How To Grow Potatoes In A Container At Home

If you love potatoes and want to get the potatoes from your house garden then growing potatoes in containers at home is the great idea especially if you have limited space. You can use pot, garbage can, burlap bag or any container available at your house to grow potatoes in containers. Moreover, when you grow potatoes in containers, you can harvest them easier and of course you can ask your family to join with you to enjoy the gardening time from planting until harvesting. Although growing potatoes in container is easy but still you need to follow some tips to make healthy potatoes and can give high production yield.

How to Plant Potatoes in a Container

1. Seed

You can grow potatoes from seed but you need to make sure potato seed you use is mature early. The potato usually will be mature in 70-90 days but some types of potatoes need 120 days. You can buy potato seeds which are disease free or already certified from trusted gardening store. Yes off course you can also use your favorite variety from the super market that you love.

2. Growing Medium And Container

Potatoes can be grown in containers using garden soil or any medium. You need to choose container which is room to build up the soil as the spuds grow. And make sure also there are some drainage holes in container you choose.

3. Environment Conditions

Potato plants need 6-8 hours full sun conditions and temperatures of around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. You may place the container potatoes outside the kitchen.

You should plant potatoes after winter or after all danger of frost has passed.

4. Planting Potatoes In A Pot

• Mix free draining soil with fertilizer and moist them. 
• Fill in the container with 4 inches deep of growing medium.
• Cut the seed potatoes into 2-inch chunks that have some eyes. You can plant small potatoes as they are. 
• Plant the chunks in container with 5-7 inches between apart. 
• Cover the seeds with 3 inches of moist soil / growing medium.
• After the potatoes grow around 7 inches, cover them with more soil. Continue to cover the small plants until you reach the top of the bag or container. 
• Keep the potatoes in containers are well watered but not soggy.

5. Harvesting potatoes

You may harvest potatoes after the plants have flower and the plants turn yellow. Stop watering once the stems turn yellow. Wait a week and dig out the potatoes. You may just dump the container and sort through the medium for the tubers. Clean the potatoes and enjoy your fresh potatoes from your garden container.

Good luck ...!

Read also: How to Grow Carrots in Containers

Reference: gardeningknowhow.com; photo credit: flickr.com, en.wikipedia.org