3 Reasons to Grow Potatoes in Containers

[@ChauNguyen-sm3iv]

I'm a Asian so I eat rice. I recycle my 50 pounds rice bags to plant my potatoes. I rolled the bags down to 1/4 of the height to put dirt and potatoes in. Add more dirt and unroll the bags up when they grow taller. Until Fall, when the plants die down I harvest the potatoes. As long as we eat rice we'll have bags to grow them.

[@isaaclopes2831]

Since you said "we", I'm assuming this is a family home. Would you be open to share how long it takes a family with X number of ppl to finish a bag that big? I've always been curious

[@choilive]

@@isaaclopes2831a family of 5 will go through a 50lb bag in a month if that is their primary source of starchy carbs.

[@ianpatterson3061]

Potatoes by the 50lbs bag cheaper than the rice

[@Somedude20282]

​@@ianpatterson3061But rice is far different than potato, they aren't a comparable starch. Grain vs tuber

[@ianpatterson3061]

@@Somedude20282 I fail to correlate the response to the premise of the statement.

[@PLF...]

It's so rewarding waiting a season for your precious potatoes to grow and being able to harvest an entire meal you nursed from seed. The other 364 days though, off to the store.

[@LKRaider]

One meal? 🤔

[@valtoton2982]

🤔 I know right? It sounds off. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Currently I'm growing a multi course meals . 😀. I'm growing the following.....Salads: Lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, celery, tomatoes, Radicchio, endive. Main course: Potatoes, corn, artichokes, just add chicken or beef! Dessert: Watermelon 😍 Snack time: Sunflower seeds and in in the fall i'll have pumpkin seeds too! 😋😋😋

[@lauriestlyon8773]

I live on a canal boat in the UK. I grow everything in containers. Am experimenting with hydroponics. Smaller containers and less weight equals more space to grow and bigger crop. Plus, water I have , but soil I need to buy. Have just found a way to grow hydroponic potatoes in perlite. REAL excited for this.

[@dontworryaboutit4255]

That's awesome. Sound like you're really happy with your life

[@noturfather1106]

That's really cool

[@patriciatinkey2677]

🍀🍀🍀

[@neoanderson4840]

LOVE THE FAMILY PICKING FRUITS OF LABOR 😊

[@raccoontrashpanda1467]

Ease of harvest is also a big reason to grow potatoes in containers. No more digging around to find them and inevitability missing a few, just tip the pot out onto a tarp and separate the potatoes from the soil that can be re-used.

[@ImmortalLemon]

I’m still trying to perfect the technique of planting potatoes in a very tall container and periodically filling the container with soil as it grows upwards so that you get potatoes WAY deeper and more developed further down. I haven’t fully succeeded but I’m making progress

[@joeschmoe6516]

It's called Hilling

[@valtoton2982]

Also that only works for indeterminate potatoes... for determine potatoes it's not necessary! 😀

[@jwrightgardening]

Ooh, thank you for the info about scab! I assumed it was a disease that would carry over. Now I know to check out my soil ph and I won't worry about using some scabby potatoes as seed.

[@ROCKDIVA85]

I love potatoes. They are delicious.

[@harmonicresonanceproject]

I'm going to do container potatoes this year! Great little video.

[@theresaheywood9479]

I've just found your chanel. I'm so inspired to grow my own vegetables. Brilliant advice 😊

[@sahar_services]

And I'll add to that, and probably everyone will agree with me it is way easy to harvest potatoes from a container!

[@taylor506]

Informative, and professional. Nothing like growing your own food. I appreciate the knowledge. Thanks for posting. I've subbed, keep up the awesome content.

[@dwrecktheanimal]

I'm impressed. I lift my 10gals fairly often and that's a heavy amount of soil. Yours look to be at least twice that. 💪🏼

[@florcontreras254]

Thank you for sharing knowledge ❤

[@millionairementality_]

Excellent information Thank you!

[@Eric-gi9kg]

I don't have the land, and I did and Do grow mine in containers... halved 55 gallon plastic barrels.. and it works great.

[@carlosux]

dude your work is great. funny how you can immediately tell how good you are

[@Argonaut80]

I don’t grow them in containers or in the ground. I grow under straw, and have great results, plus not digging, or potting soil cost.

[@rosebayer114]

Can you describe the process? Sounds interesting.

