Tub of Tatties Hints and tips
Choose your variety carefully. Yield (total weight of potatoes produced) depends on both variety and growing conditions.
Early varieties will reach their heaviest weight more quickly than maincrops, but maincrop varieties with sufficient growing time and good conditions will produce heavier crops. (First and second prizes in last year’s competition went to maincrop varieties…………..)
Early planting will give the longest time for your plants to grow, but plant too early and your plant might get frosted. You can of course protect against frost.
Avoid overwatering, but remember that tatties growing in a tub will dry out more quickly than those growing in soil, and need more attention generally.
Feeding can be important (last year’s winning tatties were fed with home-made Comfrey liquid feed), but you need to think about the nutrients you’re supplying and how they affect growth. Lots of top growth doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get a high yield of potatoes below ground – remember that nitrogen produces lots of leaf and stem growth, but phosphorous and potash are more important for root and tuber growth.