Container-Grown Fingerlings

Moonglow · December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas to all! Finally not working today, I planted some "Red Thumb" fingerling seeds. I hope I can figure out how to insert an image here. Thanks for looking.

BrianS · December 25, 2008

This may be a dumb question so forgive me if this is ignorant.

Did you plant them like you do "normal" potato by cutting up a larger tater with what we call an "eye"?

Moonglow · December 25, 2008

Hi, Brian. I did not cut up the seeds, since they are fairly small.

I placed 3 seeds per container

. Not sure if three is a crowd in a 10-G bucket (will confirm size later). Hopefully someone in the know will come forward and enlighten us. I'm a newbie.

Medbury Gardens · December 26, 2008

I think if look at how much room a potato takes up in the garden 1 should enough,i know people that are planting 4 or 5 in the that same sized container.....far too many.

Linda10 · December 26, 2008

Oh, I love "Red Thumb" potato! They are so pretty and good tasting steamed whole. I never cut mine either, just planted the whole potato (quite small). You are really in for a treat.

OmahaJB · December 27, 2008

Moonglow,

This past summer I grew potatoes in 10-gallon growbags and in most of them planted 2 potatoes, sometimes 3 or 4 when I had some very small seed potatoes left at the end of planting. I can tell you this - I ended up with a freaking jungle as far as vegetation goes. One or at the most 2 seed potatoes, is what I'd use in the future if I were to grow them again in 10-gallon grow bags.

For the record my harvested potatoes were very small for the most part. I had varieties that were advertised as 90-120 days. If I grow again I'll use earlier varieties. And I'll start earlier, along with making sure I fertilize well the first few inches of soil that I place in the bag. From what someone else posted I found out the plants get alot of their nutrition from the soil that's underneath where the seed potato is placed. (If that's not true I ask for those more knowledgeable on the subject to say so. Thanks.)

Good luck. Hope you get larger potatoes than I did, because it was a massive pain to look through the soil for small potatoes!

Jeff

Medbury Gardens · December 27, 2008

Jeff i also found growing potatoes in containers a pain in the a#*.

So much work for so little return.

Interesting to see if you MG can achieve a better result than what i failed to

Tomaat · December 28, 2008

My first experience of growing spuds in container was during 2006, it was 'bintje".
I used 40 lt pot filled with new compost (3 seeds), the result was overwhelming for us as it produce almost 2 kg big tubers and eversince I continue growing them. It was my beginner luck but then I did learn a lot from it too. Cost wise is not economic at all but it is really fun

.

tessa · December 28, 2008

i have no luck at all growing potatoes in the ground. i get, on average, 7 potatoes back for every potato i seed in my containers. not great...but not so bad either.

Medbury Gardens · December 29, 2008

Why is it you cannt grow in the ground?? Tessa

tessa · December 29, 2008

because it doesn't rain here for 5 months of the year...and any moist patches (because i am watering them) get invaded by the roots of the neighbour's trees...and their neighbour's trees too...until all i have to show for my efforts is a mat of roots and nothing more.

i have to put the pots up on bricks/pavers to keep the roots out of them too.

Moonglow · December 31, 2008

Hello, everyone. Thank you for stopping by and so sorry for checking in just now. I have been traveling, and with family now in Southern California.

I am curious to see if my seeds are sprouting greens already. I will be back home in two (2) days and I will post an update.

Thanks again, and wishing everyone the best of 2009!

Moonglow · January 17, 2009

Happy New Year! I have been back, and checking on the seeds everyday after work and NOTHING.

Today is a different story: they have sprouted! You can barely see in the photos, but they are there!

(Actually, I can barely see up close, too

. They are dark green.)

Medbury Gardens · January 17, 2009

M G
I`ve gone back through this thread and to see what you planted,you wrote "seed" is that the tubular or TPS ?

Moonglow · January 17, 2009

Hello, M_G. Thanks for stopping by. They are not TPS. I'm not well-versed when it comes to gardening yet, but they are called "seed potatoes" instead (where I bought them).

Did I tell you that after finding out I don't need several pounds to start growing my potatoes I started cooking them

? There is just no way I can plant all of them. I stopped eating them because they have sprouted. They are still in my kitchen and I should plant them soon.

