Do you love fries? How about tater tots? Maybe you fancy some hash browns, too?
According to the Potato Idaho Museum, the average American eats about 124 pounds of potatoes each year.
That’s some people’s body weight, y’all (well, probably not if you’re a potato-lover, but you catch our drift).
That’s a whole lot of taters.
From stews and side dishes to main dishes, potato is one of the most common ingredients.
They’re not just delicious, they’re nutritious. This is why many people opt to plant their own potatoes to cultivate a fresh harvest.
Practicality meets unbeatable quality.
What if we tell you that you can grow your potatoes all year round and that you can do it without any digging?
Sounds exciting, right? What’s even better is that it’s something literally anyone can do.
Grab a bucket and let’s check out John’s method of planting potatoes.
You’ll need the following:
- Clean food-grade buckets
- Grow bags
- A large plastic bag or plastic wrap
- Hay or cut, dried, tall grass
- Potatoes
- Phosphate fertilizer
- Wood Planks or pallets
- Soil
- Banana
- Rice
- Drill
- Screws
- coal
Let’s start planting.
The first thing that you have to do is to grow potato eyes. To do this, get your grow bags and place some hay.
Then, add 6 potatoes and top with more hay.
Add another layer of potatoes, then more hay.
After you’re finished layering, give them a light spray with water.
Cover with plastic and leave it for three days.
After three days, you can get your potatoes, and you will notice that they already have eyes. This means you’re doing it right.
Using recycled wood, screw together a basic frame to hold your buckets up high enough that you don’t have to bend to harvest later. This is completely optional.
Alternatively, you can just lay out some pallets to raise them high enough so that water can easily drain from the buckets after watering.
Next, drill some drainage holes in the buckets.
This man used a soldering iron to melt the holes in, but a drill works just as nicely without producing any harmful off-gases.
After you’ve drilled your holes and placed your buckets where you want them for the growing season, it’s time to start filling them.
Start by adding a layer of charcoal to the garden. Do NOT use charcoal briquettes for grilling as these have added chemicals.
Instead, use the type of charcoal you’d find in the garden center or learn how to make your own at home.
Fill the buckets with nutrient-rich soil.
Sprinkle a teaspoon of phosphate fertilizer and mix well. Place two potatoes and cover them with the loose soil.
Get some hay and place some on top of each bucket. Spray with water.
After 10 days, you’ll see some leaves sprouting.
This is the time to remove the hay and trim some of the leaves.
Then, after a month, you’ll notice that the soil has become compact. Add more soil if needed and don’t forget to water them.
At the three-month mark, you’ll need to feed them.
Mix cooked rice and chopped bananas.
Get a handful and place it on your potato plant. Add more soil to cover them, and water your plants.
After four months, it’s time to harvest your potatoes.
Many asked why John mixed rice and banana, and according to one of the comments, this method helps the potatoes grow with the starches they both have.
As for the hay, John said that this help keeps the moisture inside the grower bag and the bucket.
Here are some tips that could help:
- Make sure to use food-grade buckets. We don’t want to use any buckets from chemicals.
- Used honeycomb coals are preferred.
- Don’t forget to put enough holes in each bucket to ensure proper drainage.
- Make sure to use rich soil.
See how to grow a mountain of potatoes at home in more detail in the video below!
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