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Potato Grow Bags

Sue & MuttonSue & Mutton Posts: 125
in Fruit & veg
Hi, the mice have forced me into replacing my potato grow bags! It's not such a bad thing. I've experimented and used just about every receptacle going - buckets, compost bags, bin liners, fabric sacks and thick plastic dumpy sacks. I've found the best yields have come from  those made out of thick woven fabric. In fact, we just finished off the last of our Charlottes last night and they were still delicious - although starting to sprout arms and legs! The internet seems awash with sacks with fold downable fronts - are they just a gimmick or worth a try? 

Posts

  • Alan4711Alan4711 Posts: 1,657
    Hi Sue &Mutton,last year I used the green square  40 litre bags with handles and drain holes off E Bay, the bags themselves worked very very well , very tough and easy to move if required,, try to keep them off the ground if poss ,they wash well and store easy when dry, I expaect them to last many years, and are easy to use, I paid around £3/£4 each some sellers are trying to charge much more ??? some sellers are doing 4or 5 for about £12. Alan
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    edited March 2021
    Our son gave us some bags some years ago and we did what we should do.
    Rubbish.
    The rogue potatoes in the veg patch gave us a better outcome.
    We did try but wont buy.
    If you don't have the garden space then maybe the bags are worthwhile.
  • Sue & MuttonSue & Mutton Posts: 125
    Hi Alan/bertrand -mabel, 

    These are the ones I was wondering if anyone would recommend (if not I'll go for the ones you suggest  Alan). I definitely get better yields from the raised beds but always end up buying too many seed potatoes - hence the bags. I know they've used a bit of artistic license with this pic. Sue :-)

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    I suspect those access flaps will make watering difficult as I can't imagine velcro being very watertight.  Whenever I've grown in bags, I wait until the haulms have died back, then tip the whole contents out to harvest.  If you want to try taking just a few spuds at a time as 'new potatoes' then they may be worthwhile.  I have lots of things like this which have been given to me over the years, such as 'flower pouches' etc. and they only got tried once and are all now in an empty compost bag which will probably end-up in landfill..
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    I’ve got a couple with door panels and a couple without. For all four I use the same technique - burrow down with my hand for the first few servings and when I can no longer easily access the ones that are left, as with Bob t G I upend the lot in the wheelbarrow.

    I would not pay extra for a bag with a cat flap.
    Rutland, England
  • Sue & MuttonSue & Mutton Posts: 125
    Thanks all - I'll stick to the ones without the cat flap :-)
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