The Spud In A Bucket Growing Competition 2017

The members of The Stamford Hill Community Garden have today started potting up their competition entries for this year.

Why not join in on the fun and see what you can do.

The aim is to produce quantity according to weight - to grow as much as possible from just one seed potato in a bucket.

Judgement Day (aka "The Great British Weigh-off") will take place around mid September, weather permitting.


We are using 14 liter plastic buckets purchased from Wickes but you may use any container that holds up to 14 liters of growing medium.

There are no restrictions on which cultivar of seed potato you can use so long as you plant only one tuber in your container. Myself, I've chosen a Desiree red-skinned potato.

There are also no restrictions on the growing medium - whether you choose to use compost, garden soil, sand, straw, shredded paper or other custom mixtures is all up to you.

Fertilizers, whether it be type, strength or dosage is all up to you.

However, doping by embedding foreign objects such as lead strips, coins or stones etc is definitely verboten.

This above all: to thine own self be Irn-Bru.

Errr, that is, be liquid in your thinking, and be an upstanding pillar of the community, ...like girders.


Seeing that you will not be my direct competitors: good luck and happy growing!

 

Can that 'only one tuber' be cut in two?

 

There are no rules on what methods you can use. Indeed, some of the members have opted to cut their spuds into two or more sections before planting.

 

Found an old Wickes bucket at the plot, have drilled it and planted a Picasso seed potato.

 

Think my bucket is too big

 

Looking forward to this challege

Have got some Marris Pipers and red Desiree seed tatties going spare. Not sure which one to go for.... so is half a seed potato from each type breaking the rules? It is one potato-worth after all

 

The tubers inside must be whoppers as well - just look at what they've done to your bucket.

 

That is verboten!

From the imaginary book of unspoken gardener's rules, rule 45, line 8:

"Growing two different varieties of potato in the same space creates competition. This competition initiates a growth rate arms race in which each potato tries to complete its life cycle as fast as possible. Thus, each plant exerts more vigor into tuber production than if a sibling were planted into the same space - hence, higher yields."

Therefore, this practice is deemed unfair and is verboten.

Take an imaginary red card from me, and go and give yourself a Chinese burn for even thinking it.

 

The progress of my entry so far:




As you can see, I've gone for the everything in the bucket approach - none of that earthing up, layer by layer business for me.

The foliage has just about broken through the surface.

 

Are the buckets not too small to hold the newborn potatoes...?

 

I'll cover those shoots today before the freezing weather arrives.

 

I never saw this post until today. I am growing some Jersey spuds in old 30 ltr Jack's Magic compost bags, only 1 spud per bag. I presume because the bags hold 30 ltrs I'm banned from joining in?.Mind you the chances of me being in the top 100 is remote as I'm growing them for eating as new Potatoes which aren't renowned for being large or heavy!

 

Let us carefully consider the volumetric properties of this innocent looking newborn potato:






Is it bigger than a 14 litre Wickes plastic bucket?



Yes, it is.


Is it bigger than the garden shed?



Obviously, yes.


So there you have it: conclusive proof that the buckets are indeed too small for even a single newborn potato. Just imagine the implications for a whole crop of them!

I also suspect that these TARDIS-like energy orbs will encompass the moon when held up for comparison. But, I leave that task for others to verify on the 25th May.

 

We experienced two short bursts of sleet earlier today but I think I am going to chance it by leaving mine unprotected.

 

Banned from joining in? Well, yes, but only if you are inept at mathematics or at stamping out numbers for a bovine computing machine, otherwise known as the humble cowculator.

For a situation like this, there is no need to consult the rule book. Simply multiply your harvest by 14/30 (or 0.467).

Now, regarding tidler potatoes - do you not recall the tale told to you by your science teacher about a place called Den City?