[@Argonaut80]

@@rosebayer114 Initially it took some work t prepare a spot. Marked out a 12’x12’ square. Cut out the sod and flipped it over at the end of Summer. Added a little compost, and covered with about a foot of straw. I let that rot all winter. In the spring I raked the straw off. Placed my seed taters evenly spaced on top the dirt, and covered with old straw, plus new to depth of about 1 foot. Require little to no water. Plants come up. When they are ready, you just part the straw, and the taters are right on top of the soil. Sooooooo easy. Then the bed is already to go for next year. I made two beds to rotate. No digging, no damaging taters from digging, no mounding, no potting soil or containers, very little watering. I harvest my taters in about 10 minutes. Very good results, and no diseases yet after four years.

[@furryplantsandcoins9070]

Are you putting it in the bail? Because if you're just planning it in the ground and then topping it off with hey then yes you're still using the ground. Otherwise I'm confused.

[@Argonaut80]

@@furryplantsandcoins9070 I’m growing them on top of the ground, under about 12in of straw. When you harvest, none of the potatoes are underground. They are on the surface of the ground. Harvesting, is as simple as moving the straw aside, and picking them up. I then put the straw back to compost, and the following year, I add new straw on top. I can harvest my 12’x12’ patch in about 10 minutes. There are videos on KZbin showing this method. It’s so dang easy, and I get between 50 and 60 lbs from that plot. It’s worth mentioning that I have two of these plots. I grow a crook neck pumpkin in the other one, and rotate.

[@charitylewis3370]

What zone do you live in? I have watched results on KZbin for several different zones. And everyone seems to get a small yield of very small potatoes. We have a larger family and it would definitely make things easier. If this method were to give us a reasonable size potato in a larger yield

[@PintuMahakul]

👍Growing it is tricky. Very nice and amazing video art work! We highly appreciate your effort and time. Thank you very much for sharing.

[@weston.weston]

This is inspiring, thank you for sharing.

[@marschlosser4540]

The best potatoes I can raise here (Arizona) are in tubs. But, tho we have an 8.5 Ph, no scab. Plant rye (the grain) a month before planting potatoes. there's a chemical in rye that when turned under kills scab.

[@Fosifar]

Turned under? What do you mean by that?

[@marschlosser4540]

@@Fosifar Disked, plowed, or killed by mulch. You can even crush it when it inflorescences and leave that as a mulch. We've been doing that for untold generations. Raising a crucifer in the rye can also kill nematode. Arugula is favored in potato country.

[@startc9080]

Tysm!!❤

[@whiterabbit6148]

I grow my potatoes and sweet potatoes in containers every year. I live in New Mexico, so our soil isn’t suited for potato growing, plus, I can move the potato pots to some shade if they are getting too much direct Sun in the hotter months when temps go above 100. My tomatoes and peppers love the direct summer sun, but my potatoes, not so much 😂

[@littleredhen3218]

I would love to learn how to grow sweet potatoes successfully. Where how do you choose your soil for proper pH or minerals? Any tips on where to buy supplies and seed potato or slips? I really want to learn about that. Any KZbin vids that helped you?

[@whiterabbit6148]

@@littleredhen3218 I kinda just started winging it as an experiment one day years ago… You can choose just about any healthy looking organic sweet potato from the grocery, and place the pointy end (you might even see some root hairs and eyes) of it into a jar filled with water so about half of the sweet potato is submerged. Place it in a sunny spot, change the water weekly, and in a few weeks, you should have some nice green shoots called slips. When your slips have a few leaves on them, you can gently break them off of the mother sweet potato right at the base so you don’t snap the growing portion. You then let the slips root in a small glass of water, changing the water weekly until you have nice long healthy roots. Then you can plant outdoors in a nice sunny spot. This process can take 6-12 weeks total, so make sure you take that into consideration. Depending on your planting zone, most ppl plant their sweet potatoes in May or so, so you would want to start your slips around February. Just figure out your planting zone and plan accordingly! I generally just use a high quality potting mix in half barrel planters because the tubers will need room to grow, and sweet potatoes like warm and sunny conditions. Make sure the soil stays moist, but not soggy, or your plants will get root rot. Watch out for pests, and good luck! I’ve had a lot of fun growing sweet potatoes this way, and they make really attractive decorative vines, so I’ve even put them out on the front porch for looks as a bonus! I’ll look for some useful links and post them below :)

[@dorindafulton]

Great info 😊🤗

[@frankievillarreal9643]

good job

[@pettierobinson5286]

Thanks for the tip

[@LisaGiesler]

That’s good advice. Thanks

[@parkerbarnes7726]

The biggest reason I don't grow potatoes in ground is how destructive harvesting is to the soil network. If you don't have a lot of ground to grow on, you might want to conserve that soil for other crops that don't require such disruption.

[@russell2449]

In which case you should try the container method dude ;?)

