IN THIS ARTICLE Equipment | Light and Temperature | Soil and Fertilizing | Containers | Harvesting
I love growing Potatoes. Under that leafy green plant is a treasure of large delicious Potato tubers just waiting to be harvested. You don’t even need a garden to grow your own, you can grow them in pots, planter bags, or containers in any sunny corner.
To grow Potatoes, you’ll need potting soil, a plant pot, a sunny space like a patio or balcony, and your favorite seed Potatoes. It’s that simple.
More and more urban families are using spare space to grow their own fruit and vegetables. It takes almost no time or money and you get the pleasure of seeing your plants grow, and of course eating your own fruit and vegetables. In this article you’ll find simple instructions and extra details that will help you get started growing your very own Potatoes in containers or pots at home. You can get started growing your own Potatoes by following my simple steps below, then read on to learn even more about how to grow Potatoes in containers or pots.
Summary Of Steps To Grow Potatoes
- Get seed potatoes
- Get organic potting mix
- Get organic compost
- Get 5 gallon containers (as many as you need)
- Half fill each container with organic potting mix
- Plant 1 seed potato in each container
- Top up each container with organic compost
- Position each container in a sunny space
- Water regularly
What Equipment Do I Need To Grow Potatoes In Containers
No matter what vegetable you’re growing on your balcony or patio container garden, you need a small set of tools to help. They just make it easier to take care of your potted plants. My list includes a few of these tools, as well as items just for growing potatoes. Take a look at my detailed article “Essential Container Gardening Tools” for loads of ideas, however I’ve got a good summary below:
- Hand Trowel
- Hand Cultivator
- Watering Can
- Plant Pots or Containers 5 gallons (20 liters) each
- Potting Mix 30 pound bag (good quality organic)
- Compost 30 pound bag (good quality organic)
- Organic Bone Meal Fertilizer (recommended)
- Liquid Kelp Organic Fertilizer (recommended)
- Seed Potatoes (you can buy them, or make your own with my instructions below)
- Sunshine and water
What Type Of Potatoes Should I Grow In Containers
You can grow any variety of potatoes you choose in containers. If you’re like me, waiting until they’re ready is not fun, so I choose early potato varieties at the start of the season. These varieties mature quickly, usually from 7 to 10 weeks from planting. Four weeks after planting your early varieties, you can plant a second crop that will take longer to mature, and these will be perfect later in the season. Now you’ll have fresh potatoes all season.
The exact varieties will vary from region to region, so get some advice from your local garden store or have a look online. Look at the varieties sold at your local store. I’ve had success with Yukon Gold, Jersey Benne, Swift, Red Rascal, and Dark Red Norland. You can even use store-bought potatoes as seed. It’s wonderful to just try any variety you can get your hands on!
What Size Container Do I Need To Grow Potatoes
As a simple rule, you need a 5 gallon (20 liter) container to grow potatoes. At this size you can plant 3 to 4 seed potatoes in each container. You can buy purpose-made potato planter bags or just use any large container or pot. A 5 gallon bucket is great as long as you drill drainage holes. It’s the size and ease of handling that makes the right container. I’ve had success with both planter bags and large plant pots. Use whichever you can find easily.
How To Prepare Seed Potatoes For Planting
You will need some seed Potatoes. You can purchase these from a store like Amazon (Potato Seed), or make your own seed from leftover store-bought potatoes. If you’re making your own potato seed (and I encourage you to try this) before planting, you need to sprout or chit each potato. Sprouting or chitting will cause the eyes of each potato to grow into stubby green shoots. Each shoot will eventually become a healthy potato plant. This is how you create seed potatoes.
To sprout or chit your potatoes, place them in an old egg box with the eyes (little black or white lumps on the potato surface) facing up. Store the egg box in a cool but light location, lid open. Once the green shoots appear after approximately 1 to 2 weeks, break off by hand all but 3 of the largest shoots. You have just created seed potatoes. That simple.
TIP You can create your own seed potatoes from store-bought potatoes by Sprouting or Chitting.
How To Plant Potatoes In A Container
Using some organic potting mix, fill your planter bags or containers to 1 third full. Fertilizer is optional however, I find better results when I include it. Try adding Organic Blood and Bone Meal into the potting mix layer before you plant. Follow the directions on the package, then mix it through the potting mix by hand (wearing gardening gloves). I’ve had wonderful results with both of the following products. Both are excellent and either one is worth the effort.
TIP I've had wonderful results with the following Bone Meal. It is worth the extra effort.
Down to Earth Organic Bone Meal Fertilizer 3-15-0 5 lb
A wonderful source of readily available phosphorous and calcium for flowering plants, trees and ornamentals and is also recognized as the ideal organic fertilizer when planting bulbs
Taking a sprouted or chitted potato, place it in the middle of the bag or container with the shoots facing upwards. Now it’s just a case of topping up the rest of the bag or container with compost. Fill it right to the top so that the potato is buried deeply. All that’s left to do is to water the potato in.
TIP Fill your planter bags or containers in the place they are going to stay, they are heavy to move.
