Seed Potatoes

There are literally dozens of varieties, but you will probably want to grow delicious early potatoes. Any of the varieties labelled 'EARLY' from your garden centre will be perfect, or for a special treat why not try the delicious Pink Fir Apple variety. Buy your seed potatoes as soon as they come on sale in January or February. Place 5 of them in a dish or egg tray in a cool, light place out of direct sun. In a few weeks they will have grown shoots about 1 inch (25mm) long. This 'chitting' process is by no means essential, but will certainly give you a bigger crop. Aim to plant your seed potatoes from late February, March or April.

Note: If you plant your fist crop early enough, you can grow a second crop for harvesting in the autumn. Keep the rest of the seed potatoes in a cool place and re-plant the whole barrel after you have harvested your first crop. This way, you can have new potatoes in the autumn as well as in the spring. Any new shoots that have grown too long and spindly can be rubbed off, so that new 1 inch shoots are produced ready for planting. Don't forget to renew the compost.

Choosing a Site for your Barrel

The advantage of growing potatoes in a tub means you can start them off indoors, much earlier than outdoor plants. To get really early potatoes, keep the tub indoors, or in a shed or greenhouse for the first 2 or 3 weeks. Of course, as you keep adding compost the tub will become heavier, so make sure you remove it to its permanent site before it is too heavy to move.

Alternatively, you can leave it outdoors, but cover the tub with clear polythene to prevent the shoots from frost and bring them on earlier. The permanent site should be in a sheltered and sunny position.

Planting

You will need 80 litres (one giant bag) of a good general purpose compost available from your garden centre. Do not use ordinary garden soil.

Pour 6 inches (150mm) of compost into the bottom of the barrel and plant the 5 seed potatoes (shoots or eyes uppermost), about 2 inches (50mm) deep.

Watering and Feeding

Once the plants are well established the compost will need watering and feeding weekly with a high potash/low nitrogen soluble plant food. A proprietary tomato fertiliser is ideal. Do not skimp on the feeding, as potatoes are very greedy, especially when confined in a tub.

Harvesting

Eventually the plants will produce tiny white or pink flowers. Now is the time to check and see if your potatoes are ready to harvest. Lift up the slider using the hand holds provided, to reveal the 4 holes in the sides of the barrel. The compost will not fall out because the roots will by now be tightly packed together. You will see the potatoes quite clearly, and if they are big enough, gently ease them out with your fingers. Take just enough for the table and close the slider again. The potatoes will keep on growing until you have harvested the whole barrel. If you follow the instructions carefully, you should grow a bumper crop (or even two crops) of delicious new potatoes in your first season. Why not make a note of how many pounds you get from your barrel, and next season attempt to better it. You may wish to grow a different variety, or use another compost, or make adjustments to the watering and feeding programme. If you are particularly pleased with your results, why not write and let us know.