Potatoes are a valuable crop. They are a staple of diets found across different countries and cultures all the way around the globe. They are the ultimate side dish, perfect with a wide range of entrees but also delicious on their own.
There is actually a multitude of ways to cultivate potatoes.
Some are designed to save space and others are designed to help in areas not conducive to growing.
Quick tip: Cut up potatoes with multiple “eyes” to get more plants.
Unlike most plants, potatoes don’t grow from seeds. Rather, there are seed potatoes that can be planted to produce more plants.
Seed potatoes contain “potato eyes” which are what sprouts to form new plants. If you notice potatoes with multiple eyes, you can cut these up to create multiple seed plants and an even bigger harvest.
1. Growing potatoes in garden rows.
This is the classic way to grow potatoes but unfortunately, it is not the most space-efficient. If you are looking to grow potatoes in your garden, spacing them out like this will take up most of your land and result in fewer spuds than other methods.
2. Grow potatoes in bags.
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I am growing extra potatoes in reusable grocery bags this season. I've planted beets, carrots, onions, garlic… pic.twitter.com/OcmYyVHoIG
— Church of Baseball ⚾ (@churchofbasebal) March 17, 2020
You can actually cultivate potatoes inside grocery bags or special growing bags which can be purchased online.
To do this, all you have to do is fill the bags with nutrient-rich soil and then add your sprouted potatoes. Then add more soil as the potatoes grow.
3. Growing potatoes in buckets.
First time growing potatoes, should cover the shoot and fill to nearer the brim? from GardeningUK
The fun part about potatoes is that they can grow in basically anything. This includes a bucket or even a large trash bin. Ideally, you want a buck that holds about 5-10 gallons.
Fill it with soil, add your sprouts, and add additional soil as they grow. You’ll know they are ready when the foliage changes color. Then stop watering them and wait a couple of weeks for the potato skins to toughen up.
4. Build a potato tower.
How about growing potatoes in a tower garden? https://t.co/4eW4yt4YTz pic.twitter.com/XfHgNfrxqV
— Fantastic Gardeners (@FantasticGarden) March 22, 2016
You can save a lot of space in your garden by building a potato tower.
Instead of “growing out” you are “growing up” with this method. This will require some know-how on your part to build the structure, but once you do, simply plant your spuds and add soil as they grow.
5. Growing potatoes in sacks.
i cant wait to try out the potato sack method of growing taters in my garden!!! #WhatGetsYouOutdoors pic.twitter.com/GdoXWXzAHB
— kay weller (@key2myhart) April 10, 2016
Potatoes and sacks have been partners for a long time now. In addition to being able to take part in potato sack races at picnics, you can also grow your own potatoes inside them.
Much like with buckets or bags, simply continue to fill the soil as the plants grow.
6. Growing potato inside cylinders.
The allotment is once again a laboratory. This time, potato towers. A wire cylinder with layers of leaf "nests" filled with potatoes and soily compost. The plants grow out and the roots and potatoes grow towards the centre. @Hugh_Cassidy @CliffdotMac @charlesdowding pic.twitter.com/isSFJpzF39
— Cave Art Films (@Cave_Art_Films) March 20, 2021
With this method, you are growing your potatoes inside cylinders that keep them separated from the rest of your garden or yard. This is particularly useful for areas with poor soil or areas that receive heavy amounts of rain. Continue to add soil as the plants grow.
7. Planting potatoes in straw.
If you find yourself wanting to grow potatoes on land that cannot be dug up, you have the option of growing them in straw.
Loosen up the soil as best you can and put seed potatoes on the ground before covering them up with the straw. Once the potatoes start peeking out from the straw, cover them up with more. Do this for 2-3 cycles before harvesting.
8. Grow potatoes in tires.
If you’ve ever thought to yourself that you’d like to eat food grown in an old worn-out automobile, then you might want to consider growing potatoes in a tire.
This ends up working much like a cylinder would and keeps the soil separate from the environment around it. As the plants grow, you’ll want to add more soil and another tire on top.
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