[@cindyrobertson3798]

This is useful .I've had scab.year after year

[@owendavies8227]

Growing in containers is so much easier. No digging. Easy on your back.

[@Howwerelivingfishing]

So satisfying to harvest too

[@EthanPerales.]

Yes that's true, but as a gymbro gardener, it's a good workout.

[@ronen124]

@@EthanPerales. Cultivo mis papas en el supermercado dentro de una bolsa de plástico perforada

[@EthanPerales.]

@@ronen124 jaja

[@play005517]

​​@@EthanPerales.bending down to work the ground can get your muscles injured if not careful

[@michaeldeckard4952]

Seems like it's working... well done

[@stilllearning1160]

Grew some great spuds this year. Dug in a good layer of Lucerne mulch and pea straw with compost I made in a 205 litre drum.

[@IChoseLove]

Awesome Thank YOU

[@patriciatinkey2677]

Thanks to all who commented here, you are sharing some really great tips!😊

[@wvhaugen]

I tried grow bags this year. I had good results. The bags are heavier than it looks on this video, so be prepared if you are using actual soil instead of potting mix.

[@djapollo1580]

Thank you

[@ruththinkingoutside.707]

Apartment life means containers.. after a lifetime of gardening in ground it was a big learning experience.. no major failures, a few, just .. meh.. 😅 The rest has been great.. when you figure out what your microclimate is you can work to the strengths.. I only bother with a handful of veg now, but I grow a bunch of them, plus herbs and perennials for pollination.. my fruit trees have done well all things considered! 😅 I’ve got flowers on the fruit trees this year so I’m hoping 🤞..lol

[@germanjesus]

I grow em in tires and it works amazing

[@LBCB94025]

it Also makes harvesting them infinitely easier!! because you don't have to worry about whether or not some are still in the ground deeper, or off to one side or something like that; cuz you can just take the thing and dump it out over grate/screen of some kind of sift all out!! (even the tiny ones!) 🧐🤔😆🤷🏼😁👍🏻🖤👏🏻

[@whiteangel256]

Trying to grow my first batch, fingers crossed

[@johntheherbalistg8756]

Another good reason (my main motivation) is to get all the potatoes. Every time I've grown potatoes in the ground, I've left some, as evidenced by their volunteering the following year

[@TMarkLenthall]

I use tyres with the sidewalls removed, and as they grow, put another one on top, and add more soil. Get extra tubers that way.

[@napkinslol7906]

Personally I wouldn't eat food grow inside a tire. Hot rubber and all that. Makes for good flower planters though!

[@chadwickducharme1194]

Fantastic information. Thank you for sharing

[@IngridKen]

Cool

[@wesman7837]

It works EXTREMELY well to grow potatoes in stacks of tires as well!

[@TriMarkC]

That’s a great idea! I can’t do that - the Mrs would claim I’m turning our back yard into a salvage yard!

[@julia1234]

Except they are toxic

[@andreakramer4159]

How many potato eyes do you put in each container? And the are 5 gal containers, correct? Thank you

[@myurbangarden7695]

Depends. I russet seed for a 5 gallon bag, but red potatoes 🥔 I plant closer so I get those taste small roasters.

[@andreakramer4159]

Thank you 😊

[@VegetableAcademy]

That's a good question because the number of eyes (not just the number of seed potatoes) impacts the overall stem density and the stem density impacts the final yield, but the number of eyes was not one of the variables we controlled in this first trial run. We just planted two seed potatoes in each container. The containers were 10 gallons in size. You can find many more details about the trial on this page: www.vegetableacademy.com/post/growing-potatoes-in-containers

[@andreakramer4159]

Thank you for sending data. Very informative Regards Andrea

[@Flying_Doodle_Homestead]

Approximately how long from planting the sprouted potatoes to harvest? And can I harvest sooner to get smaller potatoes or is that a different variety? Thank you for the informative and quick video. Very helpful ❤

[@albertgaines9944]

Thanks

[@hobomaninabox841]

This is probably 1 of the best self sustaining food sources. The spores only take a few days to come in and you can have countless numbers of potatoes to eat for a long time

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

There is nothing better than home grown spuds

[@vaga4239]

How do you store all those?!

[@ridgebhouse]

My God, you have a beautiful family all the success😊

[@Emeraldwitch30]

I have scab in my soil and i grow all my potatoes in buckets now. I do occasionally put a few in the ground. Usually on the edge of my compist areas. For some reason the ones growing by compost piles dont get scabby either

[@jetjaguar5200]

Ph better balanced

[@gardeningwithkirk]

Beautiful ❤ from Gardening with kirk

[@lisawatson3467]

What kind of dirt do you use in the pots containers?

