Growing potatoes in a barrel is a long-standing method that over time has undergone some modernization and is popular with vegetable growers. How did people come to grow the culture in the tank? Rumor has it that once, a man dropped a tuber into a compost pit. Regularly adding compost to the pit, the farmer harvested a surprisingly good crop of quality potatoes in the fall. Since then, experiments have begun.Potatoes in a barrel - this is an appropriate option to get a good harvest for those vegetable growers who have a lack of space on the site. Some grow tubers in a wooden container for the sake of experiment; others find this method more convenient. After all, if you prepare the soil correctly and provide care to the plant throughout the season, then the crop will turn out to be very good.
Let us examine in more detail all the advantages and possible disadvantages of the experimental method of growing potatoes in a barrel.
Content
Pros of growing potatoes in a barrel
Growing potatoes in a barrel is a method that many growers have come to love. To a greater extent this technology is used by those gardeners who do not have enough space on the site for planting crops.
Consider the advantages of planting potatoes in a barrel:
- bushes can be placed in any convenient place: the "plantation" of potatoes is easy to move, therefore, you can save space in the garden;
- there is no need to spud a plant and free it from weeds; moreover, in a barrel the bush is less susceptible to diseases and attacks of insect pests;
- in a wooden barrel, the tubers practically do not rot;
- in order to nourish water, the plant requires a little water;
- due to the fact that the barrel is much warmer than in the open ground, the potatoes ripen faster;
- with all of the above advantages, potato productivity is not reduced.
In addition to the advantages, growing potatoes in a barrel has its drawbacks:
- a large number of wooden barrels or boxes are required;
- soil should be used only high quality.
Planting potatoes in a container
Before planting seeds in a wooden barrel, it is important to consider the quality of the soil. Potatoes need a large amount of nutrients, so you need to use prepared land. It is best if it will consist of several parts:
- compost;
- ordinary garden land.
It is better to prepare the mixture in advance, from the fall. The earth is well weeded, treated with chemicals to prevent possible diseases of potatoes and destroy pests. If weeds or insects are inside the barrel, then it will be much harder to deal with them.
Set the barrel in the place where you plan to grow potatoes. At the bottom of the tank, we fill in a little prepared mixture (compost and earth). Now we spread the seed tubers along the barrel diameter at a distance of at least 15 cm from each other.
On top of the potatoes we fall asleep another 10 cm of land. As soon as the first sprouts made their way through the soil a few centimeters, they must again be sprinkled with a mixture of earth and compost. This procedure must be repeated until the bores reach a height of one meter. If the earth is not sprinkled, then the root system of the plant is poorly formed, and this will cause a poor harvest.
Little tricks
The technology of planting potatoes in a barrel is a bit more complicated than planting in open ground. But if you do everything right and take into account some nuances, you can expect a rich harvest.
- In the barrel, you need to install a hose or a small pipe, always blind at the end, but with holes along its entire length. Water and liquid fertilizers can be added to the hose to feed the soil throughout the whole time of growing potatoes.
- Ammonia urea, ash, potassium or double superphosphate can be added to the ground. If the soil is sand, then you can not do without magnesium and sulfate. These mixtures can be found freely available in a specialized store.
- Do not allow the soil to dry out in a barrel, so it will be more convenient to install a drip irrigation system.
Fertilizers for potatoes in a barrel
The top dressing for potatoes grown in a wooden barrel does not particularly differ from ordinary fertilizer for beds on open ground.
As a top dressing, you can use:
- manure (cow or horse);
- complex mineral fertilizers;
- a mixture of manure and peat;
- siderate infusion.
Early varieties of potatoes are enough to feed once, but later varieties - at least twice.
Reviews
The method of growing potatoes in a wooden barrel is used mainly in the southern part of Russia. The rest of the regions prefer to plant crops in the open field in the garden, but there are those who went to the experiment.
Gennady, 48 years old, Krasnodar:
“Due to the fact that there is practically no place for growing potatoes on my plot, I decided to try a new method. Spying on him in a famous TV show. The only negative - a lot of barrels are needed. You can’t dig out one or two large-capacity containers; you won’t be able to feed your family in winter. I ordered another dozen barrels of linden. I’m going to continue the experiment for next season. ”
Valentina, 56 years old, Moscow Region:
“I came to planting potatoes in a barrel on the advice of a friend. Firstly, I was always interested in something new. Secondly, it is incredibly convenient! Insects do not eat tubers, no diseases are terrible to the plant. It’s a pleasure to dig out. The main thing is to prepare the right soil. I add a lot of fertilizer and compost. ”
Maria, 61 years old, Voronezh:
“The method of planting potatoes in a barrel is more suitable for those who have absolutely no land for the garden. Six, or even five, bushes are placed in one barrel. Not at all beneficial for a large family. It is necessary somewhere to look for a lot of containers, and my site allows me to grow potatoes in the garden, so I was not interested in this experiment. "
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