Potatoes and Pots

As I mentioned Tuesday was a none gardening day as I have to teach in the evening, but yesterday was a lovely sunny evening after work, so after walking the dog I was in the garden.

I have a local source for some more wood as you can see above, I knocked on the peoples door and of course they are quite happy for me to take what I want.

So yesterday I wanted to get the potatoes in. I was quite worried because I didn't really know what to plant them in. so I had a bit of a root around the garden and I found these.

A whole bunch of bags of different types of compost. There was what was left of the multipurpose compost, a bag of ericaceous compost, some African violet compost, some John Innes compost and the tub is an unused tub of chicken fertiliser pellets - honestly I can't even remember buying them. So I just stuck them in a black bin and gave them a lovely mix up (not the chicken pellets). reading the bags they all seemed to be peat anyway (I know I know don't use peat based compost - but they were already there so I might as well use them)

Anyway after poking holes in the bottom of these brown recycling bags I found under the bramble I used a load of polystyrene crocks that I picked up via freecycle. Bunged in about 4 inches of my compost mix, then about five chitted tubers and then another 6 inches of soil. As per whatever website it was I was reading. Then a good hand full of chicken manure on top - as you can see in the picture and then watered them all in. - Lets wait and see hey?

My main problem then was that I had basically used all of the compost that I had mixed up, so what am I going to use for all my other pots, seeds and plantings apart from those that go directly into the garden.

And yes I had another bright idea. I had loads of pots that were growing not much else but a few spindly bulbs and weeds. All of the pots were planted up using multi compost bought at great expense from various DIY places so I thought I would empty them out.

I haven't yet emptied all of them but this is the results so far.

A large pile of compost which I have sieved through by hand and removed all the roots, bulbs and nasty stuff. An interesting point is that the earth in there felt really warm as I was sieving it.

The empty pots will be used for bush tomatoes and other fabulous stuff I'm sure.

First Freebie - a wooden pallet

This is my first freebie. A pallet just lounging around on the side of the road as I drove past. I live in an urban area so its not the sort of thing you see that often. The good angel of freebie gardening must have been looking out for me.

So what am I going to use this for? The idea is, if and when I get some potatoes, I am going to grow them in containers/bags. But for good drainage I want them off the floor and this pallet will be just the thing. And as for the bags I think I have a couple that have blown into my backyard over the winter.

So now I'm looking for potatoes to plant and of course I need some soil.

I have also collected a couple of plastic food trays that I am going to use to get my seeds going when I get some. Some people at work have offered me some. I may get them in tomorrow but I am away for most of the week on business and I dont want to loose them by not being there.