[@creativecoding1]

What's that tunnel you got there?

[@lornaj3310]

Yes I have this question, too, and what do you use it for? Can you grow in it all winter?

[@Antreus]

Do you have a work schedule with deadlines and entry points to successfully transitioning between back to back crops to make the most out of a high tunnel. I struggle a lot with planning and get very distracted but once I have a quest for the day I get it done

[@marjoriejohnson6535]

Grow my potatoes in tubs on my deck., especially fingerlings' -- the best potatoes for cream of potato soup or roasted or homefries..yum.

[@tempestive1]

Potato towers with layers of straw and substrate surrounded by net work great too, and saves up on space

[@rebeccastephens6447]

Where do you get those large containers?

[@VegetableAcademy]

The plastic pots were from a local garden centre and the fabric pots were bought online from BudTrainer.

[@nolanmarginet3601]

Not sure what the temp is in your high tunnels but potatoes enjoy cool weather. There peak growing happens at 20 degrees C and complete stops at 30 degrees C so you may be able to grow bigger and better potatoes outside your high tunnel without taking up that inside space

[@djowen23]

Damn you did a really good job with these container potatoes... my question is what size container is best to grow potatoes in?

[@VegetableAcademy]

We haven't done a trial on container sizes yet, but I would be reluctant to start with anything less than 10 gallons for potatoes.

[@karenleonetti4905]

I have access to the kill when food grade ice cream buckets. I have drilled holes in the bottom for container gardening before. How many potatoes or eyes of the potato do you put in each bucket and how much soil at the bottom to start? Filling up more soil as the leaves grow upward, correct? And what kind of yield can I expect from how many potatoes planted?

[@jeffoi2023]

Where dis you but your green house? Or you just made on your own. Thanks

[@myurbangarden7695]

If you burry potatoes 🥔 in the ground you will STILL be harvesting those tubers 3 or 4 years from now.

[@Eddie_the_Husky]

Ground also has minerals, among other things, plus it's free. Potting mix costs more than potatoes, easily.

[@BarefootEarthGoddess]

​@Eddie_the_Husky Depends on your in ground soil quality. Many places are high in lead and also aluminum, which throws off pH.

[@dimetruth]

What size container do you recommend for those smaller baby-style potatoes?

[@junmikiewicz1951]

Thanks for ,haw often we have to water them, and what ventrrliser? Thanks

[@lexington476]

I've grown many potatoes in potato bags, same results of what you show above.

[@Listenclearly1979]

I put down a thin layer of sugar cane mulch, sit my potatoes on top then cover with a thick layer of sugar cane mulch. I harvest, sit more potatoes on top and cover with mulch. Repeat. I've not had any with scab since I started this.

[@felicitywoodruffe4087]

No soil at all?

[@Listenclearly1979]

@@felicitywoodruffe4087 nope, the mulch slowly breaks down and creates soil but other than that none. I had trouble for a couple of harvests with scab. So I researched the issue and apparently potatoes don't like rich soil. So I tried just sugar cane mulch (it's cheap) and it worked a treat 👍

[@Listenclearly1979]

@@felicitywoodruffe4087 and it makes them easy to harvest, bonus!

[@stevehufngel7221]

But let’s be honest: potatoes are something that you need land to grow. My father used to grow them on 0.1-0.2 hectares that was all we needed to feed our family and my grandparents with potatoes for a year. I don’t know if that amount would be sustainable and worth to grow in buckets, but if you just want some potatoes it might be the way to do for people who live over really poor quality soil! We have a lot of clay in our soil, it is good quality but it’s hard to work with it. I also like the idea of bringing them into the greenhouse. It is always a good idea to plant a seedling first out of anything, it just might not be worth it. I remember back in the early 2000’s we had a good amount of unused space in our green (foil) tents and we even planted seedlings of corn. I guess my father had some spare time and plastic cups. I like the kind of videos you make, excuse me for my broken english! Have a great harvest this year, best regards!

[@misterdood4]

Hey thanks for the tips, I'd love to pay it back with a tip of my own knowledge. You seem to be using a directional microphone and having on the side like you do causes the audio to come out of one side of headphones / speakers, there's many simple solutions to it! Keep on keepin' on.

[@samuelbird5255]

Thank you from Alaska eh

[@gulldaw272]

Does scab effect if theyre edible. Ive bought potatoes from the supermarket with it on

[@VegetableAcademy]

They're still edible.

