How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
- 1). Sprout your seed potatoes before planting them. Seed potatoes are certified disease-free potatoes that you will use to grow a whole new crop of potatoes. Place the seed potatoes in a shallow tray and leave the tray in a warm, sunny spot. Spray the potatoes with some water or liquid seaweed. They should sprout within two weeks. When the sprouts are about an inch in length, you can plant them.
- 2). Drill 10 to 15 holes in the bottom of your trash can for drainage. Put 2 to 4 inches of broken clay pot pieces on the bottom of the trash can. Cover the broken pot pieces with 6 inches of good potting compost. Put five seed potatoes on top with the sprouts pointing upwards. Cover the potatoes with more potting compost until they are just buried. Water well.
- 3). As the green foliage of your potato plants grow upward, just add more compost. Don't worry if it covers the leaves; they will soon grow up through the compost again. Continue this process for about eight weeks.
- 4). Harvest your potatoes after two months, or when the plants start to flower. However, not all potatoes flower, so just harvest after two months. Dig around the soil with your hands, to feel the size of each potato. If it is the size you want, pull it up. If not, leave it alone and it will continue to grow. Each plant should produce about 2 to 4 pounds of potatoes, depending on the variety.
- 5). After you have harvested all your potatoes, remove all the plants from the soil and compost them. Put the lid on top of the container and leave the soil there. You can use it again next year to grow a new batch of potatoes.
