the best feeling.. obviously i have to buy the compost and soil for the spuds, it would be even great if we all started of our own compost bins and used that compost to grow our spuds and other flowers and veggies, this way it will be cheap as possible but at the moment i dont have enough compost in my bin for all what i am growing so that's my long term goal NEVER to buy compost again LOL.

[Foz]

neither have i foz, but will do soon

i remember you grew great spuds last season and it was your first time doing it, i was really impressed by your grow....

i was quite surprised myself lol.

inshAllah will start them up soon.. i finished all the potatoes in the house today so need to get some more.

[ze leetle elper]

I've tried potatoes in a bag this year for the first time. Mine have sprouted and started to produce small leaves now...but when do I keep adding more soil into the bag? Do I cover the leaves? Or leave some showing? I haven't added anymore soil to it since I started as yet.

I just used an organic potato I had at home, left it on the windowsill for a few weeks then planted it

[Riz]

cover the main growing stalk with soil as it grows ,, sometimes you get some small leaves which get buried when you add more compost to it, but not to worry thats ok...

[Riz]

finally got some spuds chitted and started them off, in pots and old used soil bags

[Tania]

I sowed only one potato and looks eaxctly like your Riz. In spring i was not able to recognize the potato leaves and i damaged the plant exactly when he had 3 small potatoes. :o

[Riz]

today's pic of the potato plant growing in a container :)

[Riz]

some flowers on the potatoe vine :)

[ze leetle elper]

This was the 1st year I tried Riz's method of growing potatos in a bag, I just used an old 75 litre compost bag. Anyhoo they were there since march, I didn't really do anything to them, apart from water occasionally, they were neglected for a few weeks, all leaves went yellow I thought it had died lol (it had already flowered) however with the recent rain it bounced back all greenand lush again!

Today I got tired of the bag being on the patio :o should have had some tatties by now right? So got my hubby to turn it all upside down, at first I nearly cried, thought the whole back was just roots but lo and behold! Inside were loads of gorgeous golden brown lovely oval shaped new potatoes YAY! I managed to get a good bowlful and loads of tiny cute ones which had I left it longer would have become fully fledged adults lol :D

[Riz]

^ LOL

that's exactly what happened to me in my first season of growing spuds, I slit open the plastic sack and saw nothing, I expected them to be hanging of some roots at first i was confused that i might have done something wrong or maybe should have used certified potatoes, then opened up the roots and inside i saw more than a dozen potatoes and small baby ones like you did zee, Hehee had a huge smile on my face after that :)

[Riz]

this season due to being busy, i started of one potato and it grew really sickly, tall and spindly and the slugs had a feel day... got a meagre harvest too, in total around half a dozen small sized spuds.. unlike last season were i had fantastic spuds.

[Foz]

oh well..some is better than none! :)

InshAllah next season you will do better!

[Foreveryoung]

That's the first time i have started growing potatoes in our garden. Can u tell me how do we know that potatoes are ready to harvest ? I was digging to check my potatoes and was not careful one of them got a big cut :(

[Riz]

can you remember when you planted the potatoes, Usually it takes 3 months from start to finish ..... you have some nice baby potatoes in second pic :) usually i harvest when the leaves start to wither away and go yellow, but some growers harvest before that to get smaller baby potatoes, i tend to leave them right to the end of 3 months get a bigger harvest too, maybe you can harvest some now and leave some onto grow until you see little flowers growing...

[Green_guy]

I din't know that potatoes take that long to grow ! i have never grown potatoes before ...what do they grow from ?

[~Obsidian~]

Other potatoes! :p

Y'know when they go bad and start to look like this?

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/images/potato1_grow1a_mine_large.jpg

The plants grow from those nasty nobbly bits :D

[Riz]

Its always best to use certified potatoes, they guarantee disease free and bumper crops but the problem with that is you have to buy the whole bag full, if your like me and just wanna grow a few potatoes then your lumbered with the whole bag but of course you can consume them too, they sell them at Bnq lots of diff types.

If you're going to plant regular potatoes from a shop just make sure they dont have any cracks in it or any dark spots and its smooth and looks healthy inhsallah you will be fine, i have never used certified potatoes myself and have had two bumper crops from my grows and will be starting some more of soon so stay tuned to this thread if you fancy growing some with me to :)

[Riz]

A friend sent some potatoes from the USA for me to grow in my garden.. they are purple once they grow out. They are called "purple majesty". they allready sprouted in the bag so i just panted them out in the home made compost in containers two in each one..

[Riz]

two in each container :)

[Foreveryoung]

I cant wait to see how do you cook them. I think if you bake potato wedges of both, ordinary as well as these purple potatoes after coating them with some margarine and sprinkle fresh herbs on the top and later on serve with either ice berg lettuce or any green salad plus cherry tomatoes. yum such a colourful dish it would be :wub: Just picturing it in my mind :)

Job well done so far :GreenThumbs:

[Riz]

thanks ash.

just added more compost to the potatoes that are growing in containers....

