How to grow potatoes in a pot

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How to grow potatoes in a pot

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BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Sunday, 24 March 2019 at 3:00 pm

Short on space? Why not grow your own potatoes in a pot? We show you how.

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Potatoes grow surprisingly well in a pot. It's the ideal way of growing them if you're short on space – you can even grow them on a patio or balcony.

Growing potatoes in pots is especially suited to first early and second early potatoes, which grow fast and are at a premium in the shops.

How to grow potatoes in a pot

Choose the largest pot you can find – an old plastic pot that is at least 40 litres, or even a dustbin, is ideal. Make sure it has some drainage holes at the bottom. Place your potato pot in a sunny, frost-free spot. Add 10cm of peat-free, multi-purpose compost to the bottom of the pot and place three to five chitted seed potatoes a hand with apart, on the surface. Cover with 8-10cm of compost and water well. When the shoots have grown to 8cm, cover with another 10cm of compost. Keep doing this until you have reached the top of the pot. Harvest your potatoes when the plants start to flower – simply empty the pot to reveal your crop.

Buy potato growing bags from Suttons, Dobies, Thompson & Morgan and Crocus

You Will Need

Chitted seed potatoes
Multi-purpose, peat-free compost
Well-rotted manure or garden compost
Large pot
Watering can

Total time: 1 hour

Step 1

How to grow potatoes in a pot - covering the potatoes with compost

Line the bottom of the pot with a 10cm layer of compost. Place four chitted seed potatoes on the surface and cover with another layer of compost mix. Water well.

Step 2

How to grow potatoes in a pot - adding more compost to the pot

Put the bags in a sheltered spot that gets sun for at least half the day. Keep the compost moist and when the shoots are 15-20cm tall, cover them up to their tips with more compost and water thoroughly. Continue to add compost at stages as the stems grow.

Step 3

How to grow potatoes in a pot - watering potato plants

Water regularly during the growing season - potatoes like plenty of water. Avoid using rainwater from a butt in the summer as this can contain blight spores. Soak the pot thoroughly every two or three days, allowing the compost to almost dry out between watering to promote steady potato formation.

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