Grow Potatoes in Containers

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Last year I ran out of room in the garden but I still had seed potatoes left over and… I had these great big empty 10 gallon pots. I was very impressed with how well the potatoes grew in here, I harvested upwards of 10-12 pounds per container. And the containers really don’t take up much space!

Or use Potato Grow Bags!
Potato Grow Bags have a porous fabric that air-prunes plant roots, resulting in a robust and healthy root system. Plant up to 5 seedlings in this size Potato Grow Bag!

I put about 3 -4 inches of a third compost and soil mixture on the bottom of the container, planted  4 – 5 seed potatoes, topped with another 2 inches of soil mixture.. as the potatoes grew taller I added more soil, and again.. then Bam! All kinds of potatoes!

Seed Potatoes:
Unlike the potatoes you purchase at the grocery store, seed potatoes, also known as “tubers”  and are grown for the purpose of replanting and are not meant for consumption. Organic and heirloom varieties of  potatoes can also be used for planting purposes. You can save your own potatoes from season to season for replanting purposes.

Prior to Planting:
Your potatoes need to start to sprout.  To do this, leave your seed potatoes in a cool, dark place.  A cupboard or closet in the basement works nicely. Keep them in an egg carton or other container to support them and check back each day to look for eyes. Once the eyes/sprouts have began to grow your ready to plant, cut or cube your potato into half or thirds. You do not want to trim the eyes off the potato, treat the pieces as separate seeds. Each piece should weigh between 1.5 and 2 ounces, and each should also have two or three eyes on it.

Get Growing:
The majority of the eyes should face upwards. Space the tubers apart evenly and do not overcrowd the pot. As a general guide, a pot with a diameter of 12 inches should only contain about 3 seed potatoes. After a few weeks to a month you should see leaf growth now it is time to add more of your soil/compost mixture. Only the top 1 inch of leaf growth should be peek through. Keep adding medium until you reach the rim of the pot. Ideally, the soil will be about 18 to 24 inches deep.

Maintenance:
The soil should be moist, but never soggy and never completely dry.
Potatoes need sunlight but do poorly when exposed to direct sunlight for an extended period of time. Partial Shade is best!
Use good quality soil enriched with compost and manure for large quality crops.

When are they Ready?
Rummage around the dirt a few weeks after your plants flower. The first few potatoes will be ready at this time, and you can pluck or twist them off the root. Generally, potatoes that are at least the size of an egg will be ready, but you should pull each spud above the soil and check its color before removing it. Green potatoes are unripe and poisonous.  You will be able to tell when the remainder of your potatoes is almost ready by observing how much the foliage has died back. Once the leaves and stems are completely yellow, your potatoes are ready. Stop watering about two weeks before you harvest!

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