I hope you are enjoying the weekend.

mg

December 25, 2008	#1
Moonglow Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Corte Madera, CA - Sunset Zone 16 Posts: 356	Container-Grown Fingerlings Merry Christmas to all! Finally not working today, I planted some "Red Thumb" fingerling seeds. I hope I can figure out how to insert an image here. Thanks for looking. __________________ Moonglow Gardens Sustainable Gardening One Planter at a Time Sunset Zone 17 Apparently - - - Without the fog! Last edited by Moonglow; December 25, 2008 at 07:30 PM. Reason: Resized Image

December 25, 2008	#2
BrianS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Missouri Posts: 96	This may be a dumb question so forgive me if this is ignorant. Did you plant them like you do "normal" potato by cutting up a larger tater with what we call an "eye"? __________________ Hook 'em Horns!

December 25, 2008	#3
Moonglow Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Corte Madera, CA - Sunset Zone 16 Posts: 356	Hi, Brian. I did not cut up the seeds, since they are fairly small. I placed 3 seeds per container . Not sure if three is a crowd in a 10-G bucket (will confirm size later). Hopefully someone in the know will come forward and enlighten us. I'm a newbie. __________________ Moonglow Gardens Sustainable Gardening One Planter at a Time Sunset Zone 17 Apparently - - - Without the fog!

December 26, 2008	#5
Linda10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brush Prairie, WA Posts: 925	Oh, I love "Red Thumb" potato! They are so pretty and good tasting steamed whole. I never cut mine either, just planted the whole potato (quite small). You are really in for a treat. __________________ Linda10

December 31, 2008	#12
Moonglow Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Corte Madera, CA - Sunset Zone 16 Posts: 356	Hello, everyone. Thank you for stopping by and so sorry for checking in just now. I have been traveling, and with family now in Southern California. I am curious to see if my seeds are sprouting greens already. I will be back home in two (2) days and I will post an update. Thanks again, and wishing everyone the best of 2009! __________________ Moonglow Gardens Sustainable Gardening One Planter at a Time Sunset Zone 17 Apparently - - - Without the fog!

December 26, 2008	#4
Medbury Gardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Medbury, New Zealand Posts: 1,881	I think if look at how much room a potato takes up in the garden 1 should enough,i know people that are planting 4 or 5 in the that same sized container.....far too many.

December 27, 2008	#6
OmahaJB Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Toledo, OH Posts: 1,821	Moonglow, This past summer I grew potatoes in 10-gallon growbags and in most of them planted 2 potatoes, sometimes 3 or 4 when I had some very small seed potatoes left at the end of planting. I can tell you this - I ended up with a freaking jungle as far as vegetation goes. One or at the most 2 seed potatoes, is what I'd use in the future if I were to grow them again in 10-gallon grow bags. For the record my harvested potatoes were very small for the most part. I had varieties that were advertised as 90-120 days. If I grow again I'll use earlier varieties. And I'll start earlier, along with making sure I fertilize well the first few inches of soil that I place in the bag. From what someone else posted I found out the plants get alot of their nutrition from the soil that's underneath where the seed potato is placed. (If that's not true I ask for those more knowledgeable on the subject to say so. Thanks.) Good luck. Hope you get larger potatoes than I did, because it was a massive pain to look through the soil for small potatoes! Jeff

December 28, 2008	#8
Tomaat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 154	My first experience of growing spuds in container was during 2006, it was 'bintje". I used 40 lt pot filled with new compost (3 seeds), the result was overwhelming for us as it produce almost 2 kg big tubers and eversince I continue growing them. It was my beginner luck but then I did learn a lot from it too. Cost wise is not economic at all but it is really fun .

December 28, 2008	#9
tessa Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: perth, western australia Posts: 1,031	i have no luck at all growing potatoes in the ground. i get, on average, 7 potatoes back for every potato i seed in my containers. not great...but not so bad either.

December 29, 2008	#10
Medbury Gardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Medbury, New Zealand Posts: 1,881	Why is it you cannt grow in the ground?? Tessa

January 17, 2009	#13
Moonglow Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Corte Madera, CA - Sunset Zone 16 Posts: 356	Happy New Year! I have been back, and checking on the seeds everyday after work and NOTHING. Today is a different story: they have sprouted! You can barely see in the photos, but they are there! (Actually, I can barely see up close, too . They are dark green.) __________________ Moonglow Gardens Sustainable Gardening One Planter at a Time Sunset Zone 17 Apparently - - - Without the fog!