In May I set up a hessian bag with some manure, compost and potting mix and planted a few pontiac potatoes I had been given. I've since turned my planned root bed into mainly a potatoe bed for this season, and ll i can say of potatoes is plant them and they will grow. But back to the bag.
Here is the inital set up with the wire to keep the dog out. I had supports underneath to raise the back to help with drainage.
As the plant grew i added more compost and manure, but i think it would have been better to just add cane mulch or similar. (Jun2010)
July 2010:
In the process I had a problem with the bottom of the bag rotting away and the soil all coming out. This may also have been due to the mice that turned up. They were burrowing holes in the soil. I ened up catching 5 mice in total using a humane trap that tilts when they go in and the trap door shuts. I released 2 in the forest and unfortunately the other 3 died in the holding tank I had them in until i could get back to the forest. Was probably a Co2 overdose. The other two had survived fine with the air gap I had provided but the extra mouse must have tipped the scales.
After a number of the pants had died back I dug the plant up in august. I was concerned about the vermin issue so i wanted to get rid of it. there where a few small new potatoes but nothing great. all in all the soil was still too damp and i suspect too dense.
In Sep I planted some certified seed potatoes in Bed 1.
I had planned carrots in between the potatoe rows but the mulch has excluded them now
In 1 month they are flourishing
No comments:
Post a Comment