Growing Potatoes In Containers
A Beginner's Guide To Growing Potatoes In Containers
Growing potatoes in containers is really ideal, especially if you are looking to grow an unusual type of potato that is hard to find. Choosing to grow them this way also doesn't risk animals eating them or weeds growing in them. This is also a great project to do with children.
Some things that you are going to need to start are potting soil, seed potatoes, fertilizer, sun, water and a container. Growing potatoes in containers can be done in any large container. Whatever container you choose though, you need to make sure that it has adequate drainage, you do not want your potatoes sitting in water. Smart Pots are ideal because they are environmentally friendly, lightweight and they are made from fabric so they allow air to get to your potatoes. They also drain very well so your potatoes will not rot.
The potting soil should be of high quality and it is recommended to use a slow release fertilizer. Your potatoes will need at least six to eight hours a day of sunlight and the soil will need to be moist. The plants will die if the soil is dry and the potatoes will rot if the soil is too wet. Try to be consistent with your watering and this will only get easier with practice.
Begin by filling your container with a bit of potting soil. Four to six inches is good to start. You should also add the fertilizer now. When growing potatoes in containers, there are a few choices that you can pick from for the next step. You can either wait for your potatoes to sprout or just choose to plant them as is. Some people will cut the potatoes and then allow a callusing over effect to take place and then there are others that cut them and plant them immediately. If you do cut them, you u need to have a minimum of two eyes per piece. The potato plants will grow pretty large so you must give them room to spread. You can plant about four potatoes in a 20 inch wide container, any more than that will be too crowded.
When growing potatoes in containers you do not want to go overboard when covering them with soil. One to four inches is sufficient. Water them well and check the moisture of your soil daily making sure it is moist all the way down to the potatoes, not just on top.
The next step of growing potatoes in containers is called “hilling”. This will happen when your plants are six inches tall. You will add about two inches of compost and soil to your plants. It is alright to cover some of the leaves here, this is expected. You are going to repeat this step continuously until the soil eventually reaches to the top of the container. These plats will grow fast so expect to give them attention every day.
You will know that your potatoes are ready to harvest when they sprout adorable little flowers on top. Most people don't realize that potato plants grow flowers too but they do. Now you can reach deep into the soil and pull out a few potatoes to enjoy or. The other choice is to let your plants turn yellow and die, then you can harvest all of your potatoes at one time by dumping the pot over on a tarp or in a wheel barrow and fish through all of the soil
Growing potatoes in containers is a perfect project for anyone, even a rookie gardener. An extremely useful tip you should know before you begin; don’t toss away the smallest potatoes, they are usually the sweetest.