Gardening 101: Planting Potatoes in a Container
ByIf you have limited garden space…planting your potatoes in a container is a fun option. I’ll be planting potatoes both in my garden and in a container, just so that we can have as many potatoes as possible!
There are a variety of ways to plant potatoes in a container. For me, the easiest way is to use an old rubbermaid garbage container. (Hint: remove garbage first.)
Here are the simple steps:
- Poke or drill several holes in bottom of garbage can.
- Scoop about one foot of soil into the container.
- Push five whole seed potatoes into the soil, spread apart evenly.
- Make sure the potatoes are completely covered by about two inches of soil.
- Water the seed potatoes.
- Sit patiently and wait for them to grow. You may want to take up knitting.
- Once the plants have grown to 7-8 inches in height…scoop more soil into the container. The soil level should be about three inches from the top of the plants.
- Water the plants as needed. As soon as the plants begin to flower, be sure to water generously and consistently.
- Each time the plants reach 7-8 inches above the soil level, scoop more soil into the container, maintaining the soil at three inches from the top of the plants.
- At the end of the summer, dump out the contents of your container (which will, by that time, weigh approximately 368.4 pounds). Dig all around the dumped out soil and gather potatoes.
- Jump and cheer each time you find a potato. Have an “I found the biggest potato, neener, neener, neener” competition.
- Go make mashed potatoes.
Don’t ask me how many potatoes you’ll be able to grow using this method. I’ve read that you can grow several pounds of them. Last year when I first tried doing this, I didn’t do a very good job of continuing to fill my container with soil like I was supposed to…therefore I didn’t have a very high yield. This year…I’m planning to do better!
By the way, with the exception of poking the holes in my container (because I had done that already last year)…this process took only ten minutes. That included digging up soil, planting, watering…and yes…stopping to take a few picture. (Wonder what my neighbors were thinking? Weird lady. Takes pictures of her dirt and trash cans. Weird, weird lady.)
A few more things you might be wondering about…
How should I poke holes in my container? Well…I had the kids stand back while I went to town with a pitch fork. But a much safer and more effective way is to use a drill.
What kind of soil should I put into my container? I dug up some good soil from the compost area in our backyard. You can use packaged soil from the store…but keep in mind that you’ll need quite a bit. I remember being surprised last year with how many bags of soil it took.
Does my container need to have the left-side handle missing? No. Your potaoes will grow just fine in a container that has both handles attached.
Will you show us updates on your blog as your potato plants grow? Absolutely!
Will I get dirt under my fingernails? Yes. When you push the seed potatoes under the soil, you will get dirty. But don’t worry. It will feel good. You’ll feel like a good farmer. You’ll feel like you’re working hard to feed your family. You’ll feel like you accomplished oodles of work because you got dirty. (Don’t tell anyone it took ten minutes.)
Oh…be proud of those dirty fingernails! See…I was so proud of mine I took a picture for you. (Weird, weird lady)
Do any of you have experience planting potatoes in a container? Any of you planning to give it a try this year? Anybody want to send me a picture of your dirty fingernails?
Thank you for this step by step. I have been pondering this, but wasn’t sure I could take it on. I think I can!!
Thanks,
Erin
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Thanks for this tutorial! I’ve been wanting to grow potatoes, but have been unwilling to give up precious garden ground to do it. This is a great alternative, AND! I think I even have a trashcan with a missing handle that will be perfect!
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I love this idea! I have never grown potatoes before, let alone in a garbage can. With limited garden space, this technique seems perfect.
We have had a few gardening posts on the Green Baby Guide over the last few weeks. I’ve felt like a hypocrite considering my limited success with gardening in the past. This year will be different, though!
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When I was little, my papa would take me out to his garden to roll the old tires out to the potato area. Instead of a container, he used the tires, stacking them up as the plant grew up. He would have multiple stacks 6-8 tires high by the end of the growing season. It was fun, and cheep as he kept all his tires from all his vehicles. It was the most fun day of the planting season as it became a game who could roll the tires the furthest, who could stack them the highest, and finally who’s stack produced the most potatoes.
