Early Potato Reveal! | Kestrel Potatoes Grown In Containers | Allotment UK

At the beginning of April we planted our first and second early potatoes at the allotment in containers. It's been roughly 12 weeks, and both are showing signs that they're ready to harvest! the leaves are yellowing and dying back, and they've finished flowering.
In this video i'll show you how I planted and grew my early potatoes. And we will see what harvest we managed to achieve! Did we get a good crop?
I'll also show you how I grew these with very little cost. Filling containers doesn't have to be expensive!
Have you harvested any potatoes yet?
#gardening
#allotmentgardening
#garden
#allotmentvlog
#growingpotatoes
#potatoharvest

[@vickyboyer2384]

Good video. Subscribed. I grew my potatoes in washed out cat litter bags that drain. Good soil and mushroom compost. And bone meal and hilled them in the bags. I watered but it was dry. I got a pitiful harvest. Lol well I'll try again.

[@theresamcpherson7352]

Very nice reveal! Thank you for filming.

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Thanks for watching!

[@moirad6579]

I LOVE a happy potato reveal Jim! I have a potato plant shot up from last year in the middle of my bean teepee 🤣🤣🤣 Decided to let it grow and see what happens. This year growing Huckleberry Gold, German Butterball and Red Gold... all new varieties for me and I am super excited to see how they turn out.

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Nice! They sound interesting! I'm excited for my maincrops, those things are growing like triffids! Must be at least 3ft tall now 😂

[@mikeross4]

Hi Jim, my allotment is in Hertfordshire on the edge of The Chilterns, heavy clay on chalk with lots of flints and stones. I have been “no dig” for about twelve years and it has transferred my soil. Like you I have grown my potatoes in 30 litre containers with a good degree of success. But this year I have also experimented with growing some earlies and second earlies by planting in a hole and mulching with grass clippings. I have been pleased with the results so far, very clean potatoes and no slug damage. Next year I think I will grow my earlies and second earlies in this “no dig” way and my maincrop in the 30 litre containers. An excellent video!

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Excellent stuff! Plenty of nitrogen from those grass clippings for the potatoes 😊 thanks for watching and happy growing! 💚

[@the_little_potager]

Agreed, nothing better than harvesting spuds 🥔🥔🥔

[@downtoearthwithjim]

We haven't harvested much else so far this year 😂

[@keilarsbraegrower1581]

Good video. I would cut off the tops before tipping the buckets out, makes for a tidier reveal.

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Yes I would usually do this more so with main crops if you saw last July's maincrop potato harvest. Thank you

[@keilarsbraegrower1581]

@@downtoearthwithjim I must watch your other videos. I love potato reveals.

[@elizabethnash7491]

Hello from Ireland Jim ☘️~ what a satisfying vid! I followed your advice and am about to harvest my first bucket 🥔🌱👍🏼

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Hey there! 👋🏻 Let me know how it goes! I'm really pleased with these early potatoes this year 🥔 happy growing!

[@myhomeandgardenchanneldwel7777]

It is my first time on your channel and I have just subscribed. Very nice harvest. Thank you so much for sharing. Keep up the good work. All the best on this journey

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Thanks so much! I'm excited for the main crop harvest which will probably be around August/September 😁

[@myrustygarden]

It’s one of the things I like about growing potatoes 🥔 in pots we can harvest as needed. We had baby spuds the other day they were delicious 😋 Glad to see you smiling and happy harvesting it’s what we do it for. Have a super weekend, Ali ☔️☔️🇨🇦

[@downtoearthwithjim]

They are something else aren't they! I cooked them in my own grown herb and garlic butter last night with a bit of cheese in air fryer. Absolutely stunning. Have a great week Ali

[@MelodyBee-yl7we]

A couple of nice little harvests. Looking forward to seeing the other 6 harvests!

[@downtoearthwithjim]

More to come!

[@computingananswer766]

May I just mirror what others have wrote in the comment section here Jim, "nothing beats digging for gold, golden spuds for days!" Keep up the great work and we are finally over the sluggy spring - it is onwards and upwords now!

[@downtoearthwithjim]

That's the right attitude! Onwards and upwards!

[@Stephen474]

Lovely clean harvest James, I love growing spuds in tubs, they are always clean, I'm looking forward to when I tip my main crops out into wheelbarrow, take care Steve

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Me too! Those maincrops are doing really well. How are yours doing?

