How to Grow Potatoes in Containers Safely at Home | 11 Steps

Most gardener problem is how to grow potatoes in containers at home. Growing potatoes in containers is a fantastic alternative for those with limited space, those who are concerned about the quality of their soil, and those who want an easier way to harvest their potatoes.

Potatoes are one of the vegetables that can be effectively grown in a container because growing them in a container can be simpler.

Potatoes in containers can even be used as a decorative element in outside areas such as patios and landscaping. Flowers appear before the growing season is over on potatoes, making them very eye-catching.

Harvesting potatoes that have been grown in a container is much simpler because all of the tubers are in one location. Everything about growing a garden is easy and fun for the whole family. By reading this guide, you will be able to know, How to Grow Potatoes in Containers Safely at Home | 11 Steps.

Let’s start,

What needs to grow potatoes in a container?

There are some materials that need to grow potatoes in containers effectively.

• Container
• Fertile soil
• Potato seedlings / potato seeds
• Gardening trowel
• Water
• Fertilizer

What are the steps of growing potatoes in a container?

There are 7 steps to follow when growing potatoes in a container.

1. Choose a suitable spot

Potato Container gardens need at least six hours of direct sunlight each day when choosing a location. To help plants get the heat they need, place containers against a south-facing wall.

2. Choose a right container

Potatoes grow well in large containers of various kinds. To be safe, they need to be a minimum of 15 inches wide and deep enough to allow for hilling throughout the course of the season.

When planted in containers, potatoes which are typically spaced 10 inches apart, maybe a little crowded. Three or four seedlings will fit comfortably in a 15-inch diameter container.

Deeper containers are desirable, but a minimum of 15 inches is required. Thus, there is an area for minor hilling as well as at least two inches of growing material under each of the seeds.

Make sure your container includes drainage holes. For containers without a bottom, drainage adds an inch or two of stones and gravel to the bottom of the container before filling it with water.

It doesn’t matter if the pot is made of plastic or metal but just make sure the bottom has plenty of drainage holes. Take a drill and manufacture a few more if there are only a few. When growing potatoes in containers, plastic pots are the best choice because they are lightweight and can be reused over and over again.

Potato Planter Bags are also available to purchase. Three to four tubers can be fit in each bag.

The size of your harvest is rarely influenced by the container you use. Planting a high number of tubers in a large container will provide a larger crop than planting the same number of plants in smaller pots.

3. Prepare soil to fill the containers

Just as crucial as choosing the proper container is using the right potting mixture. Potatoes thrive on soils that are fertile, acidic, and well-drained when planted in the ground.

It’s best to plant potatoes in naturally loose soil because it provides less resistance to the tuber’s growth. In loamy soils rich in organic matter, with adequate aeration and drainage, potatoes do well to thrive.

Garden soil should not be used in potato pots since it compacts too easily. Compost that has been properly finished is good. Keep in mind that an excessive amount of organic debris might serve as a breeding ground for disease.

Compacted garden soil dries rapidly, but drains poorly, making it ideal for the growth of weeds and illnesses. You should instead use great potting soil and excellent compost to fill your containers. Compost and peat-based potting mixtures are both lightweight and moisture-retaining.

4. Add fertilizer to the soil

The potting soil should be fertilized with organic, slow-release fertilizer before transplanting the plant. Use a diluted liquid fertilizer such as fish emulsion every two weeks while your potatoes grow in addition to this initial feeding.

Potted potatoes require a lot of water, and this can leech nutrients out of the soil. As a result, plants grown in containers require more nutrition than plants grown in the ground.

Conventional fertilizer can burn your plants if used in excess.

5. Prepare the seed potatoes

Seed potatoes should be prepared one or two days before planting. When growing a variety of plants from a single large seed potato, cut it in half. It should grow into a new potato plant if the seed potato portion has one or more “eyes.”

A potato eye is a tiny dimpled region that contains vegetative buds. Small seed potatoes can be planted whole, while larger seed potatoes should be cut into pieces with at least one eye and a diameter of 1-2 inches.

Reduce the likelihood of decaying by allowing cut pieces to air dry for a few days after they’ve been made.

Select disease-free seed potatoes by choosing certified varieties. They should be ready in 70 to 80 days if all goes according to plan. Additionally, you have the option of picking out something tasty from the supermarket.

You should be aware that some varieties of potatoes require a long growing season before harvest, so plan accordingly.

6. Place the seed potatoes in the container

Potting soil that has been mixed with compost and fertilizer should be about 5 inches deep in the container.

The eye buds should be facing up when planting the seed potatoes in the potting mix. Give the plants plenty of room to spread out because they’ll get rather enormous. Usually, a 15-inch wide container may hold four tiny seed potatoes.

When you’re planting, it may not seem like much, but your potato crop will be far larger than you expected.

When there is no threat of frost, it is safe to plant your potatoes. Prepare a well-draining soil mix and add a small amount of slow-release fertilizer to it. Fill the container to a depth of 4 inches with the moistened media that you previously prepared.

7. Cover Seed potatoes with soil

Cover the seed potatoes with a couple of inches of prepared potting soil after you’ve placed them. You don’t want to plant them too deeply, so don’t get very excited. The ideal depth for planting is between two and four inches. The less soil you put on top, the cooler the climate is.

Place three to five seed potatoes, spaced about a hand’s width apart, on the surface of the 10cm of peat-free, multipurpose compost.

Add 10cm of compost on top, and then thoroughly moisten. Cover the sprouts with 10cm of compost when they are 8cm tall. Do this until you’ve reached the very top of the pot, and then stop.

