Want to Grow Lots of Potatoes in a Small Space?
Growing potatoes is part magic, part mystery. Magic because these plants multiply themselves like nothing else I've ever experienced in the garden, and mystery, of course, because it all happens underground. If you can handle that, then growing your own potatoes is super fun and easy. There's really not a lot of tending you have to do once your spuds get started.
Instead of planting potatoes in my raised garden beds, I hide some potato plants in my landscape and grow the rest in big containers. I highly recommend growing your potatoes in barrels or grow bags if you're short on growing space. All you have to do is add some holes to the bottom of your container, fill it up with compost and potatoes, and then you can experience the magical mystery of potatoes for yourself!
When to Plant Potatoes in Your Climate
You can plant your potatoes as early as 15 to 30 days before your last frost of the season. (Don't worry if you get another frost. The soil will protect your potatoes.) This way, your potato plants will be up and growing before it gets too hot.
If you're planting fall potatoes in a warm climate, check the days to harvest for the type you're growing and make sure you have at least that long before your first expected frost. You'll want to pull in your harvest before the cold sets in.
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Steps to Set Up Your Potato Container Garden
Step One: Gather Your Supplies
First, you'll need a container. I grow my potatoes in a whiskey barrel I bought from Lowe's or Home Depot that's a little over 2 feet in diameter. Look for something that's at least 18 inches tall. If you want to do grow bags, go for the 10-gallon bags. Some people even grow their potatoes in burlap sacks.
Step Two: Add Drainage Holes
Good drainage is key to not ending up with a bunch of rotten potatoes. Some barrels are intended to be planters and come with drainage holes. If your container doesn't have holes in the bottom, you'll need to add them (I recommend four holes around the perimeter and one in the middle).
To add holes to my whiskey barrel, I used a smaller bit to create pilot holes first and then came back in with a bigger bit to expand the holes to 1 inch each. I learned it's best to be patient and use just a little force instead of trying to push the drill too hard.
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Step Three: Cover the Drainage Holes
Place some burlap or weed barrier cloth across the bottom of the barrel to keep soil from washing out of your container.
Step Four: Place the Container in a Sunny Spot
Make sure your container is in a sunny spot before you fill it up with soil. Potatoes need at least 8 hours of sunlight a day to produce.
Step Five: Fill the Container Partway with Soil
Potatoes aren't super picky about their soil. You can do native soil mixed with some coarse sand and compost or some potting soil. I just do 100 percent mushroom compost in my barrels. Fill the first 10 to 12 inches of your container. Now you're ready to plant!
How to Plant Potatoes in Containers
Planting in containers goes a lot faster because you don't have to dig in the ground.
Make sure you're using potatoes that are already starting to chit, or send out their first growth. Place the seed potatoes on top of the soil, with the potato eyes facing up. Space them at least 6 inches apart. I planted six potatoes around the perimeter and one in the middle of my whiskey barrel.
Add some more compost so that the seed potatoes are covered. Leave about 8 to 10 inches of your container empty. That way, you can come in and add more compost as your potatoes grow. Water your potatoes in.
Learn more about planting potatoes.
How to Tend Potatoes in a Container Garden
Be sure to keep potatoes well watered until they sprout. Give your container at least one to two deep waterings a week thereafter. You want to let the soil dry out a bit between waterings so that you're not creating swampy conditions at the bottom of your container. We don't want moldy potatoes.
If you ever see part of a tuber sticking above the soil line, cover it immediately with a layer of compost or soil.
Once the potato leaves are about 4 to 5 inches tall, come back and add more compost to keep them growing. This is called hilling, and it strengthens root growth and adds extra support to the aboveground stems of the potato plant. Plus, new tubers will grow along the parts of the stem that you bury, and that's definitely what we want.
Keep adding more compost until you reach the top of the container, and then let the potato greens go from there. They'll grow up and out so that you finally have a container that looks like it's actually growing something. Yay!
If you see a pretty purple potato flower appear, here's what that means and what to do.
Overall, it's important that you keep your container well maintained since your potatoes can't rely on nature quite the way they would if they were in the ground.
When to Harvest Potatoes Growing in Containers
Potatoes are going to stay underground for a good long time, usually at least 90 days, if not more. Basically, don't plan on taking them out of the barrel for at least three months.
Look to the potato leaves to gauge when it's time to harvest. When potatoes have finished forming underground, the leaves on the top of the plant will start to die off. Wait until the leaves are totally dry and papery. Some might even fall over. That's your sign to harvest because the potatoes won't be doing any more growing down below at that point.
How to Harvest Potatoes Growing in Containers
Harvesting potatoes in containers is super easy. You don't need a pitchfork so you can dig into the ground. You don't have to worry about disturbing plants growing nearby in a raised bed. And the soil is just much easier to dig into.
Stop watering your potatoes when the leaves begin to turn brown so that they can set their skin. Once the leaves are totally brown, it's finally time to dig in and find all those potatoes!
If the soil in your container is still nice and loose, you can try just pulling the plant up and seeing if it stays intact. Then dig around a bit with your fingers to make sure you don't leave any potatoes behind in the soil. You should have about 5 to 6 potatoes for every one you planted.
Another harvesting option—though a messy one—is to flip your container on its side if you're able and scoop out the soil onto a tarp. You won't even need to dig at all.
Enjoy your organic potatoes right away or cure them somewhere cool and dark for two weeks before storing.
Enjoy Your Homegrown Potatoes!
You've got to try growing your potatoes in old whiskey barrels or grow bags! That way, you can experience the magic of potatoes even if you don't have a garden set up yet, even if your raised beds are full, even if you only have a sunny spot on a patio.
There's nothing better than a homegrown potato!
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