How Many Potatoes Should I Plant In A Container
How many potatoes should you put in a planter bag or container? Like growing most plants, it depends. Some varieties of potato are a main crop and take up a lot of space, whereas an early crop will take up less space. So if you’re planting early potatoes, you can place 3 seed potatoes per 5 gallon (20 Liter) planter bag or container and you’ll harvest smaller potatoes. Plant a late-season variety, and only 1 seed potato per 5 gallon (20 Liter) container is needed. At harvest, you’ll have fewer potatoes however, they will be much larger than the early season varieties.
Where Should I Position My Container Garden
In Temperate climates, potatoes are a warm-season crop. In Subtropical and Tropical areas it’s a cool-season crop. Potatoes love full sun, but they do not love frost. In Temperate areas, Potatoes should be moved outside after the risk of frost has passed. Place your planter bag or container in a position where it will receive full sun for the morning and shaded sun for the afternoon, around 6 to 8 hours a day. A patio, balcony, or sunny porch is perfect.
TIP Choose a place that is sunny in the morning and shaded in the afternoon.
How Do I Care For Potato Plants
Potatoes like to be watered regularly, which means little and often. Water at the beginning of the day or in the evening, giving the soil time to absorb the water before the heat of the day. Watering at these times actually helps the plant retain water. Water the soil and not the Potato plant itself. Push your fingers 2 inches into the soil, and water your plant if the soil feels dry. Water until you see it draining out the holes in the bottom of your container. This way you know water has reached the roots.
TIP Here is a list of good-quality garden and container fertilizers.
If you want to fertilize your plants during their growing season you can. Try using a liquid Kelp organic fertilizer. I’ve had great results using this type of fertilizer. As the fertilizer is a liquid, it’s easily added to your watering can. Apply the fertilizer in line with the product instructions. I’ve had wonderful results with both of the following products. Both are excellent and either one is worth the effort.
TIP Try using a liquid Kelp organic fertilizer. I've had great results using this type of fertilizer.
Clean Kelp’s unique processing techniques give the cleanest possible kelp extract. Get all the benefits of natural kelp enzymes and hormones without the non-nutritious fibrous pulp that gives other kelps their thick, brackish appearance. You can see the difference. SIMPLE AND SAFE TO USE FOR ALL PLANTS: Add to every watering, it’s that easy. No risk of over application, plants love kelp. Clean Kelp aids in every stage of growth for root and stem health.
Organic Kelp Fertilizer by GS Plant Foods – Omri Listed
OMRI ORGANIC LISTED SEAWEED & KELP FERTILIZER: Liquid Kelp is a natural plant food that provides a range of benefits for plant health and growth. OMRI listed for organic use, GS Plant Foods Liquid Seaweed Fertilizer is a completely natural, seaweed extract fertilizer for plants. Our liquid seaweed will help stimulate natural root growth, mineral uptake and overall plant growth and vigor. This can be applied to any type of soil or plant without concern for waste or harmful chemicals.
Potato plants can suffer from something called Late Blight. This is a condition that will produce brown patches on the leaves of your plant. It’s easy to treat and prevent with an application of Organic Copper spray once a month.
There are a few pests that will like your potatoes. Growing Potatoes in planter bags or containers actually helps you control pests. Pests that naturally live in the soil in your garden cannot access your container. Flying pests such as Aphids can still find your Potato plants, you can control these by spraying your plant and the pests with diluted household detergent.
When Do I Harvest Potatoes From My Container Garden
As a simple rule, early varieties of Potato are ready to harvest when they flower, at about 7 to 10 weeks of age. Late season varieties are ready to harvest once the foliage dies off late in the season.
How Do I Harvest Potatoes From My Container Garden
Harvesting Potatoes is so easy from a planter bag or container. Simply tip the container over and the soil and Potatoes will empty out. Try a flattened cardboard box so you can spread out the soil. You can easily collect your harvest and then put your soil back into your container ready to use again.
What Should I Do With All These Potatoes
For each planter bag or container you use, you’re going to get a lot of Potatoes. After you’ve given surplus to family and friends, how do you store the rest? One of the best suggestions I’ve found is to place clean (meaning dusted, not washed) Potatoes into Burlap bags. Burlap is a strong breathable cloth, perfect for Potatoes and completely re-usable. Then place the open bags in a cool dark place like your garage. To successfully store Potatoes, you need good air circulation, low light, and a cool area in your house.
TIP Remove damaged Potatoes before storage, to prevent the onset of rot.
Conclusion
For us modern city living folks, growing your own vegetables is completely possible and easily achievable as long as you have a sunny porch, balcony, or patio. You can even grow indoors. My point is, you do not need a lot of space.
Growing your own Potatoes in a pot or container is one of the most rewarding vegetables you can choose. You can prepare your own Potato seed from leftover, store-bought Potatoes. Potatoes plants take little effort to set up and care for. You are rewarded by eating your own delicious Potatoes all season, and into winter. Quite simply, Potatoes are one of the easiest and cheapest vegetables you can grow. I’d love to hear about your experience.
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