Potatoes for Patios and Small Spaces
Paulette Greenberg, Anoka County Extension Master Gardener
It’s hard to find a household that doesn’t love potatoes, but growing them yourself can be challenging in smaller gardens. Potatoes planted in-ground require a lot of real estate. Also, best practices suggest rotating potatoes often and waiting three years before planting them in a space previously occupied by any other nightshade family member, such as tomatoes or peppers. This can create a conundrum for gardeners with limited space. When I ran out of usable garden space for potatoes, I discovered a great solution – grow bags!
First, I tried using five-gallon buckets and large pots. With this method I did get potatoes, but they were small and few, and I would have needed a dozen containers to meet my harvest goals. I learned about the grow-bag method while doing online research, and this method produced fantastic potatoes!
Grow bags are widely available and some use recycled materials, such as water bottles, which make them planet friendly, too. Most bags have handles, making it easier to move them around if you discover you don’t really get full sun in that corner of your patio. Bags can also be folded up at the end of the season and stored easily after you clean and disinfect them. If you like do-it-yourself projects, you can create your own grow bags by sewing together burlap bags or weed control barrier fabric.
Here are some tips for planting potatoes in grow bags:
Select a compact, mid-season potato from a reputable greenhouse or online catalog to ensure you will start free of disease. I have had great luck with Adirondack Blue, Adirondack Red, and Yukon Gold varieties.
Use the correct size grow bag – three feet tall with a minimum capacity of 10 gallons.
Find a site with at least six to eight hours of full sun and access to water.
Choose a well-draining mix of compost and potting soil. I use 50% potting mix and 50% compost. Avoid garden soil, which will compact too quickly and promote disease.
Place three inches of soil in the bottom of your bag and set your potato pieces on top. A bag with 10 to 15 gallons of soil capacity can support four to five pieces of tuber.
Cover with four inches of soil, and water well.
Wait until the plants are a foot tall, then mound them with more of your soil mix until only the tops show. Continue mounding until the plants die.
There are many benefits to growing potatoes in bags. I love being able to simply tip the bag over to harvest; it is much easier than digging blindly in the soil and slicing potatoes with my shovel. The ability to move my ‘garden’ around the yard is convenient, too. The best benefit, though, is that with a little planning and a sunny corner, anyone can enjoy fresh, home-grown potatoes.
For more information about potato growing and harvesting, visit: Growing potatoes in home gardens | UMN Extension
Registration is now open for the Anoka County Master Gardeners' Home Landscaping and Garden Fair on April 1. Mark your calendars for the Plant Sale on May 16 and 17. For details, visit anokamastergardeners.org