Potato Growing 2026

I'm just going to try some from the shops this year

All second earlies. Anya, Charlotte, Jacky and Osprey. Osprey are supposed decent for bakers so will let them go the longest, the others will be picked as new potatoes as I need them. That's the plan anyway

 

First time growing potatoes (Charlotte) last year and I was chuffed to bits with the result. I will aim to do more this year - although all my veg is in containers.

I used a big recycling tub (a retired one) but it maybe wasn’t quite tall enough. I’ll use it again but might try an old garden waste bag I have that has ripped. Any other ideas folks?

 

Thank you for the idea. I have an old recycling box which could probably hold 3 potato plants if I'm lucky. Although if I do I shall have to find something else to collect all the molehills in...

 

Oh I have been in Home Bargains and bought my seed potatoes. I have bought Sharpes Express, Javelin and Charlotte.

As I plant in containers I avoid main crop, as this takes up a lot of room for not a lot of crop, also it needs a lot of compost, so is uneconomical. Unless you guys have suggestions?

 

My conclusion last year was that the amount of compost needed was making the process expensive but many on here suggested that good quality compost is not needed, especially for the ‘earthing-up’ so I used spent-compost and a bit of cardboard for that part. Some suggested grass clippings but I was worried re slugs. I wonder if shredded cardboard or similar would be ok??

 

I grew pentland javelin (first earlies) in containers (old compost bags turned inside out) last year and will repeat this year. I used homemade compost and some leaf mold to begin with and just top them off with anything that's handy if i run out. I tried a few main crop ones in a container last year but they were far better in the ground.

My dad grows the main crop and it will be sarpo mira because it did very well last year with our drought. I think he also grows either anya or Charlotte as well.

 

At least we can relax as the 'earlies' are in.
Enjoy the Jersey royal experience....

 

I didn't get on very well growing tatties in bags, so now I grow in my raised beds, my Anya, Java and Roosters have literally just arrived in the post(well DHL to be precise). I intend to try the growing on the surface thing, just wondering where I will get the mulch from though, I might get inventive with that............more later.

 

Thinking 'out of the box', can you get hessian sacks* free locally ? try pet stores that buy peanuts in bulk to sell 'loose'. Or straw/hay/bracken/seaweed ?
* to use as blankets ...

 

Plenty of kelp about at the moment, all over the harbours and sea fronts, pity I don't have a tow bar on my new car, I could have got trailer loads of it and grown with the "lazy bed" system used on the Hebridean Islands.

 

weve had welsh red seaweed a few times, a peculiar flavour. i forget its name. mix with oats and fry into little pancakes. now and again its interesting to eat

I might grow our potatoes in the cloth bags again this year but ill use better soil. Last time the compost we got was barely rotten wood...
Might find a big tray or something to put underneath to help with the long dry periods. I also read acidifying the soil a bit helps with the rough scarred skin issue.

 

I bought my daughter 3 varieties of potatoes last year for her birthday, Kestrel, Wilja and Sarpo Mira. They really liked the Sarpo Mira though they usually get Wilja from the farm shop down here when they visit. Perhaps they liked the hot weather?

 

The thing is about containers that you still have to find somewhere to put them. I don't have a patio or similar.