[@Stephen474]

My main crops are doing great, they’ve got good growth on them, looking forward to seeing the results.

[@allotmentjoy]

Good result Jim 👍🥔🥔🥔🥔

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Thanks 👍

[@gedhuffadine1873]

Just subbed

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Cheers! 😊

[@growingmyown]

Awesome harvest,I hope you got rid of the ants .. New friend here from Growing My Own.

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Hey there! Thanks! And welcome to my channel 💚 I've got diatomaceous earth for the ants but just need to get in to the habit of applying it everywhere! There's nests everywhere!

[@ashbash9103]

Exciting times! Can't wait for mine

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Have you harvested any yet?

[@ashbash9103]

Yes! Yesterday! It was a mix of Maris Peer and Carolus. The Maris Peer did a lot better, with much larger potatoes. It's possible that it's more suitable for cooler weather. Like every year, I regret not planting more, but I'm happy for the harvest I did get

[@juliagad]

Its like digging for gold 😊

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Like huge golden nuggets!

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

I just love a potato reveal. Nice harvest. I did one pot the other day - still to put vid up. Nice number but still erring on small. They have been out since sowing. Need another week or two for the others I think. Take care. Mags

[@downtoearthwithjim]

You'll have to get a vid up! So satisfying to watch 😊 🥔 what varieties have you grown?

[@1Gibson]

Wonderful harvest sir

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Many many thanks

[@David_Bell_growing]

Now I'm growing next to people who leave tubers in the ground to infect neighbour's crops, I don't bother with outdoor maincrop anymore. As you say, 30L treepots (or bags) work well for bringing on under cover then putting outside when warmer. They also take up less area than open ground planted tubers at traditional spacings.

[@downtoearthwithjim]

I'll always grow them in buckets. Plus any extra I have left in the ground

[@cablegirl90]

I use dry quick oats( oatmeal) sprinkled over the top of where the ants are. Worked 100% with fire ants here in the US

[@downtoearthwithjim]

That's an interesting one! Does it just repel them?

[@cablegirl90]

@@downtoearthwithjim no, the ants eat the oatmeal and the oatmeal expands which kills the ants

[@JacobsonFamilyAllotment]

Definitely trying this next year layering the potatoes and using 4 you had loads out of one bucket 😮

[@downtoearthwithjim]

It really Maximises the yield you can get from one container. 2 early seed potatoes would just leave loads of wasted compost

[@benhamilton5692]

Hi Jim does your Mum still want 8 by 10 Greenhouse? - alternatively if easier got a small 6 x 6 red greenhouse cheaper and with built in shelving going to sell.

[@MsShaz06]

Yes plz Ben

[@MsShaz06]

Yes plz Ben...are you down this weekend...what plot are you

[@anthonyciaburro4673]

How do you deal with the ants and the used compost once you have harvested the potatoes?

[@downtoearthwithjim]

I just reuse the old compost by adding stuff to it like blood fish bone for example. Next year it'll be chicken pellets NOT horse manure. Or I'll add a layer of fresh compost too. The ants don't like being disturbed and will flee the buckets once they've been tipped out and mixed up

[@downtoearthwithjim]

I have diatomaceous earth for the ants but as there as so many nests it's hard to control them with it. Im talking literally 1000s of nests and that's not a joke

[@barrymorgan7215]

Hiya Jim ,you don't mention your mums plot anymore ,has she given it up !!

[@MsShaz06]

I had a huge set back a bit ago, but I'm slowly getting back to it,

[@downtoearthwithjim]

She is still working on it Barry, getting things cleared. She's decided not to grow much this year as it's her first year. I just haven't had time to do much there. I'm hoping I'll have more time next year to go over there

[@lindastevens6861]

I’m sure the potatoes you planted weighed more than your harvest

[@downtoearthwithjim]

I'm just grateful for the food that I have grown that is going to help feed my family. Thank you for watching.

[@marshmom2001]

Lol, why would you say that..? Did you even watch the video?

[@marshmom2001]

​@@downtoearthwithjimit looks to me like you harvested a lot! Good job

[@downtoearthwithjim]

@@marshmom2001 thank you so much 💚 honestly I'm super happy with this early potato harvest. Did another 2 buckets today and filled my entire harvest basket just from the 2 buckets and they're a reasonable size too

[@marshmom2001]

@@downtoearthwithjim yes, they look great! You and your family will eat well 🥰