Potatoes are the quintessential vegetable that can be grown in any medium. They’re easy to care for and rewarding, not only because of what they provide but also the convenience when it comes time to harvest them!
This means you can put your potatoes anywhere- even if space is an issue where you live or work!
Potatoes are a delicious food that can be grown in containers. If you want to know how, continue reading!
1. Buy seed potatoes
The only thing you need to grow your own potatoes is some seed potatoes. They’re available in nursery stores and online, but it’s best if you buy them instead of the supermarket kind since they are disease-free and produce better quality spuds.
Potatoes are a great side dish or other entree when harvested and cooked properly. To get your potatoes started, you need seed potatoes or supermarket potatoes with no bruises or rots.
Once selected, put the potato in a dark cool environment for about 2-3 days until they develop eye buds – small bumps on the skin of their surface that show it is ready for planting!
When these little buggers have grown enough eyes? Start planting them right away; this will take 10 minutes under adult supervision so as not to suffocate young sprouts from being buried too deep by mistake!
2. Cutting the potatoes
Cutting potatoes can be a tedious process, but when done correctly it will result in more spuds that are superior to those untouched by human hands.
Cut the large ones into two halves and place them on newspaper for 2 days before planting so they dry out enough not to rot. For small potatoes, just plant as is!
3. Pre-sprouting
Scientists have found that keeping your potato seeds in a cool and dimly lit environment for the first few weeks of growth can make them grow significantly stronger.
The researchers suggest planting these sprouts outside after 2-3 weeks because they will be well established by then, with strong roots ready to withstand transplantation into soil or containers.
Scientists have discovered how important it is to keep you potatoes seeds in an environmentally controlled space before transferring them outdoors – otherwise, their relative lack of sunlight exposure could weaken their ability to survive once planted!
4. Choosing a container
Potatoes are a versatile food that does well in any climate. They grow best when permanently planted outdoors or grown indoors in large containers with depth rather than width; an ideal container should be at least 24 inches deep, but if you want to plant 4 potato seeds per bucket make sure your buckets are 10 gallons each and allow for warmth by using plastic containers such as dustbins, sacks, tires – anything the can provide protection from windy climates.
However they don’t do so well during summer months because their tops will turn green instead of remaining purple-ish brown which is what potatoes look like on the outside!
5. Planting Seed Potatoes
We mentioned earlier that potatoes require warmth. If you start planting before the last frost passes, your plants will not grow and so is crucial to wait until soil temperature reaches 40F (4C). Good quality garden soil can be used if it contains a good amount of humus or compost while other types of soils should preferably have some additives like manure for added nutrients.
A 4-5 inch layer from top seeds with eye buds facing upward followed by another 5 inches layer on top as well to cover them up would do nicely!
6. Growth requirements of potatoes
- Location: Potatoes need at least 6 hours of sunlight exposure to thrive.
The warmth they crave will also help them grow, so be sure you plant your potatoes in a sunny spot for the best results!
- Soil: There are certain types of soil that your potatoes will grow best in. Wet, clayey soils don’t offer the light quality required for potato growth and can have a detrimental effect on them by leading to disease or pest damage.
You’ll want good quality soil with organic matter when planting potatoes so they get enough nutrients from it as well as maintain an appropriate pH range between 5-6.
- Watering: Potatoes are a popular vegetable to grow, but they require some special care. They need moist soil and regular watering in order to thrive.
However, don’t water them too much or the wet soil will cause rot instead of healthy growth. To make sure you’re only giving your potatoes what they need, check whether the first inch of dirt is dry before watering again!
- Temperature: In order to grow potatoes, it’s important that the temperature is a range between 45-80 F (7-26C). The best results for growing these delicious vegetables come from considering this variance.
7. Add compost and Manure
When your potatoes grow up to 6-8 inches, you should start adding manure or compost as they are packed with nutrients that will help boost their growth.
You’ll also avoid any sunlight exposure which can make them green and bitter – a poisonous chemical called solanine is what causes this reaction!
8. Fertilizing
Potatoes make a great side dish, but they’re also easy to grow yourself! You can provide your potatoes with the nutrients they need through natural fertilizers like manure and compost.
Applying an organic liquid fertilizer once a month is enough for optimum growth.
Potatoes need potassium to grow well so you should avoid applying too much nitrogen fertilization on them – it will stunt their development instead of helping them become healthy plants.
9. Pests and diseases
Potatoes are the perfect container garden! They’re not subject to many diseases, overwatering causes rot and healthy plants.
One of the advantages is that potatoes in containers don’t have as much risk from pests like potato beetles, Aphids or Flea Beetles.
If you notice any of these pests then apply organic fertilizer for a natural treatment without harsh chemicals and continue replanting with new crops before they become infested by other bugs too!
10. Harvesting
When the leaves on your vines start turning yellow, you can harvest a bounty of potatoes. But don’t wait too long to get them out or they will dry up and be unusable!
This is how I successfully grow potatoes in containers without so much hassle from digging holes that are hard work for even me as an experienced gardener like myself.