Growing potatoes and peanuts in Rubbermaid bins?

[elitemittens]

Hi!
Do you guys plant in rubbermaid bins? I've been looking at possibly planting potatoes and peanuts in them as I have heavy clay soil and digging them back up would be a challenge. I'm not sure how well they would grow either. I've seen people planting vegetables in rubbermaid bins on Pinterest, and I've also seen people concerned about BPA and Phthalates seeping into the soil and vegetables. What do you think about planting in them? Would it be safe?

[Allyn]

I haven't tried potates or peanuts, but I use the big bins to make SIPs for my tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, beans, corn, et al.

There's some good info in this thread:
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 21&t=60946

[imafan26]

Peanuts would be o.k. but you need a wide bin so the pegs can dig into the soil. I think the potatoes would be happier in a 55 gallon barrel or a bag, they can go pretty deep and you can keep covering them to get more potatoes out of it.

[applestar]

Just like peppers and eggplants, I think peanuts might grow better in containers for the extra-warmth to the roots compared to growing in the ground. I'm starting to experiment and peanuts definitely grew better in high raised bed. Make sure to get the shortest maturity peanuts you can find -- I think 100 ~ 110 days.

They can't grow with potatoes because even though the days to maturity are almost the same (earlier for the early potatoes) potatoes get planted about a month before last frost while peanuts need to be planted at least a week to two weeks after last frost.

I have better luck getting peanuts to mature before fall frost if I start them inside when I plant the potatoes outside. (Still can't plant them together, mind you.)

It goes without saying that for regular potting mix and sandy mix growing, the tubs would need to have sufficient drainage holes drilled in the bottom and I would recommend some along the sides as well.

* Like you, I'm a bit hesitant about growing edibles in regular storage totes. If you want to spend the extra money, there are food grade tubs used in restaurant/food industry. WHILE I was still undecided and dithering, I was offered four Rubbermaid DIY SIP containers for free bonus when I bought some large coir lined hanging baskets on Craigslist, so I accepted them. Still not sure if I will buy and make more from storage totes, but I did buy three 10 gallon food grade Brut buckets.

For potatoes, chickenwire circle/tower works well, too.

Subject: Snapshots of my Edible Landscape/Mini-forest Garden: Updates

Here's an update on my Front Yard fence row featuring the chickenwire potatoe towers. DH asked me why I'm growing "silos" He is not happy.

As you can see, the potatoes are starting to flower.

The black bottomless pot contains Bushel Gourd that just sprouted.
I need to mulch this one some more.

The black bottomless pot contains Atlantic Giant Pumpkins that have just grown their first true leaves.


You can see the popcorn starting to grow. Oh -- I only have one sunflower left. Predation by slugs and snails (presumably) has been devastating. I've resorted to using organic slug bait/killer (Iron phosphate) after returning from 3 consecutive slug hunt mornings with a cup full of slugs and snails. With corn and sunflowers, if they can just outgrow the slugs, they'll be OK.

Quinoa hasn't sprouted -- old seeds, Blackeyed peas have been spotty, and Azuki beans have sprouted. I guess I'll just sow more Blackeyed peas.

... and no, I have NOT told DH about the giant gourd and pumpkin plants....

June Update:

[imafan26]

Peanuts do take a long time. Mine take about 150 days and they will only grow when it is warm. They get moldy in cold soil and the leaves will get fungal problems. It is a good plant for the south. I actually don't get a lot of peanuts because the soil in the herb garden is actually nitrogen poor and legumes actually need a lot of nitrogen. I have tried several times but the herb garden is alkaline and fungal dominant so the nitrogn fixers don't survive well.

Peanuts are ornamental though. They produce a yellow flower about 6 weeks after they are planted and they spread like a ground cover so I actually use them as a living mulch in the herb garden. I just have to make sure they are labeled and far enough in the garden so people with peanut allergies can't get that close to them.

[Susan W]

Instead of storage totes, why not use pots made for planting? (don't mean to sound snarky). Large plastic planting pots (16, 20") available at the box stores for $10-15. Also check your garden centers and perhaps box stores for potato grow bags.

This for potatoes. Don't know about peanuts.

[elitemittens]

I most likely won't do potatoes, but we'll see when spring comes around. For peanuts, would a 32 gallon tote be sufficient?

[applestar]

What are the dimensions? That will determine how many plants you can grow.

[elitemittens]

Depth 30"
Height 17.25"
Width 19"
I couldnt find the EXACT size online, but I found one very similar in size to the one I was looking at

[imafan26]

It sounds o.k. My uncle uses to hill the peanuts, so plant low in the tubs and fill it in when the pegs appear so they can be burried to make the peanuts.

[elitemittens]

how many peanut plants do you think that would fit?