Today, I got some potatoes from a couple of the grow bags that I have used, and I also planted some more seed potatoes that will be ready around Christmas time.
These grow bags are a lazy way to grow potatoes. There’s no heavy digging to turn over the soil beforehand. There’s no earthing up in the usual sense. You can also put a fork through potatoes when digging them up, damaging them. Not so with a grow bag.
Just as when grown in the ground, the potato tubers are ready when the foilage on the top has died back.
When sowing new potatoes, simply put a layer of soil and/or compost at the bottom of a grow bag, then place 3 or 4 seed potatoes on top, making sure they are covered. Some potato fertiliser can be added too. Then a good watering is done. As the potatoes develop, instead of the usual earthing up, simply add more soil or compost.
This time, I am growing three varieties. Pentland Javelin, Jazzy, and Charlotte.
The ones in the photograph above are Pentland Javelin. I have enough seed potatoes for three grown bags of each variety.
All I need to do now is make sure the compost stays moist (but not waterlogged). The bags have drain holes. Also, make sure that the developing tubers stay covered. We don’t want inedible green spuds, do we?