Growing Potatoes In A Trash Bag

GROWING POTATOES IN CONTAINERS

If you have limited space and still want to grow potatoes, there are several ways that you can accomplish this.  By far the easiest way, requiring the least amount of materials is to grow potatoes in a trash bag. 

WHAT YOU NEED

• 30+ gallon garbage bag or commercial potato bag
• crumpled newspaper or shredded paper (optional)
• seed potatoes (5 per container)
• potting soil (any will do but vegetable specific is great)
• sterile manure (optional)
• mulch, compost, straw, chipped bark, pine needles or combo of all or any though this is optional
• time release fertilizer
• 6+ hours per day of direct sunlight
• harvest in 2-4 months

HOW TO GROW POTATOES IN A GARBAGE SACK

Place layer of crumpled newspaper or shredded paper in bottom of garbage sack or potato bag.  (This prevents soil eroding away and washing out through the bottom holes)  You can omit this step if you wish.

Add about 4 or 5 inches of potting soil or a mixture of 1/2 potting soil, 1/4 sterile manure and 1/4 compost to the bottom of the trash bag.

Roll the garbage sack down so that it is about 2 inches above the soil you’ve put in the bag.

Plant the potatoes – about 5 per bag.  If seed potatoes are too large, make sure there are only about 2-3 eyes per piece planted.  Plant potatoes 1 in the center and then 4 in a circle around the center one. 

TIP:  Some people “cure” their potato starts for 24 hours at room temperature – either hole if small starts or cut into pieces with 2-3 eyes each.

Push the potatoes down into the soil so they are covered by at least 1/2 inch of soil material.

Water a small amount but the key is never to get the potatoes soggy.

Poke holes with a screwdriver, knife or razor at intervals around the garbage bag for drainage holes (only to level of dirt).  

Continue to watch the soil moisture for the next few weeks and keep it moist.  Again, don’t let it get soggy.  When the plants get up to about 4 inches high, add more soil but just until the plant is almost covered but the plant leaves are still above the dirt mixture.

Keep unrolling the bag up to coincide with the soil addition.  Poke more drainage holes only to level of soil and keep watering to keep moist.

You add drainage holes around the circle of the bag as you add more soil each time to ensure adequate drainage.

Eventually the plants will rise above the top of the bag. 

TIP:  Add poles or bamboo poles, etc. to the bag to keep the bag spread apart if needed. 

Let the plants bloom after they grow to the top of the bag.  They will sprout flowers and berries, the flowers will bloom and die and the foliage will begin to die off.  When the leaves have withered and turned brown, harvest time is here~! 

Cut open the bag and spill the contents (potatoes) onto a tarp.  Sort through and store in a dark, cool place. 

TIP:  You can harvest “new potatoes” when foliage is about 1 foot high.  Reach in and pull out new potatoes on top and then let rest of potatoes develop.  Harvest as above.

GROWING POTATOES IN TRASHBAGS

Growing potatoes in trashbags or potato bags is a simple solution to organic gardening.  It also fills the bill when it comes to having little space.  You can have multiple bags of potatoes going with relatively few “ingredients” for planting. 

Experiment with different types of potatoes.   Some potato gardeners swear that you can use store-bought potatoes cut into pieces. 

Some folks also claim that you can grow potatoes in garbage bags without soil and using only compost or even shredded newspaper! 

Remember that potatoes need at least 6 hours of good sunlight per day to grow best and they ideally like their soil to remain about 60 degrees though mine do well even though the temperatures occasionally dip way lower at night. 

OTHER IDEAS ON GROWING POTATOES IN CONTAINERS  

• Grow in trash cans
• Grow in big drums
• Grow in smaller trash cans (fewer potatoes per can)
• Grow in tires

See this article for information on more methods for growing potatoes in containers. 

See this article for information on growing potatoes in a trash bin.