How to Grow Potatoes in Pots

How to Grow Potatoes in Pots

What is Seed Potato

A potato that is replanted and used to grow potato plants is called seed potato.

How to Get Seed Potatoes

Buy seed potatoes from local nurseries or online. You can also use the main crop potatoes (table-stock potatoes) that you buy from supermarket or grocery stores to eat, but seed potatoes are best for this purpose as they are of great quality and come from disease-free sources. Also, note that supermarket potatoes are sometimes treated with sprout inhibitors to prevent the emergence of sprouts.

Once you have selected your potatoes, keep them in a cool, dark and dry place so that they develop eye buds (Potato eye is a dimpled spot in potato from where the bud appears and grows into a new plant). Check back your potatoes each day, once a few buds appear they are ready for planting
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Pick potatoes with more than one eye buds. Remember the more eye buds will result in more spuds, but smaller in size. So keep balance and choose those that have 2-3 buds. Rub the rest of the eye buds or cut them deeply to remove them.

Location

Choose a location that is sunny and receives at least 6 hours of sunlight daily. Full sun conditions with six to eight hours of light and ambient temperatures of around 60 F. (16 C.) will provide the best conditions for growing potatoes in containers. You may choose to grow potatoes on the deck in order to have quick access to the smallest new potatoes. 

Watering

Drought and lack of water for the long period are detrimental for growing potatoes in containers. When growing potatoes, regular watering is essential. Keep the soil evenly moist but not wet.

Temperature

Potato is a cool season crop but it requires the frost-free period of around 75-135 days or more, depending on the type of variety you are growing. The optimum temperature for growing potatoes ranges between 45-80 F (7-26C).

Potato Plant Care

Growing potatoes in pots require some cares to improve the productivity and flavor.

Hilling potatoes

When your potted plants grow up to 6-8 inches high, earth up the soil around their base until when only an inch of the distance left to reach the lower leaves. Repeat this process in every two-three weeks until your pot is not filled up to either 18-24 inches of soil depth or when only two inches of free space left to fill the pot. Don’t overfill the pot. You can use well-rotted manure or compost instead of soil for hilling, this way your potato plants will get the steady supply of nutrients.

Fertilizer

For growing potatoes in containers, natural fertilizers are sufficient. Add well-rotted manure or compost to meet the need of your plant. You can also apply organic liquid fertilizer once a month.

Also, note that potatoes have high potassium requirements and too high nitrogen fertilization can be counterproductive and promotes foliage growth.

Pests and Diseases

The best way to avoid diseases is to avoid having a water stagnant soil and wetting the foliage. Plant quality seed potatoes and obtain them from the reliable source.

Potato beetles, Aphids, Flea beetles are some of the common pests that may infect your container grown potatoes but you can get rid of them using organic fertilizers.