8. Hill the potatoes

You’ll need to hill your potato plants once they’ve grown to a height of about 7 to 8 inches. Keep an eye on your potato plants because they grow so quickly.

This is accomplished by covering the developing stems at the bottom of your potato plants with a couple of inches of prepared dirt. Make careful to keep a few leaves above the soil’s surface until you’ve covered the entire area.

Make sure you don’t damage the plants by rushing through the process. About a third of the plant should be buried, with the earth covering the bottom leaves. Because the buried stems will yield more potatoes so that hilling is important for a successful harvest.

Repeat the process of building a hill as long as the plants keep growing.

9. Take care of the potato plants that are growing

You should care for your potato plants well because it will be caused to take a successful harvest in your potato garden. Below are some caring tips mentioned to follow.

Lightning

Sunlight is also required for potato growth. Make sure to check if potted potatoes receive six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day.

Watering

Your potatoes will be happy and healthy if you water them regularly and keep the soil wet but not waterlogged. Freshly planted potatoes should be well watered. Soil moisture is essential for successful potato growth.

It should never be completely dry. So, keep an eye on the container throughout the day by checking it at least once. Check the moisture level of soil by sticking a finger into the soil.

Maintain a consistent watering schedule until your plants begin to bloom.

Water it if it appears to be parched. You may have to water your potato container gardens more than once a day if it’s extremely hot or windy.

Wait until the water drains out of the bottom of the container before watering deeply. Just wetting the soil’s surface has no benefit. Containers have the advantage of allowing you to observe how much water has been applied. Keep an eye out for water leaking from the container’s bottom to see if it’s filled to the brim.

Fertilizing

You shouldn’t have to start fertilizing your plant until it is a few inches tall if you use high-quality, fresh potting soil. Feed a high phosphorus vegetable fertilizer to the tubers every two weeks after that to encourage rapid growth.

New development and good tubers demand a lot of nutrients during the growing season for potatoes. Use a balanced soluble fertilizer once every two weeks after the new shoots appear.

Make sure the phosphorus is more than the nitrogen when picking a product because while potatoes need nitrogen to grow healthy green leaves, having more phosphorus is important for tuber production.

Organic methods can use to feed their plants with fish emulsion, greensand, kelp meal, and bone meal, etc.

Controlling the pests and diseases

Pest and disease control are made easier with good soil and regular irrigation. Learn the difference between beneficial and destructive insects in your garden. By hand, you can get rid of pests like the Colorado potato beetle and the potato leafhopper.

Don’t forget to examine your leaves from the underside. Pest control is all about being aware of what’s going on and removing it when it becomes a problem.

Do not cover the leaves with more soil and compost mix because the leaves are in desperate need of sunlight and fresh air.

10. Harvest the potatoes

The process of harvesting potatoes grown in containers is simple. Spades and garden forks aren’t necessary because you can complete the majority of the work with your hands. Simply tilt the container over when you’re ready to harvest.

It’s possible to pull or dig out straw or other growing medium towers as needed.

Small, showy blossoms appear on plants before the vines start to wither and die. They look their best when grown in containers because of their unique shape.

Watering should be discontinued as soon as the vines turn yellow and wither. Allow the vines to totally die back before collecting potatoes.

Enjoy your time with them. Also, they’re a sign that the plants are getting close to harvest time.

11. Store the harvested potatoes

To prepare the potatoes for storing, wash and dry them after harvesting. Before storing the crop, allow it to cure for two weeks if you intend to use it in the spring or fall.

Potatoes that are stored correctly can last for several months if properly refrigerated and dried.

What are the best potato varieties to grow in containers?

Here is mentioned the best potato varieties to grow in containers in your garden.

1. ‘Golden Nugget’ potatoes

This potato features rich gold skin and yellow flesh that is creamy, juicy, and buttery. Often yields up to 12 medium-sized tubers per plant that can be harvested mid-season or left to size up. Skin is smooth with shallow eyes. A beautiful flavor appropriate to all-around culinary use.

2. ‘Charlotte’ potatoes

One of the most popular salad potato variety Charlotte potatoes. They’re great in salads or boiled, and have a long yellow skin and firm yellow waxy meat.

3. ‘Casablanca’ potatoes

Long oval tubers with white flesh exude wonderful taste and are a perfect all-rounder for cooking application. Excellent resistance to illness.

4. ‘Maris Bard’ potatoes

Maris Bard is known for its high-yielding, uniform-sized crops, and for being the first to mature the fastest for many years.

6. ‘Lady Christl’ potatoes

This potato has yellow skin that’s superb tasting. It’ll be perfect for frying up chips with. You can use it for roasting and sprinkling too.

7. ‘Jazzy’ potatoes

It has a wonderful flavor and texture, and it is an early harvest gourmet variety. Jazzy is a prolific grower of tiny to medium-sized tubers with smooth skins and brilliant colors. Baby potatoes baked in the oven will be delicious with this recipe!

Which problems affect when growing potatoes in containers?

There are a few potential problems. Growing potatoes in pots can present a number of challenges.

• Holes in Leaves or Tubers is another problem. Potatoes and potato leaves are food for a variety of worms and pests.
• Dark brown blotches appear on the leaves of plants infected with early blight, and the fungus finally kills them. The risk of early blight can be reduced by only using certified resistant potato seeds. It also aids to use hay as mulch.
• During growing seasons, potato blackleg causes the leaves to turn a pale green or yellow color. Potato blackleg is quite common in growing potatoes in containers.
• Chemicals added to supermarket potatoes typically prevent them from sprouting, so they’re a waste of money.

Make sure to care for your potatoes plants well which helps to prevent from above problems.

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