Easy Steps to Grow Potatoes in Containers for a Bountiful Harvest

Dreaming of harvesting your own fresh, homegrown potatoes but think you don’t have the space? Think again! Learning to grow potatoes in containers is an incredibly easy and rewarding project, perfect for patios, balconies, or any sunny corner. Here at The Platform Garden, we believe everyone deserves the joy of home-grown food. This guide will walk you through the simple steps to get you from a seed potato to a delicious, bountiful harvest right outside your door.

The Quick Answer: Your Fast Track to a Tater Triumph

The quickest way to start growing potatoes in containers is to choose a sunny spot and a large container (at least 10-15 gallons) with good drainage. Fill the bottom with a few inches of high-quality potting mix, place your seed potatoes inside with the ‘eyes’ facing up, and cover them with another 3-4 inches of soil. Keep the soil consistently moist, and as the plant grows, continue to add more soil around the stem (a process called ‘hilling’) until the container is full.

Why You’ll Love Growing Potatoes in Containers

Deciding to grow potatoes in containers opens up a world of gardening possibilities, even for those of us with limited garden space. It’s a method we champion at The Platform Garden because it’s simple, clean, and incredibly efficient.

Perfect for Any Space: No Big Garden? No Problem!

The most significant advantage of container potato growing is its versatility. You don’t need a sprawling backyard. From a rustic whiskey barrel on the patio to a collection of fabric grow bags on a balcony, you can create a productive potato patch just about anywhere. This makes it a perfect solution for urban gardening, allowing city dwellers to enjoy the satisfaction of harvesting their own food.

Control Your Growing Conditions

Container gardening gives you ultimate authority over your plant’s environment. You control the soil, water, and nutrients, which is a massive benefit. This helps protect your precious spuds from common soil-borne diseases that can linger in garden beds. Plus, the elevated nature of containers provides excellent protection against underground pests like voles or gophers that might otherwise tunnel their way to your crop.

Super Easy Harvest

Forget the back-breaking work of digging through compacted garden soil with a large fork, always worried you might spear your prize potatoes. When it’s time to harvest, the process is delightfully simple. You can just tip the entire container over onto a tarp or into a wheelbarrow. It’s a clean and easy way to gather your treasures, and it’s a wonderfully fun activity for kids to get involved in.

What You’ll Need: Gearing Up for Your Potato Patch

Before you get your hands dirty, let’s gather the essential supplies. Setting yourself up for success from the start makes the entire process of growing potatoes in containers smooth and enjoyable.

The Right Container

Your choice of container is crucial. Potatoes need room for their tubers to develop. Look for a container that holds at least 10-15 gallons and is 2 to 3 feet deep. Most importantly, it must have excellent drainage holes to prevent waterlogging. There are many great options, each with its own benefits:

• Fabric Grow Bags: These are a popular choice. They are lightweight, affordable, and provide excellent aeration and drainage, preventing roots from circling.
• Large Plastic Pots: A simple and effective option. Ensure they are made from food-safe plastic and have plenty of holes drilled in the bottom.
• Whiskey Barrels: These add a beautiful rustic touch to your patio and provide ample space for a healthy potato crop.
• Laundry Baskets or Buckets: With a few drainage holes added, these can be a clever and inexpensive way to start your container potato growing journey.

Seed Potatoes

For the best results, always start with certified seed potatoes. You might be tempted to plant a potato from your pantry, but we strongly advise against it. Grocery store spuds are often treated with sprout inhibitors to extend their shelf life. More importantly, they can carry diseases that could infect your soil for years to come.

When it comes to the best potato varieties for container gardening, you have plenty of fun choices! Determinate varieties like ‘Yukon Gold’ and ‘Red Pontiac’ are excellent because they produce tubers in a single layer. Indeterminate varieties, like many fingerling types, will produce tubers all the way up the buried stem, making them perfect for the hilling method in deep containers.

Quality Soil

The growing medium is another key to success. Never use heavy garden soil in your containers. It becomes compacted, drains poorly, and can introduce pests and diseases. The ideal mix for container potatoes is a high-quality, well-draining potting mix blended with rich compost. This combination provides the perfect balance of moisture retention, drainage, and nutrients for healthy tuber formation. A slightly acidic soil pH between 5.2 and 6.0 is ideal.

