Gardeners with limited space can still grow bulk carbohydrates, though I am minded that this is more about quality of on the doorstep fresh organic flavoursome etc. than about basic survival.

This year I have grown a total of 9 bags of salad potatoes. The seed I used was simply a co-op supermarket scrap price bag, one and a half kg for 40p; which also provided a couple of meals. The bags used are the black plastic sacks in which our local municipal compost is packed.

Each bag was started with a few handsful of sticks and twigs, then a mixture of molehill soil, municipal compost, some leafmould and a handful of sand is the growing medium. Two seeds in each bag, chitted to get started.

The bags at first leaves showing. At this stage more growing medium was added.

During the summer weeks the bags were being fed/ watered daily with a decoction of nettle water (see the page on grow your own fertiliser) at a rate of approximately a litre per day.

Here all nine bags are in full leaf, watched constantly for any signs of blight, which has been a problem in the past 🙁

And today, with the tops dying back it was time to harvest.

The combined yield of two bags

This is the combined crop from two bags (for illustration –

the quantity and quality was consistent across the bags. The

four roots set aside represent the original seed.
This lot weighed in at just over 7 kg.

Result 😉