Pots in pots

Regular readers will know that I always grow my potatoes in containers rather than in open ground. This is chiefly because I don't have enough space in my raised beds for them, but it's also so that I can keep the moisture levels right more easily. Well, this year I have had to water the containers MUCH less frequently! Because of the long spell of very wet weather we have had, I have been worried that the potatoes would be too wet.

Some of the plants are protected by a plastic "Seedling Greenhouse" affair, with a zip-up lid:

This thing was intended primarily to protect plants from frost, which it has done well, but it has also served to protect then from the rain, which has been more of a threat this year than frost. The potato plants inside are a lot further advanced than the ones outside, although they were only planted a week earlier.

Next door to the Seedling Greenhouse are my second batch of potatoes, growing in containers that originally held pelleted chicken manure. Here you can see them (left) covered with a wire grille to prevent foxes furtling around in the compost.

They are looking fine. I have earthed them up once, so the pots are now about half full. I will need to do them again in a week or so. My aim is to eventually have the pots filled to about 2 inches below the rims.

The last batch of potatoes, round the side of my house, is the most under threat. They get all the rain, but because they get little direct light or breeze they don't dry out so well when the opportunity arises. I have been wondering if they would suffer because of this, but they seem to be doing OK. Their compost is completely sodden, despite the presence of many drainage holes in the pots:

In fact, they seem to be positively enjoying the wet weather! It will be interesting to see what sort of a crop they produce. I have heard that many farmers in the UK have lost their crops altogether, due to severe flooding. The price of veg in the shops will undoubtedly be high this Summer.