Question:
How difficult is it to grow potatoes? I’ve heard about growing them in a bag of potting soil.Answer:
- Potatoes are one of the easiest crops to grow, with a high success ratio.
- Growing them in a bag of potting soil is one of several methods. You can also use several old spare tires stacked on each other, surround an area with concrete blocks and rocks, or use a potato bag available online or at many garden centers.
- With a 2cu. ft. bag of potting soil, punch some evenly spaced holes for drainage on one side, flip the bag over, slice the potting soil bag open lengthwise, and make several evenly spaced perpendicular cuts.
- I’d mix two generous tablespoons of Sulfate of Potash and Vegetable Food into the soil in all openings. Cut the seed potatoes into segmented pieces containing one to two eyes and let them air dry for a day. Next, plant the potatoes six inches apart in the lateral and lengthwise cuts and water. You continue to water them once the sprouts are visible. The crop is reaching maturity when the plants begin to flower, around one hundred and eighty days from planting. You then cut the watering frequency in half and stop altogether when the foliage turns yellow/brown.
- The potatoes are harvested by slitting the sides of the bags to expose the potato clusters. After removing the vegetation, wash the soil off the potatoes and store them in a cool spot when dry.
- Another option is the Gardman Potato Bag/Tub, a sixteen-inch by twenty-inch green vinyl reusable bag. It’s ideal for growing potatoes on a patio or balcony.
- The bag has handles, drainage holes, and Velcro sides or harvesting flaps to remove the mature potatoes easily. At the end of the season, the bag collapses for storage; It holds about two cubic feet of potting soil.
- You would layer your potatoes when planting in a Potato Bag/Tub. The potato is segmented as I described above and then layered in the Gardman Potato Bag/Tub of potting soil.
- The first layer starts above twelve inches off the ground. Add a six to eight-inch layer of soil and plant the next row. Add two generous tablespoons of Sulfate of Potash and Vegetable Food to each layer. The bag should be two-thirds full when you finish planting.
- Planting potatoes is a great activity for kids and grandkids. You should select an area with six hours of sun and remember that daylight saving time begins on March 9.
- Certified Seed Potatoes are what you should plant, and they’re available online or at your favorite garden center. You’ll find a wide variety of different types of potatoes at your favorite garden center.
- Remember that supermarket potatoes produce unpredictable results because of the growth inhibitors used to control sprouting. Certified Seed Potatoes give you a guaranteed yield.
- One pound of seed potatoes will yield approximately eight pounds of edible potatoes. Now, you’ll have homegrown Mashed Potatoes, French Fries, or Potato Salad for the 4th of July holiday.