Potatoes ina bin bag

[davegore]

Hoping for some advice, planted 4 everyday potatoes that had been chitted into a quite slim heavy duty refuse sack (about 14 inches across and 30 inches high), followed the instructions that when there were green chutes to cover with more compost etc but already I am only about 6 inches from the top of the bag.

I put the latest layer of compost on 7 days ago and already there are chutes showing so the next layer of compost I put on will probably be the last. Now I know to let the plants go to flower and then they are done but can anyone tell me how long the potatoes can be left in the bag, and even probably a more daft question, in which order do we harvest them, is it the top ones first of from the bottom and work up, plus how long can they be left in the bag.

Any advice greatly appreciated

Dave

[katihannah]

Hi Dave

I'm also growing potatoes in bags for the first time, and while I don't think I can answer your questions as such I'll post a link to the advice I'm following.

Hope this helps

Katie

Royal Horticultural Society - Advice: Planting Potatoes in Containers

[Shetty]

I think it depends on what variety you grow (earlies or maincrop) as to how long you leave them in the bag.
I had some leftover potatoes last year which I stuck in bag and promptly forgot about behind my rhubarb plants.
When I finally emptied the bags in autumn The lower potato were bigger than the once in the top of the bag. So it would make sense to harvest them bottom to top, but that seems a bit difficult. So I would leave them in a bit longer than you normally wait with potatoes in the ground and then empty one bag at the time.
As I said mine where forgotten and left well alone for 5 month without the potatoes coming to any harm. Allthough I am not sure if early ones in a warm place would not start resprouting. Then you could harvest them for X-mas.

Hope this helps

Shetty

[saznpaul]

That's a really good question there Dave... speaking as another complete potato newbie! lol

We have put out 3 'pots' with potatoes. They are in fact the garden pop up bags from poundland that we put some holes in. We are very much a try it and see approach as we have never done this before either.

Just wanted to say good luck to everyone else who is new at this... I'm sure we'll learn as we go along !