HarrodHorticultural: The choice is endless!

November 22, 2005

The choice is endless!

Unfortunately, a gardener never has all the space they would like to grow their crops, no matter what size their plot! If lack of space is a definite issue, container growing becomes a necessity. At the Kitchen Garden we are lucky to have a decent sized plot but that doesn’t prevent us from trying out the numerous products available for growing in limited – and otherwise unsuitable – areas. This is where products like the Spud Tub, designed for growing potatoes (catch the name!) on a patio, are invaluable.

We recently ran a trial with this product to determine what size crop could be achieved, and we discovered that planting a tub with 3 tubers produced a yield of 20 potatoes, the largest measuring 10cm across and the smallest 3cm. The other two tubs were planted up with 1 and 5 tubers respectively, and produced yields of 8 spuds (from 7cm across down to 3.5cm from 1 tuber) and 13 potatoes (7cm x 2.5cm from 5).

So, if space is at a premium, fear not – there are numerous alternative ways to keep that larder stocked with delicious home grown produce!

Posted by harrod at 04:53 PM

Comments

i have read about the spud tubs and they seem good. has anyone used them? comment onthem if you have please. i would like to know thanks colin

Posted by: colin moleworth at January 21, 2006 12:03 PM

I have not used a 'spud tub', but last year I used 2 black bins, which I lined with stones on the bottom and then put soil in and then about 4 chitted pots in each bin - as the green bits came up I kept covering with more soil - eventually they reached the top of the bin - at which point I left them to flower and harvested them when the flowers died - I probably got enough pots in each bin for about 3 meals (4 in our family) - no problems with slugs etc., but I did use a lot of soil!!

Posted by: julie hobin at February 12, 2006 09:25 PM

You have a very talented and skilled writting. I had a great time reading your comments.

Posted by: beautiful is feature of full plane at May 13, 2006 08:36 PM

I was interested to here of the fate of your runner beans because my french beans suffered exactly the same damage... and the salsify, celeriac, beetroot and just about everything except parsnips and courgettes. I was desperate!

As my carrots were only damaged when the wind blew my carrot fly protection off we deduced that the Beast would not pass through fleece. At one time my vegetable plot looked like a temporary morgue with white sheeting everywhere. Then I realised that it was not necessary to cover crops, a low fence round them, securely pinned to the ground, would do the trick. I made fences from strips of enviromesh with channels of old sheeting into which I inserted short canes.

My later sowings are thriving, though it remains to be seen if the autumn is mild enough to allow crops to mature. So what does it? a rabbit would easily hop over the fences, and a mouse would chew its way through in no time, so our chief suspect is...

Voles.

I shall need to get some more environmesh for next season.

Posted by: Gill at August 15, 2006 12:26 PM