Nimrod103 wrote:I will be growing potatoes again this year in large pots. They were very successful last year, and I just used some old supermarket spuds which were sprouting. As mentioned above, the correct way is to see the new shoots and leaves forming then bury them in more earth/compost. Do this successively till you reach the top of the pot/bin/whatever. They need good drainage, and plenty of water in the summer, also plenty of fertilizer.
The advantage of pots is that they seem to be disliked by slugs, and if you use new compost each year, it avoids the issue with blight spores in the soil. I make new potting mixture each year from a mixture of leaf mould, bonfire ash, and rotted stuff from the compost bins.
I will be planting Pink Fir Apple this year. I've never grown it before, but it is supposed to be the best variety of all.
You just need to be careful with the compost that it does not carry anything over, I tend to not compost my potato haulms and the used soil/compost from the buckets/bags is used to top dress my shrubs in late autumn. I think from memory you also need to be careful using on strawberries as I think they can cross infect. (My gardening knowledge is a tad erratic, I picked some up from my dad who was a really keen gardener over many years but I am not instinctively green fingered)
If interested "You Garden" have a line in potato pots , plastic 30litre, four for £14.99 which is not too expensive though I have not received or used them yet (Prior years mainly bags, but these look a little untidy)Earlier today I ordered from them 18 seed potatoes (6 of 3 types) as a set with three pots and fertilizer for £19.95 plus another 8 pots (2x4) and will plant the seed potato out 2-3 to each pot and likely stick some herbs and rocket in the pots not used for potatoes.