Planting potatoes in pots: instructions & tips

Potatoes are very easy to grow in a so-called potato pot. You can find out how to grow potatoes in pots in the video with instructions.

When you think of typical German cuisine, a nutritious tuber probably springs to mind. Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), also known as potatoes, actually come from South America, but have long been native to the whole world. No wonder - after all, from mashed potatoes to casseroles and salads to fries, almost everything can be conjured up from the rounded tubers. But the potato not only has a lot to offer in culinary terms, it is also easy to cultivate in the garden. But what if you don't have a garden? No problem: we will show you how to grow potatoes in tubs on the patio or balcony and provide instructions for potato pots.

The right location for potatoes in the pot

Potatoes prefer a warm, sunny location that is protected from the weather if possible. They tolerate bad weather well and dry off quickly, but some can still be covered with rain protection potato diseases delay or even prevent it. A spot against a south-facing wall and possibly an overhanging roof is ideal for growing potatoes in pots. The east or west side of a balcony is also suitable. Potatoes can also thrive in an apartment if they are placed in a sunny window and get enough warmth and light there.

Potato varieties for growing in tubs

You don't need a specific variety to plant potatoes in pots. As long as the planter is big enough, all of them can actually be used potato varieties cultivate in it. However, if you want to grow different varieties together, you should make sure that the varieties have a similar ripening time so that you can harvest all the tubers at the same time. A special eye-catcher are of course violet or red potato varieties.

When do you plant potatoes in pots?

Potatoes in a pot are planted at the same time as potatoes in a bed. The best planting time is between early April and mid-May. It should be at least 10 °C outside, better 15 °C and at night not less than 5 °C, and it should definitely not freeze anymore.

Which soil is suitable for potatoes in a bucket?

Potatoes are heavy feeders, so they need nutrient-rich and at the same time permeable plant substrates. Tomato or vegetable soil usually already has a higher nutrient content and is therefore ideal for filling a future potato planter.

Planting potatoes in pots: this is how you do it correctly

The future planter for potatoes should hold at least 10, preferably 20 liters of soil. In addition to standard pots, planters, buckets or even barrels, a so-called potato pot is suitable for a particularly easy harvest. Here you will find a step-by-step explanation of how easy it is to make such a potato pot.

1. First, the right home for the potato is prepared. To do this, use a simple plastic plant pot with a capacity of 10 to 20 liters and walls that are as thin as possible.
2. Cut out three shop windows of the same size on the sides with a carpet knife or something similar. Do not only make sure that you don't cut your fingers, but also that the bridge between the individual windows is not too thin. Otherwise there is a risk that the pot is no longer stable enough or even tears. Now take a second bucket (without a window) and place the first one in it.

   

   

1. Now you can plant potatoes: It is best to use potatoes that have already been cut or green potatoes that are no longer used in the kitchen. If you don't have potatoes at home, you can use seed potatoes from the garden center.
2. Fill the prepared pot about a quarter full with soil (mixed with some sand and compost if you like) and place the tubers in about the middle of each window. Cover the bulbs with at least 10 cm of soil and fill the pot almost to the top.
3. Now it's time to wait and every now and then the caring for potatoes. The soil should always be slightly moist, but care must be taken to avoid waterlogging. The potato grows over the next few months until, depending on the ripening time of the variety, it is finally ready for harvest.
   

Care in the pot

If the filled soil sags after repeated watering, you can refill some soil later. It is only possible to pile up the potatoes in the pot to a limited extent - if the pot is always well filled with soil, this is usually sufficient. Most of the time, however, the plants do not grow as strongly in limited containers as in the bed. Water your plants regularly so that the soil never dries out completely, waterlogging must not occur. A mulch layer of straw or grass clippings significantly reduces evaporation not only in the bed, but also in the pot. Potatoes are heavy feeders and should therefore be well supplied with nutrients throughout the season. Balanced fertilization rewards the potato plant with healthy growth and higher yields. Since fertilizing with solid granules in the pot is difficult, we recommend using an organic liquid fertilizer like ours Plantura Organic Tomato & Vegetable Fertilizer. More information about potato care Find out in our special article.

Harvest potatoes in the pot

The first potatoes are ready to harvest after about three to four months new potatoes as early as July when the foliage is still green - for later varieties, as soon as the foliage dies back. Now the plants are freed from the pot or other planter and the potatoes are harvested by hand. More details on Harvesting Potatoes can be found in our special article. Harvesting is simplified in the Potato Pot by the handcrafted pot construction. Instead of digging up the whole plant, simply lift out the inner pot. The potatoes can be harvested without much effort through the cut-out windows. Putting the plant back in the pot will allow it to recover and you can harvest the remaining undersized tubers at a later date.

Growing potatoes in a sack: an alternative to the pot?

Potatoes can also be cultivated in plastic bags or big packs. These hold larger amounts of soil and are often rectangular and thus shaped to save space. The potato plant can spread well in it. The planting bags are only suitable to a limited extent for growing potatoes on the balcony or in the apartment. The problem here is that the sacks are often too tight, so that excess water cannot drain away, resulting in waterlogging. If the bags are made of more permeable materials such as jute, the water is not held well and spills over the balcony or terrace. Water supply is therefore the most important point to consider when growing potatoes in a bag. Potatoes in the pot can be grafted with close relatives from the nightshade family (Solanaceae) and thus you can also harvest fruits above ground. We present you the unique tomato and give tips on what to do next.