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How totally cool is this? Very!
I don’t think that I’ll try planting potatoes this year, but maybe sometime! Thanks for the tutorial.
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I love you. :) Thank you for never failing to make me smile. I’m learning so much from you–especially how to not take myself too seriously.
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How do you store your potatoes and how long do they last?
I love your website!!!
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I was wondering how to do this! Thanks for sharing. Now I am off to go get my bin, dirt,and potatoes.
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we have tried 2 yrs now to grow potatoes in the ground… WITH NO LUCK.. we have clay… soo this year we are doing the SORT OF bucket meathod… We are planting in circles of fencing… some idea… just no bucket… and plenty of straw!
I can’t wait to see how they do!
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Wow, that seems really easy! I’m going to do it this year! Now I just need to find seed potatoes.
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I was wondering why you used whole potatoes instead of cutting them like you do when you put them in the ground. Our seed potatoes came and are just sitting until May when we don’t have to worry about freezing temperatures even though our snow that was here yesterday is gone already. Is it just because there is room to grow from a whole one?
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How fun. I didn’t know that it could be done.
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Thanks for the tutorial! Going to try this on my balcony. :)
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I absolutely enjoyed this posting! It made me laugh AND obtain information!
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I love it!! I am heading into my second year of square foot gardening. I don’t have anything planted yet (too cold still) but I do have my four beds all planned out. I was rather disappointed to see that the space I had allotted to potatoes (a 3-foot x 1-foot rectangle) should only be home to 3 plants, and not 12. Apparently you can plant four per square if you want small potatoes, but only one per if you want large ones. I’m considering planting 2 per square, each diagonal to the other, which will result in two staggered rows of three plants. I don’t want massive potatoes (it’s just me and my 4.5-y.o. here) but nor do I want marbles. Verrrry long-winded post to say, “Thank you for posting this!” I might add an additional potato crop grown in a container.
Off to work on my own WFMW submission…
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Thanks for the great advice. I have a couple questions…does the garbage can need to be in an area w/ full sunlight? Also, can this be done with sweet potatoes also? thanks so much!
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great idea but I would have never thought of it thanks for sharing
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too funny of a post, but also great advice.
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We do this but with old tires. As long as I remember to keep adding dirt as the plants grow…grin..we have had great results!
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Thanks for sharing this. I’ve been looking for alternatives to a vegetable garden since my chocolate lab has overtaken the backyard. I’m new at this so I thought the bigger vegetables would be out of the question but this sounds great. :)
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Thanks for teaching us and making us laugh!
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Love this!
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This might be a silly question, but where do you get seed potatoes? I’m new to this potato thing. Also, where do you keep your potatoes?
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Laura,
LOVED this post!!!! Do you think I can use old Rubbermaid storage tubs instead of trash cans? I have lots of storage tubs available but no trash cans…
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Awesome! I’ve got potatoes, dirt and a couple dented up garbage cans I’ve been wondering what to do with. I also have an old tractor tire I might try.
Thanks!
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QUESTION: If I plant them in my garden, not in a one-handled trash can do I have to keep adding soil to them as they grow?
Thanks :-)
Stacey (your semi-neighbor in NE)
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Do you really have to dump the trash out? Wouldn’t it just become compost? Just Kidding… It’s getting late.
We literally threw some potatoes in the ground last week. I was wondering what we were supposed to do next (as far as compost and soil go). I hope we get something. Thanks!
I really enjoyed your use of a gallon of raw milk. I haven’t tried it yet, but plan to when life settles down a bit.
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This was the best and thorough directions on growing potatoes up I’ve ever read. Thank you. Now I understand what needs to happen.
I have a question. How much sun/heat can potatoes take? I live in the desert and am not sure where they would best be placed.
Thank you!
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We don’t want to use one of our garden beds for potatoes this year, and were hoping to come up with an easy container to grow them in instead. Great idea, thanks! If only I had another old trash can. We used both of ours for our compost bin.