[@gnetsolutions3076]

good

[@seansudduth7882]

Containers for the win

[@anythingbut...]

@VegetableAcademy how many potatoes can you yield per container shown?

[@seiji99]

Can I grow them in my balcony?

[@VegetableAcademy]

Yes, if your balcony is sunny.

[@milankoirala5737]

Wow

[@carrotspaghetti236]

I'm doing it this year because I have an out of this world gopher problem.

[@brianmccarthy5557]

We solved a gopher problem with a very large cat. She parked herself at a gopher hole and never moved for weeks. We never saw her catch anything but she kept getting even bigger and soon there was no sign of gophers. Then she finally went back to sleep on her favorite spot on the porch wall where she surveyed the garden. Never had a sign of gophers in the neighborhood since. Since with mice she always left the heads and tails for us to dispose of, I've always wondered if she ate them entirely or found some clever place to dispose of any inedible remains. My thought was that she placed them in the tunnels she wasn't watching to scare the gophers into coming to her. She was a great hunter. We loved you and miss you Fluffy Godzilla (she really was huge and furry)! Get, or borrow, a cat like her!!

[@bobbyhempel1513]

Another reason to grow them and containers instead of the ground is pocket gophers and moles that like to eat root vegetables/ tubers

[@russell2449]

DIG TRENCHES and plant in them, then as soon as the stalk and leaves begin to grow, keep piling on straw, forcing the plant to grow taller. Eventually you end up with about 10"-12" of straw which results in the potatoes growing ABOVE GROUND and in the straw! Then whenever you want taters, you just reach down in the straw and pull em out, no diggin, no scab and Bob's your uncle ;?)

[@russell2449]

That said, instead of trenches I guess you could do the same with containers, just fill them about half full of soil, then start adding straw the same you would in a trench and harvest clean, scab-free taters ;?)

[@patriciatinkey2677]

But the gophers LOVE that method! No digging for them, either! 😂😅🤣

[@russell2449]

@@patriciatinkey2677 Done it for years and never had any problem with gophers nor any other pests. Less problems with scab and other fungal issues too, although that in itself isn't hard proof, BUT if you live in areas where there's too much clay, rocks or rain, growing them above ground could also be a benefit ;?)

[@lindaertel7558]

I have a green vinyl greenhouse that I have not used yet. I put a plant in it for 3 days but it was failing, I think for not enough light. Are you using artificial light in your greenhouse?

[@route5discgolf]

Tree planter for sure!

[@ernestrios5616]

Where can i get those buckets for potatoes?

[@lucasceccone3559]

What does your potting soil consist of?

[@vanessapaddison820]

What are heat loving crops?

[@marywristen1553]

Is scab dangerous if you cook it

[@sirpieman300]

Do you think one could grow them via hydroponics?

[@ItsHellRider]

I live in an area with lots of black walnut trees. They put out jugalone, a hormone that stunts or kills a lot of plants. Containers help me a lot when it comes to potatoes and tomatoes as jugalone kills these outright. Now if the squirrels wouldn't bury the nuts of the trees in my containers this would be a perfect system.

[@Boo-pv4hn]

I’ve been growing in potato since 18 when I k oh had a concrete balcony tomatoes and potatoes and carrots.

[@lrb3989]

Bro do you plant the whole potatoes you cut where the eyes are you can get several eyes from one potato

[@HomeCookingSpain]

Thats right, from one potato you can easily get 2 or 3 plants👍

[@jenniferwest6332]

How long before you receive potatoes?

[@danakaddoura3465]

What size are those containers? R they material?

[@Payne33]

How big are those containers? Would this work with 5 gallon buckets or are they to small

[@brumm0m3ntum94]

4, probably the most convincing argument, they grow just as well and harvest is much easier

[@KleeKaiBreeders]

I have land and still grow em in containers. Just seems easier on my body and I don’t have to dig em up.

[@olibarahosasa1137]

I cut up some home grown potatoes, put in bowl of water and let sit/rinse until the excess starch is gone, put them in the airfryer with a teaspoon of sunflower oil, and out came THE most rustic-homestyle-granniesrecipe fries, so good, and so rewarding, it makes a human being feel good. It is kind of the opposite of ordering in food that gives you that feeling you spent a fortune on just one meal while you could have gotten a big bag full of products at the market for that amount of money. 😂

[@trinitylane2202]

I'm curious if any chemicals leach into the potatoes from the plastic containers.

[@petrokotsifas]

How many litres are the containers. . Thx in advance

[@darrelljackson2600]

Yes but test have been done that 3 potato in small container yields about 3 lbs. same in ground is about 9 lbs