Need advice on growing potatoes in containers

[mw44118]

I'm expecting several bags of seed potatoes any day now in the mail. And of course, I've already filled up both of my 8x16 beeds with seedlings (haha). So now I'm looking for new places to grow potatoes.

I've got lots of old empty flowerpots (the 2-gallon size). How many potatoes would I put in each of those pots?

I'm considering buying a few of those potato grow bags. Has anyone here tried them out? They're pricey ($10 each). Are they worth it?

Also I wonder if I could fill some triple-bagged paper sacks from the grocery store and put them into plastic milk crates.

What containers work well for growing potatoes? What won't work well?

Matt

[Dillbert]

>>what works

basically anything you can make a heap of. compost, leaf mold, mushroom soil.

on the seed potatoes, common practice is to cut (large(r)) seed potatoes into chunks, each chunk having a sprouting eye. you may have a lot more potatoes that originally planned . . .

2 gal containers are really small for potatoes. at most one sprouting eye chunk per pot.

old tires stacked up is another route - but be aware tires may have surface compounds you may not want in your food - depending on your "organic" tolerance.

[RosieRenee]

We love the old bathtubs my husband found in a vacant lot. We tilted them slightly toward the drain end so they drain well.

[scoobdoob808]

I have used plastic garbage cans in the past for my potatoes and this year I am using an old tractor tire.

[rainbowgardener]

I'm growing potatoes this year for the first time, let you know later how it works out. I'm doing mine in I guess about a 10 gallon container, the kind they sell for growing trees in. I put 5 potato chunks in that, which seems like it may be kind of crowded.

[barbelle]

I built a "potato condo." My mother-in-law took down wooden fence and have all of this left over wood. It is awesome, especially because I am limited on space. I am growing on my patio at my apartment.

https://www.gardenfreshliving.com/2009/06/the-building-of-a-potato-condo.html

With all of the free wood, this project was at NO cost

HOORAY!!

[gixxerific]

From what you already have I would go with the milk crate idea and that may be pushing it on the size. But you would still get potatoes. I have a bunch in 10 gallon pots like rainbowgardener I put 2 eyes in most of the pots and only one in a couple. The smallest container I am using is a 5 gallon bucket.

Do a Google search you wouldn't believe the multitude of ways people are growing potatoes, even do You tube search of "growing potatoes in pots" or something.

Lot's of people do however use 5 gallon buckets as well as many other sizes, some people build small cages out of just wire, some build small boxes than add more boxes and soil as they grow. You can use trash cans as said bathtubs anything. It's also amazing how many people accidentally have them growing in their compost so even that is route you could take if you don't stir your compost all the time. So many ways, potatoes grow rather easy.

good luck

[applestar]

Last year, I grew 5 seed potatoes in a 24"x24" square space, bordered with sticks and corrugated cardboard to hold in the compost/soil/mulch to pile up to about 18". I imagine you could simply take a large shipping box, fold the top and bottom flaps in and grow your potatoes inside.

[Hispoptart]

We planted 8 rows of potatoes in our garden, but for giggles bought a set of those potatoe bags just to see how and if they work, I'll let ya know when they grow.