Seed Potato

[syntheticbutterfly]

One of my friends has been doing potato planting the past few days and brought me round a seed potato. I know one might seem a small amount but I have very limited space and I'm mainly doing this to experiment and learn so the end result is not the issue(though of course having spuds to eat would be great!).
Anyway, we have cut it and put it to one side to form the callus(?) on the cut sides. Now I just need to figure out where to plant the things!
I had been thinking of a tyre stack, but while surfing I came across several pages suggesting that tyres could leak poisons into the soil. I'm not willing to risk it- I spend enough time trying to remove chemicals from my life without adding more!
So, to get back to the point, any suggestings for how I'm going to grow these bearing in mind I don't want to spend lots of money!

[garden5]

One of my friends has been doing potato planting the past few days and brought me round a seed potato. I know one might seem a small amount but I have very limited space and I'm mainly doing this to experiment and learn so the end result is not the issue(though of course having spuds to eat would be great!).
Anyway, we have cut it and put it to one side to form the callus(?) on the cut sides. Now I just need to figure out where to plant the things!
I had been thinking of a tyre stack, but while surfing I came across several pages suggesting that tyres could leak poisons into the soil. I'm not willing to risk it- I spend enough time trying to remove chemicals from my life without adding more!
So, to get back to the point, any suggestings for how I'm going to grow these bearing in mind I don't want to spend lots of money!

Well, one thing you could do is replicate the tire-stacking method, but with wooden frames. Make sure they are not treated lumber and simply add more dirt and stack them higher at the potatoes grow taller.

If you have a lot of scrap lumber, you can actually do this for free!

Good luck with the 'taters .

[rainbowgardener]

Or just grow them in regular large size flower pots (plastic ones that you can drill holes in the sides of for extra drainage) or 5 gallon paint buckets.

Here's a couple threads about growing potatoes in containers:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=97529&highlight=potatoes+containers#97529

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13353

[gixxerific]

Got one growing in a bucket downstairs right now, and it seems to be doing pretty well. That is from a potato from last season as well.

Or you could stick it the ground.

[syntheticbutterfly]

I don't have any ground here! Just lots of various containers. Also a small issue that part of my garden is on my roof terrace and I'm afraid to put too much weight up there, this is an old house,lol.
I have space on my downstairs patio though, and think I've found a barrel to use so we're all good!

[Ozark Lady]

I saw a wonderful post somewhere, can't remember where. About someone taking a bale of hay, letting it get wet a few times, then just poking holes in it and sliding the potato pieces in there, soon he had a bundle of potato leaves, and when the leaves died, he broke it open and harvested clean, healthy potatoes.

Okay, maybe you don't have a bale of hay, but you get the idea, they will grow in just about anything. I usually lay them on the surface of the beds, then just cover them with leaves. You could shred newpapers, and possibly use that. Just remember to keep adding to it, the potatoes will grow on top of the pieces, not under them.

Potatoes want to grow so badly, they will try hard to do it in your kitchen!

[jal_ut]

I have space on my downstairs patio though, and think I've found a barrel to use so we're all good!

That is the spot. Just plant those in the barrel about 3 inches deep. When your plants are about a foot tall, mulch them deeply. Other than that all you have to do is try to keep them uniformly damp. Let them grow until the vines die, then dump the barrel and pick up your spuds.

[gixxerific]

I have space on my downstairs patio though, and think I've found a barrel to use so we're all good!

That is the spot. Just plant those in the barrel about 3 inches deep. When your plants are about a foot tall, mulch them deeply. Other than that all you have to do is try to keep them uniformly damp. Let them grow until the vines die, then dump the barrel and pick up your spuds.

Bingo potatoes are so easy to grow, that is if you don't get disease or pest otherwise set and forget for the most part. What do you not love about that?