My mom blames the Irish blood in me for two things: my near-impossible to match light skin, and a love of potatoes. I can't help it, with their white fluffy clouds of pulp just staring up at you, offering a heavenly taste if you would but partake, they are downright seductive. You can whip them into a light fluff, fry them to a delicious golden brown, or use them as a hearty side to a meaty roast.
Just try telling me these delicious tubers don't just call out to be grown and enjoyed
There are varieties for boiling, roasting, baking, and mashing. My personal favourite for baking is the gold yukon, it has a more velvety texture and buttery flavor than your common russet, though I've been wanting to try fingerlings, a smaller straighter potato about the size of a large jalepeno that is often served whole, as a roasted side dish.
So here is a guide to help you get started on growing these damp, dark lovelies!
Growing Potatoes In Containers
Growing potatoes in containers may not make a lot of sense unless you want to grow varieties that are hard to find or are particularly expensive. Growing your standard russet potatoes or giant baking potatoes is probably going to be a waste of space, although it might be fun. But if you are like me, you want to make the most efficient use of the space you have available.
Potatoes are reproduces through the eyes on potatoes. You've no doubt seen these sprouts on potatoes that have been sitting for too long in your cupboards. The eyes shoot out sprouts, and when you plant these sprouts, you can grow potatoes.
It is NOT recommended that you do this, however. Potatoes that are found in supermarkets are typically treated with chemicals to inhibit sprouting. They do not typically grow very well when planted, and might poison the soil if you try to grow something else in it later. You should grow your potatoes from what is known as seed potatoes.
Seed potatoes are not actually seeds. Potatoes do not have seeds. They are actually specially grown miniature tubers that have been grown in controlled conditions to minimize the chance of disease. You should try to buy certified disease-free seed potatoes when possible.
Seed potatoes should be presprouted. Simply place the seed potatoes in a shallow tray and put the tray into a warm, sunny spot. Then spray them with some water or liquid seaweed. It should be about two weeks before sprouts form. When they are about an inch tall, you can plant them.
In order to get the best yield from your potato plants, you need to make sure that the stems grow to a good length. Hilling is traditionally used to aid in enlongating the stems. In hilling, you plant your potato sprouts in a trench, gradually filling the trench with more soil as the stems grow. You can easily do this in your containers.
I recommend using 20 gallon plastic garbage cans or large plastic storage tubs to grow potatoes in. You can also use very large pots or buckets, but garbage cans and storage tubs can be covered to store the soil in for the next year. Simply take your plastic garbage can or tub and drill several holes in the bottom for drainage. Then fill the container about one third full with your potting soil mix. Put your potato sprouts on top of the soil, spaced approximately 6 inches apart, and at least 4 inches away from the sides of the container. Then cover the sprouts with about two inches of potting soil. When the plants reach about 6 inches in height, add another two or three inches of potting mix, covering the lower leaves of the plants. Every time the plants reach a height of six inches above the soil, add another two to three inches of soil. When the soil reaches about 1 to 2 inches from the top of the container, you can stop adding soil, but mound the soil up around the base of each plant.
It is important to keep potatoes well watered on a very regular basis. If you allow the potatoes to get too dry, then add a lot of water, then let them dry again, you will end up with disfigured potatoes that look lumpy and will have a very poor texture when cooked. Remember to keep them watered consistently.
One of the only problems you are likely to encounter when growing potatoes in containers is the Colorado potato beetle. They may not be a problem where you live, so check with your local county extension office to find out. If you happen to see their egg clusters on your plants, simply pick them off by hand and destroy them.
The first potatoes will be ready to harvest in around two months. If the plants start to flower, it's time to start harvesting. Some varieties won't make flowers at all, so don't count on this to happen, but if you do see flowers, you know it's definitely time.
To harvest potatoes, simply dig around in the soil with your hands, feeling the size of each potato you encounter. If it is the size you want, pull it up. Otherwise, leave it alone and it will continue to grow. Each plant should produce about 2 to 4 pounds of potatoes, depending on the variety.
Some good potato varieties for growing in containers:
All Blue - This is an heirloom potato that is blue inside and is absolutely stunning when cooked.
Yukon Gold - This is a smaller variety of potato with golden flesh, and a rich, buttery flavor.
Red Pontiac - This is a red-skinned variety that grows well in containers.
Fingerling - There are several varieties of small, finger-shaped potatoes that grow well in containers.
After you have harvested all of your potatoes, make sure you remove all of the plants from the soil and dispose of them. If you have used a plastic trash can or tub, you can put the lid on top of the container and leave the soil to use to grow potatoes again next year!
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