You can grow potatoes yourself without having your own garden. We will show you how to achieve a successful harvest in pots.
The potato (Solanum tuberosum) not only has many synonyms (Erdapfel, Erdbirne, Knulle, etc.), it is also one of the most popular tuber vegetables in Germany. According to experts, there are over 10,000 different types of potato worldwide. You usually only know how good potatoes can taste once you have grown them yourself. The taste is not at all similar to what you know from supermarket goods. Old and traditional varieties usually wear a little less, but are often much more aromatic.
Even if you don't own a large garden, you can grow potatoes yourself. With a few tips in mind, they can easily be cultivated in flower pots, plastic bags, discarded rain barrels or bathtubs. You need around 10 liters of pot volume per potato plant. You can easily grow three to four potato plants in larger containers. It is important that the plants are of the same variety or at least potato varieties with a similar harvest time. We have briefly summarized the most important points for a successful harvest.
- Potato plants like it sunny. Put the pot with the potatoes in a sunny place. It is important that the heat does not build up too much in summer. From a temperature of over 25 ° C, the potato reduces the formation of tubers. One possible solution is to initially place the vessel in a very sunny location and move it to a slightly cooler location in midsummer.
- Potatoes are heavy consumers and need a sandy, humus-rich soil. To achieve that, you can mix topsoil with compost or potting soil and some sand. Our Plantura is ideal Organic tomato & vegetable soil. This is peat-free and perfectly tailored to the needs of the potato.
- Depending on the variety, the plants need a soil temperature of 7 - 8 ° C to grow. If you want to harvest early, you can pre-germinate the tubers as early as the end of February. Place the potatoes in a light place with temperatures between 10-18 ° C. At the time of planting, the potatoes that have been driven can then be planted directly.
- The type of vessel is irrelevant. Let your imagination run wild and grab flower pots, rain barrels or special potato growing sacks. It is much more important that there is no waterlogging. Make enough holes in the bottom of the jar.
- It is best to choose early-ripening varieties. First of all, these tubers are guaranteed to ripen even in rougher areas and you also avoid the annoying late blight (Phytophthora infestans), which usually only occur in high or low altitude. Late summer rages. Recommended early varieties are: Annabelle, Charlotte Lady, Christl, Erstling, Leyla and Sieglinde.
- Make sure that the soil is always slightly damp and never dries out completely. Waterlogging should be avoided, but if the potato plant suffers from drought, it will give you a low yield. Outdoor potatoes can root deeper into the soil, which also regulates moisture better and does not dry out as quickly. The soil can dry out quickly on hot summer days, especially in smaller flower pots, so special care is required.
- Potatoes also enjoy a rich supply of nutrients. The earth should be enriched with humus in advance. In addition, it makes sense to work with a liquid fertilizer during the planting season. An organic liquid fertilizer such as our Plantura is recommended for potatoes in pots Organic tomato & vegetable fertilizer. This natural fertilizer makes your potatoes more resistant to disease and provides them with all the essential nutrients.
- Finding the right time to harvest takes some skill. Shortly after flowering, you can carefully put your hand into the soil and feel the tubers. Most varieties can be harvested when the tuber is the size of a hen's egg. Since early-ripening varieties cannot be stored for long, only the amount of potatoes that is processed can be taken directly from the planter. The remaining tubers can continue to ripen and become a little larger.
Are you still unsure whether you should grow potatoes in a flower pot or in a bed? More information and tips on the Potato cultivation in the garden could help you with the decision.