Meet the contenders… #SpudOff 2013

The rules were simple. Make, borrow or steal a container, plant it up with no more than five pink fir apples and then see who has the best harvest. And now that the spud growing season is underway it’s time to introduce the world to The Great British SPUD OFF 2013 contenders…

NOTE: We’ll add new contenders to this post when their photos arrive. If you’re entering the competition and have yet to submit your snaps then WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??

Thirsty Nick
Nick is hoping for extra chips with his Swedish meat balls. This standard issue Ikea bag has been punctured with holes, filled with manure and contains four tubers.

Sarah Coomer
Show-off Sarah has built a castle to protect her potatoes. Apparently it started out as a pizza oven but having failed to cook a single pizza she has turned her attention to mash. It contains organic compost, a red Devon mud and straw combo known as ‘cob’ and three pink firs.

Solly
This hexagonal plastic container is available to buy and, despite using it last year with little success, Solly is giving it another run out for this year’s competition. He has gone for the maximum five potatoes and started them off in homemade compost.

Rusty Ricker
The ‘sack of spuds’ approach has been adopted by Rusty Ricker: five sacks, five spuds and an instant flood barrier should he overwater the garden.

Gordon Stewardson
Crazy Gordon has already dumped his five spuds in the bin. He claims it has been “hanging around the allotment since I took it over” and the muck is “100% rotted cow manure as an experiment”. Moo.

Thirsty Rich
If there’s a cider shortage this year then we know why. Rich has raided the brewing shed and purloined a five gallon fermenter which is now home to three pink firs and his own “experimental” compost mix. Which may or may not include Nick’s missing pea pod wine…

Rachel
When Rachel’s water butt split she didn’t cry over spilt rainwater. No, not Rachel. She ingeniously cut her butt in half and planted it with five tatties. When harvest time comes she’ll be hoping for plenty of potatoes on tap…

Rich Clarke
They may be standard issue potato bags, but that’s only half the story. Experimental Rich has filled one with home made compost and another with standard shop bought stuff. He also found fetching pink bags to match his expected pink fir bounty.

Gary
Hats off to Gary who has whipped out his toolbox for this year’s contest. This outstanding piece of ‘palletism‘ is made from a reconstructed pallet which can be increased in height every time the spuds need earthing up. He has even lined it. Posh. Four pampered potatoes nestle within a 70 / 30 mix of standard compost to a home made variety.

Gill Woodward
Never mind that this wooden box is cunningly lined with a bag from the pound shop. Move on from the fact that it contains the combined nutrition of homemade and council produced compost. Because we can sensationally reveal that Gill’s four firs get their water from the duck pond. If this wins then it’s all aboard the duck filled tattie bus.
Eh? No? Sorry…