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Help wanted : what is the best compost for potatoe barrell
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Posted by jitterbug_bh23 Zone 9, UK (My Page) on Thu, Jan 12, 06 at 7:43
| I know that this is not a gardening exchange but the other exchange does not seem to be for UK gardeners.
I have just bought a potatoe barrell and need to know what is the best comport / soil to buy to fill it. I need 80 litres. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Help wanted : what is the best compost for potatoe barrell
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hi hows it going?
a good potting compost likejohn innes mixed with mushroom compost would be a good bet try to avoid cheap seed/potting compost, its not really rich enough for potatoes. you will need to water very well in a barrel and i do mean lots the soil should never dry out once the plants are well established and they will also like a good feed.if you want to grow more than one barrels worth a very easy way to do it is to buy an 80L or 100L bag of compost stand it on end where you want to grow your spuds slit the top of the bag all the way across and roll it down to just above the level of the compost prick lots of small drainage holes in the bottom of the bag and plant your seed potato about half way down.if you have a greenhouse you can have new potatoes nearly all year round. sorry to waffle on but i hope this helps
oh by the way what spuds are you growing? |
Thanks for the help / ideas
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| Thanks for the advice / ideas - I am going to grow King Edward and Pink Fir (somethings). How many seedling spuds do you think I must put into the 80 litre potatoe barrell? Also do you built it up or just fill the barrell with the compost and plant the potatoes on the top ?? Sorry about all the questions but I am a total novice. |
RE: Help wanted : what is the best compost for potatoe barrell
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| My first thought would be a JI#3, possibly plus something like manure, but I haven't grown spuds in a barrel. Is the bottom going to be open? I have also read not to use the type of soil that you would want in the garden, but to go with a regular multi-purpose compost in a barrel? Mushroom compost may be, usually is, alkaline, which isn't so good for potatoes. Stick to composted manure or home-made compost if you have it. Don't plant the seed potatoes on top. Fill the barrel maybe a foot deep, then plant, then cover them. Earth up as they grow. If you don't want the trouble you can just plant them in a full barrel of soil. In summer, water them until you think they can't possibly take any more, then water them some more :) |
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