[Riz]

warm weather we been having my potato vines are growing well, and the best thing is i have been using my own home made compost :)

[Riz]

potato vines getting bigger and bigger, i keep adding my home made compost to it as the vines gets bigger, i have around 4 pots with 2 diff types of potatoes.

[Riz]

you still have plenty of time to plant the potatoes, so everyone should give it a go :)

[Riz]

potatoe vines are looking lush

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC05655.jpg



i started some more today in a huge pot

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC05660.jpg

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC05663.jpg

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC05662.jpg

[Riz]

potato flower

[Riz]

potatoes are looking really healthy and lush, no damage from any insects and they have flowered too, i got some potatoes ( certified) from the states from a friend and the ones in the huge pot are regular potatoes i got from the corner shop,

Everyone should try growing them just make sure they are not damaged and have no cracks or bits missing and plant them in pots.. seriously you will be glad you did :) and please start making your own compost like i have been doing as i am using home made compost for the potato grow, there is a thread in the garden shed about compost please read it and ask any questions in that thread...


http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC05861.jpg

[Riz]

potato vines are growing slowly....

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC05912.jpg




potato flowers forming

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC05910.jpg

[Riz]

i think some of them are ready, the leaves are yellowing

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC05957.jpg

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/DSC05956.jpg

[Foreveryoung]

i think some of them are ready, the leaves are yellowing


:cheerleader: yayy
Finalllllllllllly. The most awaited veggie........... Purple Potatoes. Really cant wait to see its first harvest. Good Luck.
and if it was m, i would have been worried seeing those yellow flowers. never knew its an indication tht potatoes are ready :unsure:

[Riz]

the two potatoes i started of in a huge container are growing rapid to, i have ran out of home made compost so i will get some more soon to cover the growing stalks inside the pot...

[Riz]

potatoes growing in pots.. leaves are lush and green and i have no issues with it, i water once a week and just leave it, i will check for potatoes soon :cheerleader:




http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/Photo0113.jpg



http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/Photo0114.jpg


http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/Photo0112.jpg

[Riz]

thought i take a look in the smaller pots were i started of the purple variety, i was so pleased with the results, got around dozen potatoes from really small pot still have another two biggish pots left..

[Riz]

more pics

[Foreveryoung]

Finalllllllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyy My wait is over . I was really looking forward to see the final product =)

:cheerleader::cheerleader::cheerleader:

They look really amazing Riz. Make some Mashed Potatoes today and enjoy with garlic bread may be. Congratulations =)

[Foreveryoung]

AOA.

Please go through these links. May be you find some of the info about purple potatoes really interesting.



http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Purple_Potatoes_641.php

http://www.secondact.com/2010/11/purple-potatoes-serve-up-royal-nutrition/

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/oct01/potato1001.htm

http://www.scientistlive.com/European-Food-Scientist/Ingredients/Anti-cancer_capabilities_of_purple_potato/22806/

[Riz]

potatoes in huge pot ready to be harvested next week ....


http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/Photo0391.jpg

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/Photo0392.jpg

[Riz]

i made a small today to show you all my purple potatoes grown in a very small pot, i would have gotten a higher yield if i grew then in bigger pots but this is just to show you all what can be achieved in small pots and containers, i also have a huge container with regular potatoes growing inside and next week ill make a vid of that so you can see what amount i yielded from them, so if you dont have a garden you can grow them in pots like i have done :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-cIUa5d2bQ


B-cIUa5d2bQ

[Foreveryoung]

^ Well Done Riz. :GreenThumbs: :GreenThumbs:

Please share more videos with us. It was treat watching ur potatoes.. Hope to see them in cooked form too :)

[Tania]

I think you have 1 kg of potatoes.:) I must try too next summer.

[Riz]

i harvested my potato crop yesterday, planted two regular shop potatoes in this pot,

and harvested around a dozen medium sized potatos, really healthy ones , i am really pleased with the results also i used my own home made compost..



i cut of the vines first

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/Photo0957.jpg


emptied out the contents
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/Photo0958.jpg



http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/Photo0959.jpg

some potatoes on the outside of the rootball


http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/Photo0960.jpg

[Riz]

opened up the rootball and harvested the rest :)


http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/Photo0960-1.jpg

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/Photo0961.jpg

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/Photo0962.jpg

[Riz]

cut of the vines and left in compost bin

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa300/sajid_012/Photo0900-1.jpg

[Foreveryoung]

What did u do with the compost and soil from which u harvested ur potatoes ? Is it re usable ? and I am asking that in context with anything that we grow in pots.. Can we sow some other seeds or plant anything else in the same soil ?

For example , i sowed some seeds that never showed up and I was thinking to try something else in them ? Does it make any sense ?

[Riz]

if u get rid of the roots in the compost and sieve it , it can be used again... the pots you have with the seeds YES you can use that soil again..