A Sunny Spot

Potatoes are sun-lovers! They need a location that receives at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day to fuel their growth and produce a bountiful harvest. Before you plant, observe your patio or balcony throughout the day to find the sunniest spot.

Water

Container gardens can dry out much faster than traditional garden beds, especially on warm, windy days. A watering can or a hose with a gentle spray nozzle is essential to keep your thirsty potato plants happy and hydrated.

Optional Fertilizer

While a good potting mix and compost will give your potatoes a strong start, they are heavy feeders. A balanced, slow-release organic fertilizer mixed in at planting time or a regular feeding with a diluted liquid fertilizer can provide the extra boost they need to maximize your yield.

Step-by-Step Guide to Planting Potatoes in Containers

Now for the fun part! Follow these easy steps for planting seed potatoes in containers, and you’ll be on your way to a fantastic harvest.

Step 1: Prepare Your Seed Potatoes (Chitting)

About one to two weeks before you plan to plant, it’s a good idea to “chit” your seed potatoes. This process simply involves encouraging them to sprout before planting, which gives them a valuable head start. Place your seed potatoes in a single layer in a cool, bright location (but out of direct sunlight), like on a windowsill or in an egg carton. You’ll soon see small, sturdy green or purple sprouts, known as ‘chits’, begin to form from the ‘eyes’ of the potato. Once the sprouts are about an inch long, they’re ready for planting.

Step 2: Prepare Your Container

Ensure your chosen container is clean and has plenty of drainage holes. If you’re worried about soil washing out, you can cover the holes with a piece of mesh or a coffee filter, but avoid adding a layer of gravel at the bottom. Contrary to popular belief, this can actually impede drainage by creating a perched water table.

Step 3: The First Layer

Fill the bottom of your container with about 4-6 inches of your prepared potting mix and compost blend. This initial layer provides the foundation for your seed potatoes to establish their roots.

Step 4: Planting the Potatoes

Gently place your chitted seed potatoes on top of the soil layer. Position them with the sprouts pointing upwards, as these will become the main stems of your plant. Space them about 6-12 inches apart to give each plant enough room to grow. A good rule of thumb for how many potatoes per container is to plant 2-4 seed potatoes in a 15-gallon container.

Step 5: Cover Them Up

Cover the seed potatoes with another 3-4 inches of your soil mix. The tips of the sprouts should be just buried beneath the surface. Water them in thoroughly, ensuring the soil is evenly moist but not saturated. This initial watering helps settle the soil around the potatoes and signals them to start growing.

How to Care for Your Container Potatoes

Planting is just the beginning. Proper care throughout the growing season is what will lead to a truly bountiful harvest. Luckily, caring for container potatoes is straightforward.

The Art of ‘Hilling’ in a Pot

As your potato plants grow and their green foliage reaches about 6-8 inches tall, you’ll need to “hill” them. This is the most crucial step for a great yield. Hilling simply means adding more of your potting mix to the container, burying the lower half of the plant’s stem.

This process is vital because potatoes form their tubers along the buried portion of the stem. By continuing to add soil as the plant grows, you are creating more space for potatoes to develop. Continue hilling your potatoes every few weeks until the soil level is just an inch or two from the top of the container. This technique of growing potatoes in containers in layers maximizes your harvest potential.

Watering Your Potatoes

Consistent watering is key. The soil in containers dries out quickly, so you’ll need to be vigilant. Check the soil moisture daily by sticking your finger about an inch deep. If it feels dry, it’s time to water. Aim to keep the soil consistently moist, like a well-wrung-out sponge, but never waterlogged. Overwatering can lead to rotting tubers, a common problem when growing potatoes in containers. As the season progresses towards harvest, you can gradually reduce watering.

Fertilizing Container Potatoes

Potatoes in pots appreciate a little extra food to fuel their growth. If you didn’t mix a slow-release organic fertilizer into your soil at planting time, you can supplement with a balanced liquid fertilizer (like a seaweed or fish emulsion) every 2-4 weeks. Follow the package directions for dilution, as too much nitrogen can result in lush green foliage but a disappointing number of potatoes.

