Potatoes

chexmix 4/9/2010, 2:21 pm

I have potatoes growing in a trash can. How often do I add soil to them? Should I cover the whole stalk (all leaves) or just up to a certain point?

Thanks for any help you can give me as this is my first year.

boffer 4/9/2010, 3:44 pm

When they're 4-6 inches tall, cover them all the way up; I leave a few leaves at the top peeking out. Repeat every 4-6 inches!

Magnoliaman 4/10/2010, 10:32 am

Done right, what kind of potato production should be expected from this method in a trash can? I've been considering the same method in a whiskey barrel planter, but I've been unsure of exactly how to do it and what kind of results I might expect.

I remember when I was a boy that some old-timers grew potatoes in tires. When they reached a certain height they would add another tire and more soil. By the time they were done they had 3-4 tires full of potatoes.

boffer 4/10/2010, 10:48 am

I've had as few as 10 and as many as 70; I can't explain the differences. I get pretty consistent harvests from my taters in the ground.

I caught an idea in another thread that certain types of potatoes do better than others in trash cans. I haven't had a chance to look into it yet.

Magnoliaman 4/10/2010, 11:00 am

I would love to do them in the ground, but space is an issue. Or perhaps I wrongly believe space is an issue. I've never grown potatoes before, so I need to study a bit more before I decide to move forward. I would like to plant them before the end of the weekend.

boffer 4/10/2010, 11:16 am

I'm lucky not to have a space issue. I was growing them in the ground before I started sfg. This year I'm growing half of my taters in TT sfg for the first time. I do the garbage can and variations of it for fun.

chexmix 4/10/2010, 8:27 pm

Thanks Boffer for letting me know. I almost covered them up today. Left a little bit of leaves on top. Just hope they are producing as much as they are growing.

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