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        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
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Growing Potatoes in Containers

Potato Plant in Container
Potatoes thrive in deep, loose soil making them ideal for growing in a large bucket or container - but the tops do require some additional support. One easy way to that is to plant them in a deep bucket and add more soil as the potato plants grow.

How to Grow Potatoes in Containers or Buckets




Drill three to four drainage holes in the bottom of the bucket. This allows excess water to drain through the bottom of the pot and prevents the soil from remaining water-logged.

Fill the bottom of the bucket with 4 to 6 inches of soil. A mixture of garden or potting soil, peat moss and compost - in equal amounts - works well. Adding either perlite or vermiculite is an option, but not necessary.

Cut the section of the potato so that each section has at least two eyes. Potato eyes look like tiny dimples where a new bud forms.

Place one or two sections into the soil and cover with 2 inches of soil. Water thoroughly until water runs freely through the bottom of the bucket. If you have a saucer under the bucket, empty the saucer after watering.

Place the container in a location that receives 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight a day. Potatoes will grow with less light, but size and production will be inhibited.

Add new soil when the potato plants reach a height of 4 to 6 inches, leaving the top 2 inches of foliage above the soil. Repeat the procedure as the potato plants grows until soil reaches to within 2 inches of the top of the bucket. This gives the tubers room to grow. Allow the plant to grow freely from this point on.

Water deeply once or twice a week, allowing the soil to dry slightly between watering - but do not allow the soil to remain dry for long periods. For the best potatoes, develop a routine of regular watering. Keep in mind that soil dries quickly in containers - especially during hot, dry spells. You plants may require daily watering.

Apply water-soluble fertilizer designed for vegetables when your potato plants are 4 to 6 inches high and again in 4 weeks. An additional dosage when the potato plants bloom boosts production and increases yield.

Harvest "new" potatoes two weeks after the plants bloom. For mature potatoes, allow the plants to die back naturally in the fall before harvesting. When harvesting new potatoes, gently dig under the plants and remove the tiny potatoes. Replace the soil and allow the plant to continue growing.
Copyright © 2014 Nannette Richford



  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • Grow Your Own Amazing Pomato Plant - Tomatoes on the Top and Potatoes on the Bottom
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
      • Control Blister Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables