Typically, potatoes are grown in the ground, since that gives them the most favorable conditions.
However, sometimes a growing area is not available.
In these instances, one can also use alternatives, e.g., a potato growing container.
Therefore, it is possible to grow potatoes even when you do not have much growing space in your garden, or even a garden at all.
For optimal growth: Potatoes require a good amount of growing room. So your potato growing container needs to be large enough, with a size of at least 12 gallons volume.
12 gallons is the best size for growing about 4-6 seed potatoes, as each potato plant needs about 2.5 gallons to grow properly.
Is Growing Potatoes in A Growing Container Better Than Growing Them in Soil?
So honestly, potatoes are going to do so much better in the ground than a growing container!
You would have to care for a lot more soil in a growing container than you would in the ground:
For one thing, soil in a container will dry out faster than soil in the ground, so you would have to be watering the container often to make sure the soil moisture is sufficient.
And, there’s less drainage in containers; basically eliminating the science of drainage by a factor of 10; So it would be very possible to get your soil water logged. You would want to make sure the soil moisture was optimum for the health of your potatoes!
Having said this, with the correct amount of care, you could get and have container potatoes as good as ground potatoes.
Besides that there are upsides to using containers as well.
For one, every time you want to plant potatoes you can put fresh soil in a container, which also minimizes soil contamination.
Also potato growing containers protect your potatoes from pests, worms, and rodents.
What’s more, the containers are basically portable, which means you can set them up anywhere and easily move them.
How To Grow Potatoes in Potato Growing Containers
Potatoes are tubers, so we want them to have enough growing depth, therefore the container should start with roughly 8 inches of soil depth.
If you did have to measure, typically potatoes grow to around 2-5 inches, depending on the type. To successfully plant potatoes in a growing container, follow these 4 steps:
- Step 1: Add approximately 6 inches of potting mix to your container. Add fertilizer and plant your seed potatoes, spaced about 6 inches apart.
- Step 2: Add about 6 inches of soil over your seed potatoes, and water well.
- Step 3: When your potato plants have grown to about 6 inches tall, add more soil.
- Step 4: Continue the process regularly, until your container is full.
Once your potatoes begin to grow, you can harvest them whenever you want! The growth ends when the leaves begin to yellow.
5 Best Potato Growing Containers
1. Decorlife Grow Bags Combo Set
Key Features
- Thickened, non-woven, rip-resistant fabrics
- Accommodates 7 gallons of potatoes
- X-shaped side handles for easy movement
When it comes to these grow bags from Decorlife, versatility is one of their major advantages. More importantly, they give you the ability to create your own home garden making all your growing needs easy to satisfy.
They are also durable, constructed from thickened, nonwoven, rip-resistant fabrics.
They are especially useful in growing potatoes with a capacity of approximately 7 gallons, which gives your seed potatoes sufficient space to mature.
In addition, these bags have double harvest windows to easily harvest your potatoes at maturity.
Pros
- Durable
- Double harvest windows for easy harvesting
- Strong X-shaped side handles
Cons
- They have a volume of about 7 gallons, limiting the number of seed potatoes you can plant
The X-shaped side handles make it easy to lift those bags, which can be heavy when full of growing potatoes.
It’s also a plus that these bags can be folded up for easy storage.
2. Potato Bags, 3 Pack 10 Gallon Felt Potatoes Growing Containers
Key Features
- Double chemical fiber felt
- Visual harvesting window
- Double carry handles for support
- Comes with 3 Pack 10 Gallon Felt Potatoes Growing Containers
These bags are made from a double chemical fiber felt, which is not only thick enough; it lets water drain well.
With these properties, the soil will never get waterlogged, so it can stay moisture controlled for proper potato growth.
The material in the container is very high quality and should last a long time. It is also nice and soft and super breathable, so the plants will have good air circulation.
The visual harvesting window allows for close watching of the growing process of your potatoes. You will also judge the right time to harvest.
Pros
- These bags have a thick fiber felt that is soft and breathable
- They have a visual harvesting window
- Upgraded double carry handles
Cons
- Not big enough for a big harvest of potatoes
Also, this potato growing bag has double carry handles to give much-needed balance and stability. This means that the bag can hold up to 10 times its original capacity.
