How to Grow Potatoes in Simple Containers

The trick to growing lots of potatoes in a small space is to encourage a few plants to grow vertically, and produce a large number of tubers. Luckily it is relatively easy to con the plant into changing the function of its stem to that of a tuber-producing root.

The Method

Plant one good seed potato in about 750mm (9 inches) of rich potting-soil, and wait for it to send up shoots. Cut off all but the strongest shoot.

When the plant is about 300mm (1 ft) tall, pull off all the leaves on the lower half of the plant. Dress the wounds with a low-strength rooting-hormone powder, and cover the newly-denuded part of the plant with soil.

Continue in this fashion until the container is full of soil.

At every place that a leaf has been removed, new roots will shoot and potato tubers will form.

Container Suggestions

The simplest container is an empty paper potato sack. Somehow there always seems to be one potato in a sack that manages to grow shoots before you get round to eating it. Use this as your seed spud.

Carefully roll the sack down – rather like rolling up a shirt sleeve – taking care not to tear the paper. Plant your lone spud as described above and await results.

It is important not to overwater potatoes that have been planted in this way, as too much water will cause the paper to rot before your crop is ready. Make a small ridge of soil around the stem of the plant and water directly into this “saucer”. Gravity will ensure that the water stays near the main root area of the plant without soaking your sack.

After harvest, throw the sack away.

Moulded plastic laundry baskets make for a longer lasting container. They will need to be lined to stop the soil from escaping from the holes that are a feature of these baskets. Newspaper is an excellent liner, as are large garbage bags. Remember to cut a few holes for drainage at the bottom of the bag to avoid ending up with a foul-smelling, soggy mess at the base of the container.

Those who live in industrial areas may have access to an abundant supply of scrap automobile tyres. These make for a wonderful “Stack-a-Spud” system.

Plant your seed spud in the centre of a tyre. As it grows, add tyres to increase the depth of the “tyre-tainer”.

Unlike the other two container suggestions, the size – and yield – of this expandable container is limited only by how fast you can grow your potato plant, and the length of the growing season. Yields of up to 10 kg (22 lbs) have been recorded by people growing potatoes in this way.

A Cosmetic Touch

None of the above containers are exceptionally pretty – especially the “tyre-tainer”. The paper sack and laundry basket can be made to look good – and increase the variety of your garden – by planting strawberry plants, annual herbs, cucumbers or cherry-tomato plants through small holes poked in the sides of the containers.

As it is extremely difficult to poke holes through a car tyre, a tall bushy plant such as Rosemary or Lavender could be used to disguise this type of container. For the more adventurous, a vine-forming vegetable – like a cucumber or runner-bean plant – could be planted in a trough at the “tyre-tainer’s” base, and the stems clipped to the rubber with wire fencing staples. (Get your timing just right, and the screening plant will grow at the same rate as your stack of tyres)

Final Touches

If the plant flowers too early, tuber production will be compromised. Keep pinching off flower stalks until your plant’s root is of a satisfying length. Experience, unfortunately, is the only teacher in this area.

Do not be tempted to scratch around in the soil to see how your ‘taters are coming along. Exercise a little patience – and faith. Wait until the plant has finished flowering, and all the foliage has died back completely, before unearthing your beautiful “Brown Diamonds”.