When and How to Harvest Your Potatoes

After weeks of care, the most exciting moment arrives: harvest time! Knowing when to harvest potatoes from containers is easy once you know what to look for.

When are Potatoes Ready to Harvest?

You have two main options for harvesting. If you can’t wait to taste your homegrown spuds, you can start harvesting small ‘new potatoes’ about 7-8 weeks after planting, usually a couple of weeks after the plants have flowered. These tender, thin-skinned potatoes are a delicious treat.

For a full harvest of larger, storage-ready potatoes, you’ll need more patience. Wait until the plant’s foliage begins to turn yellow and die back. This is a sign that the plant has put all its energy into developing the tubers. This typically occurs 90-120 days after planting, depending on the variety. Once the foliage has died back, you can stop watering and leave the potatoes in the soil for another week or two to allow their skins to thicken, which helps them store longer.

The Fun Part – Harvesting!

This is the moment of truth! Harvesting container-grown potatoes is a joy. Gently tip the entire container onto a large tarp or into a wheelbarrow. Then, you and your family can sift through the loose soil to find all the hidden treasures. It feels like a garden scavenger hunt! Be gentle as you handle the potatoes to avoid bruising them.

Storing Your Bountiful Harvest

Before you store your potatoes, it’s important to cure them. Gently brush the excess dirt off (don’t wash them!) and lay them out in a single layer in a cool, dark, and well-ventilated area for about a week. This allows their skins to toughen up. After curing, store them in a dark, cool place like a pantry or basement. Avoid storing them in the refrigerator or in plastic bags.

Common Problems When Growing Potatoes in Containers

While growing potatoes in containers helps you avoid many issues, a few problems can still arise. Being aware of them will help you keep your plants healthy.

Green Potatoes

If your developing potato tubers are exposed to sunlight, their skins will turn green. This green color indicates the presence of solanine, a compound that is mildly toxic and can cause an upset stomach. This is why hilling is so important—it keeps the tubers safely underground and in the dark. If you do find some green spots on your harvested potatoes, simply trim them off before cooking.

Pests and Diseases

Container growing significantly reduces pest issues, but it’s still wise to be observant. The most common potato pest is the Colorado potato beetle, which can defoliate a plant quickly. Hand-pick any adults or larvae you see. To prevent fungal diseases like blight, which can be devastating, ensure your container has good drainage and there’s good air circulation around the plant. Using certified disease-free seed potatoes is your best defense against many serious potato pests and diseases.

Rotting

Rotting tubers are almost always a result of overwatering or poor drainage. If the soil is constantly soggy, the potatoes can’t breathe and will begin to rot. Always check your soil before watering and ensure your container’s drainage holes are not clogged. If your plants are wilting even when the soil is wet, you may have a rot problem.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many potatoes can I get from one plant in a container?

You can typically expect a yield of about 5-10 potatoes per plant. The exact number will depend on the potato variety you choose, the size of your container, and the quality of care you provide throughout the growing season.

Can I grow potatoes from store-bought potatoes?

While it is possible, we at The Platform Garden and other experts strongly recommend against it. As mentioned, grocery store potatoes are often treated to prevent sprouting. The biggest risk, however, is introducing soil-borne diseases into your garden, which can persist for years. For a healthy, reliable harvest, it’s always best to invest in certified seed potatoes. There is a risk when you can you grow potatoes from store-bought potatoes.

Can I grow potatoes in containers indoors?

Yes, it is possible to grow potatoes in containers indoors, especially during the winter. However, you must be able to provide the right conditions. Your plants will need a very warm and bright location, receiving at least 6-8 hours of strong, direct light per day. A powerful grow light may be necessary to supplement natural sunlight.

Growing potatoes in containers is a simple and immensely enjoyable way to produce your own food, even in the smallest of spaces. From the excitement of seeing the first green shoots emerge to the thrill of unearthing your very own crop, it’s a rewarding journey for any beginner gardener. By following these easy steps, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying a delicious, bountiful harvest of homegrown potatoes.

What are your favorite potato varieties to grow? Share your container potato growing tips and questions in the comments below! For more urban gardening ideas, check out our complete guide to growing vegetables on a balcony.