Taters In A Basket

Have you ever tried growing potatoes in tough old clay soil?  The results are usually less than bad.  But here's the perfect solution for growing great potatoes.  Grow them in a pot.  Now, whether you've got clay soil, live in an apartment, or don't have a garden at all, you can grow potatoes the ole' yardboy way.  And that's in a container.  Here's what you'll need:

1.) The container - we like to use bushel baskets.  They breathe well, allow for good drainage, and they look good!  But any container, plastic, wood or clay will work, as long as it has good drainage, and is at least 14-18 inches wide and at least 10 - 12 inches deep.  You can even use chicken wire fencing and create a potato tube to grow them in.

2.) Soil-less potting mix - use the good stuff for better results.  If you have a compost pile, good compost will work too. Finely shredded is best.  Folks have even used straw and ground leaves.

Also, an all purpose garden food, Osmocote, and or Miracle Gro.

3.) Seed potatoes - these aren't the ones you buy from the grocery store.  These are found at the garden stores (or feed stores) and are used specifically for growing potatoes. Any variety will work.  We don't recommend using potatoes from the produce department at the grocery.  Many have been treated with a growth inhibitor to keep them from sprouting.

   Fill the bottom of your pot with 2 -3 inches of the soil-less mix (or compost).  Take a large seed potato, or a couple medium sized, cut up into pieces that contain the eyes, and evenly distribute those in the top of the soil-less mix.  I usually plant around 6- 8 -10 pieces with eyes per basket. If you're not sure about 'the eyes', you can plant whole potatoes, or cut them in half and plant the halves .  Plant a bit  heavier than usual when planting in containers.

   Cover over with another 3-4 inches of soil-less mix, water in thoroughly, and sit your container in the sun.  Water as needed, thoroughly moistening the soil, then letting it dry, then watering it again.  Once your potatoes start to grow, water as needed.  Again, do not over water.    

 Now that your potatoes are growing, you have a couple options: 1.) As the potatoes grow, keep adding your soil-less mix (or compost) to the container, always keeping about 4 inches of foliage showing. Continue this process until the container is filled to within one inch of the top of the basket. Or, 2.) Let the foliage grow until it's approximately 3-4 inches above the top of the basket, and then fill in around the foliage with your soil-less mix (or compost) until the basket is full of soil. Now you're all set for growing potatoes!

    Let your potatoes grow all summer - remember water when needed, especially during the heat of the summer (again, don't over-water). Come late summer or fall when the foliage starts to yellow, cut it off, dump out your soil, and you'll have a basket full of taters!  It's that easy.  (New potatoes are simply harvested earlier in the season)  Good Luck!

   *Feeding your containers can be done by mixing a general garden food in with the soil-less mix which is added to the growing potato plants.  You can also use Osmocote for a slow release season long feeding, supplemented with  Miracle Gro when watering (used every 2-3 weeks early in the season, then monthly through the summer).