Tips and Tricks to Grow Potatoes in a Pot

Potato has an infinite amount of uses in the kitchen and is a staple root vegetable in many homes. By growing potatoes in pots, you can maximize the use of your space and have a beautiful vegetable to show for it.

Whether it is the main hero of your dish or you need starch to fill up the plate, a potato is always practical to have at hand when whipping a meal together, and by growing them in pots, you don't need to go far to get them.

Potatoes in pots may seem like hard work for a vegetable that you have easy access to at your local grocery store, but with the correct approach and some handy tips and tricks, growing potatoes will be less effort than buying them.

1. CHOOSE YOUR TOOLS

Once you have decided to embark on your potato-growing journey, keep in mind that you need to consider the various elements that yield a good crop.

Firstly, stick to a first early and second early potato when choosing your variant to plant because it grows quickly, and secondly, go for the largest pot you have at hand. It could be an old plastic pot or even a dustbin - the bigger, the better.

2. IDEAL ENVIRONMENT

Once you know what you want to plant and where you will be planting it, you can move onto ensuring that your potatoes are growing in ideal circumstances to give them the best chance possible.

Keep drainage in mind, drilling a few holes into the bottom of the pot will suffice. These root vegetables enjoy the heat and don't do well in the cold so place your pot in a sunny, frost-free spot.

3. COMPOST AND WATER

With your pot, plant, and environment sorted out, you can start with the exciting process of planting your potatoes. Begin at the bottom of your pot with 10cm of peat-free, multi-purpose compost.

Then you place the next layer of three to five chitted seed potatoes a hand apart, on top of the compost. The seeds must then be covered with another 10cm of compost and receive a good amount of water.

4. MORE COMPOST

When you start to see progress in the form of shoots, wait until they reach about 8cm before you place another layer of compost. Continue with the progressive layering of compost until you reach the top of the pot.

You will know that it is time to harvest your potatoes when the plant starts to flower. No fancy method of harvesting is required; you can empty the pot to see what crops are ready to eat.

With your tuber high in vitamin C, vitamin B6, and potassium, the sky is the limit with your home-grown potatoes. The crop is naturally gluten-free, which gives your ample options in the kitchen.

Potatoes have a long list of health benefits, including the anti-oxidants that they provide to the body. The tubers are also known to improve digestive health and may even aid in controlling elevated blood sugar levels.