A gathering place for vegetable gardeners & allotmenteers

Correct compost for potatoes in a bag

What is the correct type of compost to use to grow potatoes in a bag.

I am also going to try growing some in a compost making bin simply to see how they turn out.

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Permalink Reply by Jaki on April 1, 2009 at 1:14pm: I grew some in a compost bin last year and they turned out fine! I used Carlingford seed potatoes. There is no harm in trying out different things to see what is best for your situation.

Good Luck

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Permalink Reply by Mielie Muncher on April 1, 2009 at 5:14pm: Thanks Jaki.

When should I take them out of the bin. I have read that they should be take up as soon as the flowers die. Surely they can be left in until the stems blacken, or will they rot in the drum?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jaki on April 18, 2009 at 11:05pm: Hi,

I left mine for a few weeks after the flowers died and they were fine.

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Permalink Reply by HeronoftheDarkwood on May 21, 2009 at 3:02pm: i never heard of this before now! potatoes in a bag, what a neat idea! usually what i do for potatos every year is to find someone i know that doesn't mind parting with a couple of bales of hay, about 4 to 5 of them. i place them at the edges of the garden and dig out the center from the top, then fill with layers of composted dirt and potting soil and plant my potatoes in there. when they are ready to harvest i just untie the bales in the morning and let them "settle" for the day, they are really easy to tear apart and get the potatoes from, and then i can use the extra hay for mulching my strawberries and bedding them in for the rest of the season, since they have long since given up their fruit for the year.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Stue'y on May 25, 2009 at 8:49pm: I have just done something similar. I made a 4ft square raised bed made from an old scaffolding batten, with 2x2 timber post in 2 corners. took the 2" turf/weeds off the top, put a little seived soil in and added my potatoes and soil. As they sprout i will add another level of planks/soil and keep doing the same, until i get approx 4ft high.
then when ready just remove the boards one by one and reep the crops, i got the idea from another allotment owner who used old tyres !!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mielie Muncher on May 27, 2009 at 5:59am: Your idea sounds really great. i am going to try it next time around. So far my potatoes are doing really well. As they shove up through the surface I have continually topped up the level of compost/soil mix. I'll just have to wait and see what comes out!; ▶ Reply to This