Harvesting Potatoes
Jonesk
Posts: 205
This post is slightly pre-emptive of my potatoes actually growing but I was wondering how do people harvest potatoes from pots?
I have a large plastic container (1m diameter by 1m deep approx.) I was going to plant 4 chitted potatoes in it and earth up slowly. (is 4 OK?)
I was wondering what the best way to harvest them as required was without disturbing the others when I take them out? Do I just dig in and scoop out what I want from the top? what about those left at the bottom, will they 'keep' just left in the pot especially as the leaves will likely have been removed by my digging at the top? Or do I have to harvest them all in one go?
Sorry to be a bit previous but I may use the pot for something else if I have to harvest all the potatoes at once or if they don't keep well.
I was planning on growing an early variety - maybe charlotte if that makes a difference.
Thanks in advance
Posts
I would go in gently with my hand and take out as many as I needed that felt around the size of a hen's egg. As long as the others are still attached to the plant they'll continue to grow.
Gently does it
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I'd think you could easily get 6 plants in there. If the soil is good and rich, perhaps space them more closely and get another in .
Thank you both so much, I will definitely go ahead with the potatoes then now.
Feeling really good about getting 6 plants in
more productive than I anticipated.
Is multipurpose compost OK to fill the pot with? I have some 2 year old leaf mould that I could put in also.
I think the MPC on it's own would be fine - I'd rather save the leaf mould for mulching perennials etc - when I grow potatoes I grow them in the ground so what do others think?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I'd save the leaf mould for something else. Spuds do well in MPC, you could add some seaweed as a mulch..