Disappointed in my 5 gal bucket potatoes

[GTN]

So disappointing to dump 9 buckets and only get on avg 5 potatoes per bucket.
But on the bright side I got 45 potatoes for $1.50

 

[CNYJohn]

We have tried taters in half drums
An old cattle water tank
In raised bed
Direct in dirt.

They do best in dirt
No luck with the other methods

 

[GTN]

They are in dirt

 

[CNYJohn]

Dirt.......as in directly in the ground.
No containers.

I am in wonder when people say they get good production from the " bag " method of growing taters.
I have co workers who have tried bags and cuss the results

 

[GTN]

Looked like a good idea on YouTube.
In past years I got 12-15 per bucket

 

[Acer-m14]

 

[pjzwtl]

Never had much luck with buckets or bags

 

[Darth]

You're not Irish by chance are you?

 

[Saltwater60]

I grew them in grow bags this year and I got a lot of potatoes. Many were on the smaller side because the rats were getting at them so I harvested them a month ago.
Potatoes can be tricky and everyone makes them out to be easy but they aren’t. They require lose fertile soil with the right amount of water and nutrients. I like grow bags over 5-gallon plastic buckets because they drain good and get good airflow where buckets do t.

 

[tony]

how about drilling holes in the bucket sides and bottom, line with landscape fabric...

 

[Saltwater60]

how about drilling holes in the bucket sides and bottom, line with landscape fabric...

I do that with mine but I can say my stuff in my grow bags grow much better. There’s much more airflow and the air prunes the roots naturally. In 5-gallon buckets the roots keep growing around and around taking nutrients from the top of the plant and using them in useless areas. Maybe not so much for potatoes but certainly my other plants for sure. I’ve never done a side by side with potatoes but I have with peppers and tomatoes and the grow bags way outperform the 5-gallon buckets by leaps and bounds. Grow bags are cheaper too.

 

[tony]

grow bags are cheaper than ???

 

[Saltwater60]

grow bags are cheaper than ???

5-gallon buckets. I got my grow bags for $3/per bag and they are 25-gallon grow bags, I have 20-gallon and 7-gallon as well. They have gone up a bit now but over the winter the price dropped last year but who knows this year.

 

[tony]

5-gallon buckets. I got my grow bags for $3/per bag and they are 25-gallon grow bags, I have 20-gallon and 7-gallon as well. They have gone up a bit now but over the winter the price dropped last year but who knows this year.

How and where do you hang the bags? They must be heavy. Never have I purchased a 5 gal. pail, always got them for free... HD has a 10-pack of white 5 gal. pails for $34.29...

For overly dense soil you could add vermiculite or perlite but they both hold moisture so good drainage is essential. When I lived in Guilderland, NY I had sand for soil to which I added lots of barn yard bullshit which made the soil great. My potatoes grew to the size of golfballs and almost perfectly round. Never tried to grow potatoes again...

 

[Saltwater60]

How and where do you hang the bags? They must be heavy. Never have I purchased a 5 gal. pail, always got them for free... HD has a 10-pack of white 5 gal. pails for $34.29...

For overly dense soil you could add vermiculite or perlite but they both hold moisture so good drainage is essential. When I lived in Guilderland, NY I had sand for soil to which I added lots of barn yard bullshit which made the soil great. My potatoes grew to the size of golfballs and almost perfectly round. Never tried to grow potatoes again...

The bags sit on the ground and they aren’t overly heavy. I can move the 25 gallon one by myself with soil in them and moist pretty easily.
My wife wanted me to buy the food grade 5-gallon buckets so they were like $7 each.

 

[GTN]

I do that with mine but I can say my stuff in my grow bags grow much better. There’s much more airflow and the air prunes the roots naturally. In 5-gallon buckets the roots keep growing around and around taking nutrients from the top of the plant and using them in useless areas. Maybe not so much for potatoes but certainly my other plants for sure. I’ve never done a side by side with potatoes but I have with peppers and tomatoes and the grow bags way outperform the 5-gallon buckets by leaps and bounds. Grow bags are cheaper too.

Do you have a link for the bags? Please

 

[Varmint]

Tractor tires… just keep throwing in compost and stacking them up, trust me

 

[Saltwater60]

Do you have a link for the bags? Please

These are the ones I like because they are more heavy duty and they have the grommets to run irrigations lines if you would like to.

 

[GTN]

Thanks

 

[holdover]

But on the bright side I got 45 potatoes for $1.50

You won! Your a winner!! thats a 3 cent spud! You just have to increase your yield .