One drawback of this bag is that it may not have ample space if you want to have a heavy harvest of potatoes.
3. Delxo 5 Pack 7 Gallon Potato Grow Bags
Key Features
- Sturdy, environment-friendly fabric
- All-weather fabric
- It comes with 5 packs 7-gallon bags
- It is reusable
If you’re a bit of an environmentally-friendly and environmentally-savvy individual, then this is a great grow bag for you. These bags are made from durable, environmentally friendly fabric.
The fabric also breathes really well and doesn’t hold too much water. This means that your seed potatoes will breathe well and subsequently grow better and faster.
The fabric is all-weather, so regardless of whether it’s summer or winter, your potatoes will thrive.
The fabric will cool the potatoes when it’s hot and warm them up when it’s cold.
Pros
- Bags have a sturdy fabric that is environment friendly
- Fairly permeable to drain excess water
- Fabric is suitable for all seasons
Cons
- The handles, though reinforced, may not be strong enough to handle fully loaded bags
With all its good qualities, this product has one fallback. The handles are not strong or sturdy enough to carry the weight of a bag that is fully loaded with soil.
4. Legigo 2 Pack Fabric Raised Planting Garden Bed
Key Features
- A 3-grid division
- Foldability
- Eco-friendly PP material
- 2 pack planters both 3 divided grids plastic rectangular garden grow bags
The Legigo raised garden bed is separated into 3 grids for a more tidy unit. The division and space allows you to plant other vegetables with potatoes in the same unit.
One of the positive features of this product is that it is collapsible. So, all you have to do when you’re ready to use it is to expand it, and add your soil!
It is made with an eco-friendly PP material that is durable, breathable, waterproof and recyclable. Additionally, it has a drain hole design that enables proper drainage for excess water.
Pros
- 3 separate grids that maintain the bag’s shape
- Made of a durable and eco-friendly material
- They have a drain hole design to facilitate proper drainage
Cons
- May be hard to lift off the ground.
- They may bulge outwards at the sides when filled with soil.
The best place to put this garden bed for planting potatoes would be the courtyard. Although they do work relatively well, once they are loaded with soil they can be very difficult to get off the ground.
For this reason, they are certainly not portable when loaded with soil, and they are likely to bulge out at the sides if they are loaded down.
5. Potato Grow Bags, 3 Pack 10 Gallon Garden Vegetable Planter
Key Features
- Strong and durable PE material
- Visual Velcro window
- Two sturdy handles for support
- Comes with 3 pack 10-gallon planters
Made with PE material which is tough and strong, these potato grow bags are made to last. The double-layered material is also breathable.
The breathability allows for good air circulation in the bag which is vital for growing healthy potatoes.
It even has a Visual Velcro window allowing you to see the progress of your potatoes and time the harvest perfectly.
The grow bags also come with two strong carrying handles to allow you to carry the full bags with ease. They are also washable and won’t take up much space when folded when not in use.
Pros
- Made of durable material
- They have a visual Velcro window
- Two sturdy handles
- Washable and foldable
Cons
- Not big enough for a huge harvest of potatoes
Those little drain holes at the bottom of the bags help with drainage. But at only 10-gallon volumes, these bags are pretty small!
So, if you’re hoping to get a big crop of potatoes, they may not give you enough room.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should you grow potatoes in containers?
When you’re short on garden space, or don’t have a garden at all, you should grow potatoes in containers. Containers are especially convenient, because you can set them up anywhere, so you can grow potatoes on your patio, balcony, or even inside.
However, this is not a requirement, so you can still use containers if you have space. Plus, potatoes tend to do really well in containers!
How often should you water potatoes grown in a container?
Since containers dry out more quickly than the ground, you should check the moisture content in the soil.
The soil will need at least 1.5 inches of water each week for the greatest potato growth and production. So, you will need to water when necessary.
After how long do potatoes grown in a container mature?
In between 70-90 days, you should have your potato tubers ready for consumption. However, this depends on the variety, as some can take up to 120 days to mature.
Final Words
Growing potatoes in containers works for sure.
There are loads of different types of potato growing containers, too, that have their own capabilities and advantages.
You can check out potato bags specially mentioned in this article, or order them, by clicking the link.