Potatoes are one of the most commonly purchased crops in the market today. Many of us use potatoes at least 3 times a week, making delicious hash browns for breakfast, mashed potatoes for lunch and dinner, and practically using them in so many ways in a lot of the dishes we know.
Potatoes grow in a wide variety of sizes. Larger varieties obviously require more space for them to grow into the right size. But
If you want to know how to grow potatoes in a container, follow the steps below and achieve great results on your harvest.
Step 1: Fingerling Potatoes
Since you have limited space, the best variety of potato that will best grow in a container is the fingerling variety. This type of potato does not normally grow more than 3 inches. Use seed potatoes that are small. If they are 3 inches or sometimes bigger, you might want to cut them into two to three pieces.
Step 2: Produce Sprouts
Get your seed potatoes and arrange them in a tray. Spray water to moisten them, and place them under the sun. Soon, they will produce sprouts. Once they do, get them, because at this point, they are now ready for planting.
Step 3: Prepare The Container
Make sure that your container has holes. This will allow excess water to drain. You do not want water to sit in your container, as this will rot your potatoes for sure. Once you already have the holes, place a wire mesh inside the container, then pour in your potting soil. The wire mesh will prevent the soil from spilling, which can happen, when you start watering the potatoes.
Step 4: Planting The Sprouts
Once your container is ready, place your potato sprouts inside, and plant them at least 2 inches deep. If you are planting your potatoes in a big container, you have to make sure that they are at least 4 inches away from the sides of your container, and that they are also 6 inches apart from each other. That way, they will be able to have enough room to grow for its roots. You should also place 2 inches of oil on top. Mixing compost and manure will enrich the soil too. Actually, you have to add soil (2 inches) every time your potato plant grows 6 inch taller. That being said, you will have to make sure that your container is deep enough to accommodate the additional soil that you have to place, as your potato grows.
Step 5: Harvest Time
When your potatoes grow flowers, this is already a good sign that they have fully matured already. Ideally, you need at least 2 months from the time you have planted the sprouts in order for you to do your harvest.
This is how to grow potatoes in a container that turn out wonderfully.
image courtesy of Hair Squared/flickr
