Material for Earthing-Up Container Potatoes

I have a some Potatoes in containers - 3 Marshalls gro-sacks and 3 huge pots; about 3 tubers per container.


20 April 2009


10 May 2009

I put well-rotted manure in the bottom couple of inches, then multi purpose compost, in which the tubers were planted.

They were planted very late (bit of a this-year-experiment so that I can be better prepared for next year) but the tops are now well out of the containers, and need earthing up.

I could earth-up with my own compost (which is a bit rough, and quite a lot of "straw" - it was mostly made from hay cut last year) or multi purpose compost - but that seems a bit extravagant? (I'll need between 75L and 150L I reckon, so between £3 and £6 for 18 "plants")

And then what do I do with the compost? Clearly not good for potatoes next year (unless I can sterilise? How?). My plan was to grow carrots in containers with the spent Potato compost next year - mix it with up to 50% sharp sand I reckon. Perhaps I can grow more than one crop of carrots with that compost?

Then recycle the compost onto the veg beds. My Potatoes and Roots are in separate rotation zones, but I could introduce the compost back at the equivalent point in the rotation - so where Carrots were "last year" and where Potatoes were "two years ago". Or I could just use it to pot on plants into larger containers - for eample, I grow some trees from seed. Many of the ones I grew from seed last year are 2M tall (which surprised me!) and are in deep rose pots - about 6" Dia x 9" deep - and this year need to go into pots that are 12" Dia - which could use up quite a lot of compost.

I could also cycle the Potato-then-Carrot compost through the tubs and urns for another year before it goes to its final destination.

Keeping it all segregated is going to be a bit of a pain, but growing carrots in the soil is very hit and miss for me - heavy clay, rain comes at the wrong time and the crop doesn't come to harvest when I would like it, and so on. The potatoes should give me an early start to the crop - so I think it is worth doing.

Your thoughts on a forum-reply-postcard pls!

 

Thanks John, reassuring as always.

"You might have to change your mind if the potatoes develop any pests or diseases though"

So, just to make sure I've got that, if it turns out to be a disaster you'd like me to tell you so you can do yours differently? :D :D :D

 

Ermmmm-I won't openly admit it, but he's got the right idea Kristen lol.

 

I was baulking at paying for bagged compost, but soil I have! and mixed with the compost already in the pots (which I suppose will eventually become about 50:50) should be fine for Carrots next.