I do not put ads on my blog but do have a counter that shows me how many visits the pages get. (The stats. count is just there so I can see if I am 'talking' to myself, luckily so far this has not happened.) By continuing your visit here you are consenting to the stats. counter tracking cookies. Cookies, that sounds like something nice to eat but not that exciting.

Growing Your Own Fruit and Vegetables

We grow our own fruit and vegetables for our meals for as much of the year as we can. Without a greenhouse we have to buy shop food in the winter months but in the spring, summer and autumn we often have enough to share with family and friends.

Read about growing your fruit and vegetables here on my growing your own food pages.

Sunday 13 March 2011

Planting seed potatoes in a container

Growing potatoes on a deck or patio is easy there is no need to invest in anything fancy or specialist equipment.
You can buy hessian containers for this or special pots but any container such as an extra large plant pot or even an old plastic trug with drainage holes pierced in the bottom of it will work fine.


Just add a layer of compost deep enough for your potatoes to sit on, no more than half way up the container as this allows space to 'earth up' the potatoes when the foliage grows. Pop in three or four for first early seed potatoes and cover them with compost.


Remember to keep the potatoes covered (earthed up) with compost as they grow, as if the light gets to the growing potatoes they will turn green and you cannot  eat green potatoes, it is not safe to do so. 


There are videos on this idea on youtube and also most of the seed merchants web-pages offer good advice on the topic.


I planted a few first earlies in a large plant pot on my patio this morning and am eagerly looking forward to the day when I can harvest and eat them for a future Sunday lunch, can't wait, but will have to be patient.


If you do not have a really large container  to grow your potatoes in.


Use  an adequately drained container one foot or more deep and at least that width. 


Fill the container to about the half-way mark with either purchased multi-purpose compost or good  garden soil.


Place your chitted  seed potatoes on top of the compost and then put in more compost or soil, almost to the top of the growing container. Leave enough room to earth up the potatoes if necessary.


Do not forget to water your planted seed potatoes, as anything in containers will need more watering then the same crop growing in a vegetable plot.


You will need to keep the potatoes that are developing covered with compost or they will turn green in the light and then they are not suitable to eat.

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a healthy potato plant in flower

a healthy potato plant in flower
photo of potatoes in flower

home grown carrots.. grown from seed

home grown carrots.. grown from seed
photo of my first bunch of carrots 2009

Even a small batch of mixed fruit can be useful

Even a small batch of mixed fruit can be useful
Home Grown Fruit can be made into delicious compote