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I never thought of putting them in a trash barrel. I know my dad used to build up using old tires, and got bushels of potatoes that way. (bushels = LOTS)
As for the dirt under the nails, I have it too. My only regret, not using lotion. All the dirt digging and hot soapy water scrubbing left my hands dry and I now have (attractively) stained fingernail. Only slightly dingy. :-)
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I am thinking about growing potatoes this summer, they grow very well up here, but I was going to try something I had heard about – growing them in old tires. The process is very similar to your trick of using a trash tan. Perhaps I’ll do both and see which method yields the greater harvest.
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This is AWESOME! And again, showing my potato naivete, what are “seed potatoes”?? Can I just use some organic potatoes I bought from the store that are sprouting eyes??
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I finally got my garbage can and planted my potatoes today. Can you believe I couldn’t find one of Craigslist or freecycle? Oh well. Thanks for sharing! I am looking forward to seeing how many potatoes come from this.
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Great idea! Can’t wait to try this!
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I love this idea. I live down south in South Carolina. How long does it take potatoes to grow?
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I did mine a little differently but I linked back to your version for those with smaller gardens. :) Here is the link http://glutenfree4goofs.wordpress.com/2009/05/11/god-made-rainy-days/
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We are also doing container gardening with potatoes but using old tires and stacking as we go. We have 4 stacks, 2 red potatoes and 2 yukon gold!
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Vivian,
I live in GA and I have been told that you plant your potatoes in Spring and you harvest around Sept/Oct. They have a LONG growing season. So does peanuts too (which we are growing in a baby pool!
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Yay, I just planted 2 potato plants in a big pot! I am looking forward to them coming up:-) They are red potatoes. Anyone else ever try planting red ones before? Thanks for this Tutorial, Laura!!
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We planted ours too, and I finally got the pictures up on my blog! Thanks for the information!
Here are the pictures:
http://stockingthelarder.blogspot.com/2009/05/growing-food-potatoes.html
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Great blog post! I love learning about this online as gardening/landscaping are not only hobbies of mine but I actually do a little bit of work like that during the summer months as a second job. I appreciate your content in your blog and wish that you would keep up the good work :)
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can you use oak wood pellets to put on you potatos for mulch
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That seems like a really neat idea. I may have to try that out next year. Good tips for space saving!
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I have planted 8 potatoes in a container garden The container Garden is two feet deep 4 Feet across and 8 Feet long .I just made one row with my Potatoes I have Hilled them .They have grown so high about 34 in no Flowers yet Iam sure there will be nothing there when I did them but it is fun to see them getting so high .We have a fence around them to keep the deer and Rabbits out .I just wonder if they will produce anything .It is fun to try something new . Thank you
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http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1925531586785452183&ei=G3RySuP-O6XqrALq8IS1BQ&q=%22homegrown+hydroponics%22
I have just discovered hydroponics gardening to grow my lettuce all year long. I used to grow my vegetables outdoors in my outdoor garden, but had problems with animals & pests. Now I have moved my hydroponics garden in-doors and began growing my garden with hydroponics. The plants grow faster and the organic results are stellar. I would steer you towards hydroponics gardening to anyone looking to grow plants all year. Hydroponics gardening is a lot better than traditional soil gardens in my opinion. Just my 2 cents. I hope this helps…
[url=http://homegrown-hydroponics.com/] grow box plans[/url]
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Love your wit & the detail you give in explaining “how to” – especially for those of us Mommas who just didn’t ‘get it’ the first time around (or the second. heehee). Thank you!
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Can potatoes be grown in a garbage can in the winter in the garage?
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Laura Reply:
October 19th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
I don’t think it would work very well. They need a lot of sun.
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Where i live in France potatoes grow up with very low light, you should try if you have a windows.
Hello From France, Paul
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I will be undertaking this very shortly, and am quite excited! Now.. if you could figure out how to do this with melons..
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this is a great idea. I’m going to do this for this year.
How did you’re do last year? Did you get a lot of potatoes?
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Laura Reply:
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Mine didn’t do great unfortunately. I think it had to do with quality of my soil. I am SO trying again this year!
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