Wow your rockin the stylin compost bins 🎉. Yep I don’t worry too much about bits in potato pots but I do add like you a bit of feed. Hope everyone is doing well and that the weather gets better soon, Ali 👍🇨🇦
Hi jonny, I set two 15 litre pots up with Swift about a week ago - now sitting in the sun room (still trying out different varieties). Arran Pilot this year arrived on the shelves, unlike last year when it appeared to be rarer than hens teeth i.e. no where to be seen (at least in this area of Lincolnshire). As you state, the compost is mainly a carrying medium for the plant's nutient supplies and its supporting biome. Feed the soil not the plant.
I couldn't get Arran Pilot last year either - sometimes there is a crop failure and some varieties aren't available. Has happened recently with International Kidney too. "Feed the soil, not the plant" - so true!
Hi Jonny, I am with you on Aaron pilot, I’ve been experimenting with others in recent years but can’t find one to match, shell be doing my potatoes in exactly the same way as you. It works well for me and as you say we don’t have to buy expensive rubbish compost. Take care kind regards alan……………….. THE DAWN CHORUS PLOT 🌿
There are many that I like - Sharpe's Express, Duke of York, for example - and they look a bit nicer than Arran Pilot, but the texture and flavour isn't even close, really. 👍😋
I've never tried rocket as I like to grow older varieties, but I understand they are very quick to mature. How is their flavour (if you've grown them before)?
I think we're always trying to push the boundaries a bit with early sowings so when you don't do it, it does feel like being behind. Really, though, the season hasn't started yet and there is no point getting ahead of the weather. I have been deliberately delaying sowings this year due to the cold.
I know we have discussed before, however I am now perhaps thinking an idea that is a little more extreme! I completely understand the importance of the quality/fertility of the lower part of the potato pot for feeding the seed and the roots - spot on in my view. However I am now wondering if for the top part of the pots one could use almost anything (such as leaf mould or even tightly packed straw). I mean the role of the matter supporting the plant above the seed/roots seems mainly to provide shielding from light, support for the leafy part of the plant, and moisture. As an experiment I wondering if wood chip, or just partly composted leaves might be sufficient... Hmm let us see! My thanks for an interesting vlog.
You are likely correct in your thinking. I haven't grown them this way, but I have seen the tubers planted just into the surface of the soil and then covered with a thick layer of straw - it worked fine and made harvesting much easier. I imagine there could be some trade off and some method may be more productive than another, but ease of planting and ease of harvest are not insignificant factors in my view.
Hi Jonny, loving your videos. I had a question about growing cordon fruit trees. How far apart should I plant them. Also how far apart can the rows be before I need a third post. Thank you for your time.
Horizontally (between planting holes), mine are about 90cm/3' apart. As they are at 45 degrees, that puts the parallel stems about 64cm/2'2" apart. Most recommendations are for 60-90cm/2-3', so you could push them a bit tighter if you are short on space. If you are growing them vertically, then going to 60cm/2' should be ok. I think the posts are about 10 feet apart. That's probably as far as I would go with wooden posts.
Wow your rockin the stylin compost bins 🎉. Yep I don’t worry too much about bits in potato pots but I do add like you a bit of feed. Hope everyone is doing well and that the weather gets better soon, Ali 👍🇨🇦
Repurposed some of the roofing sheets that the storm blew off my sheds last year - they make great compost bins :)
Hi jonny, I set two 15 litre pots up with Swift about a week ago - now sitting in the sun room (still trying out different varieties). Arran Pilot this year arrived on the shelves, unlike last year when it appeared to be rarer than hens teeth i.e. no where to be seen (at least in this area of Lincolnshire). As you state, the compost is mainly a carrying medium for the plant's nutient supplies and its supporting biome. Feed the soil not the plant.
I couldn't get Arran Pilot last year either - sometimes there is a crop failure and some varieties aren't available. Has happened recently with International Kidney too. "Feed the soil, not the plant" - so true!
Woww,,,,
Hi Jonny, I am with you on Aaron pilot, I’ve been experimenting with others in recent years but can’t find one to match, shell be doing my potatoes in exactly the same way as you. It works well for me and as you say we don’t have to buy expensive rubbish compost. Take care kind regards
alan……………….. THE DAWN CHORUS PLOT 🌿
There are many that I like - Sharpe's Express, Duke of York, for example - and they look a bit nicer than Arran Pilot, but the texture and flavour isn't even close, really. 👍😋
Niceone jonny I'm doing Winston and rocket first early potato's this year hope you get a great harvest mate
I've never tried rocket as I like to grow older varieties, but I understand they are very quick to mature. How is their flavour (if you've grown them before)?
@Jonny's Kitchen Garden personally they are the best tasting ones I've grown I wasn't a fan of the arran pilot potato's
That's interesting - was it the flavour or the texture with the arran pilot?
Hoping to do mine today, fingers crossed there's warmer weather on the way - I'm feeling really behind with everything.
I think we're always trying to push the boundaries a bit with early sowings so when you don't do it, it does feel like being behind. Really, though, the season hasn't started yet and there is no point getting ahead of the weather. I have been deliberately delaying sowings this year due to the cold.
Once we come out of this cold snap next week, I will be doing the same thing Jonny..
I'm not much of a weather watcher so I'm not sure what is coming up... but it has been cold this year so I'm being cautious with everything 👍
I know we have discussed before, however I am now perhaps thinking an idea that is a little more extreme! I completely understand the importance of the quality/fertility of the lower part of the potato pot for feeding the seed and the roots - spot on in my view. However I am now wondering if for the top part of the pots one could use almost anything (such as leaf mould or even tightly packed straw). I mean the role of the matter supporting the plant above the seed/roots seems mainly to provide shielding from light, support for the leafy part of the plant, and moisture. As an experiment I wondering if wood chip, or just partly composted leaves might be sufficient... Hmm let us see! My thanks for an interesting vlog.
You are likely correct in your thinking. I haven't grown them this way, but I have seen the tubers planted just into the surface of the soil and then covered with a thick layer of straw - it worked fine and made harvesting much easier. I imagine there could be some trade off and some method may be more productive than another, but ease of planting and ease of harvest are not insignificant factors in my view.
Hi Jonny, loving your videos. I had a question about growing cordon fruit trees. How far apart should I plant them. Also how far apart can the rows be before I need a third post. Thank you for your time.
Horizontally (between planting holes), mine are about 90cm/3' apart. As they are at 45 degrees, that puts the parallel stems about 64cm/2'2" apart. Most recommendations are for 60-90cm/2-3', so you could push them a bit tighter if you are short on space. If you are growing them vertically, then going to 60cm/2' should be ok. I think the posts are about 10 feet apart. That's probably as far as I would go with wooden posts.
Thank you