Re: Growing potatoes in a garbage can?

**Josh** 5/1/2011, 11:06 am

My interpretation of the 'high rise' method in the book is that it is a
way to keep the potatoes covered, and not an attempt to increase
production like in a garbage can. I'm certainly receptive to changing
my mind if someone has experienced otherwise.

Last year when we grew potatoes, we used the high rise method, and when we added the high rise we filled it with leaves, straw and compost, when I harvested the potatoes they were all in the first 6 inches of mels mix. We had two rows we tried something different, we added mels mix to the high rise, and planted more potatoes in the high rise, so there were potatoes planted in the first 6 inches and more planted in the top 4 inches of the high rise. At harvest time, potatoes were found in the bottom 6 inches and the top 4 inches.
So if you plant in the first 6 inches, then add a high rise, fill it with mels mix and plant in that 4 inches, you could increase the amount of potatoes like you do the trash can method.

**Josh** 5/1/2011, 1:50 pm

Plant and see what we get.

I started off with white potatoes in the first 6 inches, now I added a 4 inch high rise, added Mel's mix.
Potatoes - Growing potatoes in a garbage can? - Page 2 Potatoeswhite

Potatoes - Growing potatoes in a garbage can? - Page 2 Potatoeswhite

I planted purple potatoes in the high rise on top of the white already growing.

Then I added another 4 inch high rise and filled it with Mel's mix and planted red potatoes in it.

Potatoes - Growing potatoes in a garbage can? - Page 2 Potatoesred

Potatoes - Growing potatoes in a garbage can? - Page 2 Potatoesred

Now at harvest time, I'll post what the results bring, I'm hoping a three layered crop of white, purple, and red potatoes.

cabinfever 5/1/2011, 2:29 pm

Would that also work in a 5 gallon bucket? To add new layers of seed potatoes?!

**Kelejan** 6/8/2011, 9:59 pm

Josh, how are your three-layer potatoes coming on?

**Josh** 6/9/2011, 3:07 pm

They are growing good. I'll post a picture of them when I harvest them, it should be easy to tell how well layering them works by having 3 colors growing in the layers. The other squares just have one layer in the bottom 6 inches.
Potatoes - Growing potatoes in a garbage can? - Page 2 Potatoes-3

Potatoes - Growing potatoes in a garbage can? - Page 2 Potatoes-3

southern gardener 10/17/2011, 7:33 pm

hey Josh...how did your potato experiment turn out? Sounds like a good idea. I hope you still remember...sounds like this is an older post sunny

**Josh** 10/17/2011, 9:19 pm

Yes it worked! bounce

I had 3 layers white, purple, and red. When I started the experiment, I already had white ones up and growing, then I added the purple layer, then the red. The white ones were the biggest, but they had been growing longer. When I grow them again like that, I'm just going to plant them in layers all at the same time, the Mel's Mix is so loose it doesn't keep the bottom layer from growing to the top.

southern gardener 10/17/2011, 9:22 pm

cool! do you know how many you got? I planted four in a barrel. Only one "took off", but we kept putting the mulch on as it grew. The barrel is now full, and guess what, the other three are now poking through! The plant is well over the top, but isn't dying, so I'm patiently waiting to see what's in there! bounce

How long until the plant dies off?? cyclops

arla 10/17/2011, 11:57 pm

In the UK you can get grow-bags cheap for growing potatoes in (you can get them in the states too, but they seem to be fearfully expensive), the are about 2.5ft deep (roughly) by 18" by 18" (this is very approx, I've not measured) my parents brought me a pack of bags for use next year.

I'm seeing what's going on with my potatoes this year (planted some a few weeks ago directly in the soil since I had some potaoes growing eyes in the kitchen, seeing what comes of it with our CA weather) but if they don't do much, going to plant in these bags next year, will post pictures when I get it done.

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