Ideal time to train the kids. I would have thought a bit of adding compost gently around the shoots, and giving them a bucket of water now and then could be educational.
Ideal time to train the kids. I would have thought a bit of adding compost gently around the shoots, and giving them a bucket of water now and then could be educational.
Yeah I’ve started training them up, but they’re 3 & 5 so I’ve made them they’re own mini garden with things I don’t mind if they kill.
I got some bagged compost from Asda a couple of weeks ago, 3 for £10. Sainsburys GP compost is a good buy according to which gardening. B & Q have just reopened with shorter hours, their verve compost is usually a good/ bets buy according to which although haven't seen it in the latest trials. I am growing some potatoes in bags and pots and some at the allotment. I dug up garden soil form garden and allotment to sue in the bags/ pots and will top up with bought bagged compost. To be honest, so long as there's a reasonable amount of soil at the bottom you could do your final earthing ups with anything that would keep out light... shredded paper etc. Just keep on top of watering and slugs!
@Womble54 - Whereas others have mentioned the problem of plants forcing their way up through a lot of soil/compost, there's an easy way to overcome that. After first planting your seed spud, cover it as usual with, say, 3 inches. Place a 6 inch section of 4 or 6 inch plastic waste pipe over it and then fill in all around it to the top of the pipe, but not where the seed is. The foliage (haulm?) will emerge and try to get up to where the light is so, once it clears the top of the pipe, lift the pipe so that all the surrounding stuff falls in around the new shoots, but leaving the length of pipe clear. Fill in again all around it until the foliage clears it and repeat until you reach the required depth.
If you want to keep your irrigation as natural as possible, and assuming there are holes at the base of whatever it is you've planted in, place a circle of bricks around the container on the ground. Lay some strong plastic sheeting across the bricks and allow it to form a shallow 'dish'. Place the container in it and fill with water so that it can gradually seep up into the material above and feed the spuds. Replenish as required.
I have today finished earthing up my early pentland javelin in their potato bags. It only took three times to fill the bags. Now it's just a case of watering till ready. The lates have had an earthing up too.🙂
Thank you @thugpugs. It’s been a weird couple of months, thankfully things at the hospital have been calming down. Hopefully that continues. I’ve got a couple of days off from tomorrow to get out in the garden.
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I am growing some potatoes in bags and pots and some at the allotment. I dug up garden soil form garden and allotment to sue in the bags/ pots and will top up with bought bagged compost. To be honest, so long as there's a reasonable amount of soil at the bottom you could do your final earthing ups with anything that would keep out light... shredded paper etc. Just keep on top of watering and slugs!
Good luck with your pots and well done working through this Womble54 - you are an angel
@Womble54 - Whereas others have mentioned the problem of plants forcing their way up through a lot of soil/compost, there's an easy way to overcome that. After first planting your seed spud, cover it as usual with, say, 3 inches. Place a 6 inch section of 4 or 6 inch plastic waste pipe over it and then fill in all around it to the top of the pipe, but not where the seed is. The foliage (haulm?) will emerge and try to get up to where the light is so, once it clears the top of the pipe, lift the pipe so that all the surrounding stuff falls in around the new shoots, but leaving the length of pipe clear. Fill in again all around it until the foliage clears it and repeat until you reach the required depth.
If you want to keep your irrigation as natural as possible, and assuming there are holes at the base of whatever it is you've planted in, place a circle of bricks around the container on the ground. Lay some strong plastic sheeting across the bricks and allow it to form a shallow 'dish'. Place the container in it and fill with water so that it can gradually seep up into the material above and feed the spuds. Replenish as required.
Good luck and keep safe.