Holistic Yoga - Growing Potatoes in Containers Part 3

I recommend using 20 gallon plastic garbage cans or large plastic storage tubs to grow potatoes in. You can also use very large pots or buckets, but garbage cans and storage tubs can be covered to store the soil in for the next year. Simply take your plastic garbage can or tub and drill several holes in the bottom for drainage. Then fill the container about one third full with your potting soil mix.

Put your potato sprouts on top of the soil, spaced approximately 6 inches apart, and at least 4 inches away from the sides of the container. Then cover the sprouts with about two inches of potting soil. When the plants reach about 6 inches in height, add another two or three inches of potting mix, covering the lower leaves of the plants. Every time the plants reach a height of six inches above the soil, add another two to three inches of soil. When the soil reaches about 1 to 2 inches from the top of the container, you can stop adding soil, but mound the soil up around the base of each plant.

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Holistic Yoga - Growing Potatoes in Containers Part 2

Seed potatoes are not actually seeds. Potatoes do not have seeds. They are actually specially grown miniature tubers that have been grown in controlled conditions to minimize the chance of disease. You should try to buy certified disease-free seed potatoes when possible.

Seed potatoes should be presprouted. Simply place the seed potatoes in a shallow tray and put the tray into a warm, sunny spot. Then spray them with some water or liquid seaweed. It should be about two weeks before sprouts form. When they are about an inch tall, you can plant them.

In order to get the best yield from your potato plants, you need to make sure that the stems grow to a good length. Hilling is traditionally used to aid in elongating the stems. In hilling, you plant your potato sprouts in a trench, gradually filling the trench with more soil as the stems grow. You can easily do this in your containers.

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