Gardeners have been finding different ways to grow potatoes for years. I have talked to a few gardeners who would grow their potatoes in old tires. It is easy to do and does not take up a lot of space.

 

Choose a sunny location where there is good drainage. Place an old empty tire on the ground and fill it with good quality soil. Plant 4-5 seed potatoes in the tire about 7-10 cm deep. When the new shoots are 5-8 cm tall, place another tire on top of the first tire and add enough soil so that the tops of the shoots are just above the soil. As the tops continue to grow keep adding the soil and when the soil has reached the top of the second tire add a third tire. The plants will produce potatoes throughout the 3 layers of tires. When it comes time to harvest remove the tires and dig up the potatoes.

 

Potatoes can also be grown in large containers filled with soil. The containers should have drainage and you can follow the same growing instructions as growing the potatoes in tires. Plant the potatoes in the bottom of the container and slowly add soil as the potatoes grow. At the end of the season the potatoes are dug up and harvested.

 

There is a new product available that follows the same concept. It is called the ‘Potato Growing Bag’. We started selling them last year at the garden centre and they sold out. It is the perfect solution for those gardeners who have limited space. It is made of a heavy plastic tarp like material that folds up when it is empty. All you need is 40 litres of soil and 3-5 seed potatoes and you are ready to grow your own potatoes on your deck or patio. The bag has drainage holes in the bottom and handles on either side of the bag making it easy to handle. The nice thing about the potato growing bag is the side flap that opens and closes with velcro strips. This not only makes it easy to harvest the potatoes but you can also check the potatoes progress while they are growing, which would be a lot of fun for children.

 

Growing potatoes in the bag is easy. Find a sunny spot to place the bag. If you don’t want water on the deck you will want to place the bag in a large tray to catch any excess water. Start by putting 15 cm of moistened soil in the bottom of the bag. Plant the seed potatoes 5 cm deep into the soil. As the potato shoots grow above the soil, slowly add more soil to the bag so that only the tips of the shoots are above the soil. Continue to do this until the soil is 2-3 cm below the top of the bag. The tops will continue to grow above the top of the bag.

 

Don’t forget to keep the soil evenly moist throughout the growing season and to fertilize. There are different fertilizers available. Fertilizers should contain a lower first number and a high second and third number, such as 6-20-20 which is a good fertilizer for potatoes as it also contains sulphur. Mix the 6-20 20 fertilizer into the soil that you are using to fill the bag so the potatoes will continually be fertilized as you add the soil.

 

Harvest the potatoes when they have reached the desired size. When all the potatoes have been harvested, empty the grow bag, clean it, fold it, and put it in storage to use again next year. The soil that was used to grow the potatoes can be used for something else next year or placed in the compost.

 

It is important to always use certified seed potatoes when growing potatoes. The potatoes that are sold in the grocery store for eating will not grow as they have been treated not to grow. Certified seed potatoes will become available in the garden centre in April.

 

Container gardens are a fast growing trend. It has the advantage of taking very little space and because the containers can be placed in a protected area away from frost and cold temperatures, you can start planting earlier and enjoying fresh produce sooner.