This is a fun low-on-space grow potato project for adults and children. Everybody who comes in contact with your container or trash can full of growing potatoes will be delighted. You just need a space big enough for your container or trash can in your garden or on your patio.
How to get started on growing potatoes in a container or trash can is pretty easy. You need a super-clean old container or trash can that has holes in the bottom for drainage. Plastic trash cans are great because they are easy to clean and light enough to move around if you like, but metal trash cans work too.
Grow Potato Layer One: In the bottom of your trash can or container place a layer of shredded newspaper or old junk mail. This helps to keep the soil that you add on top of this moist and also helps to keep the soil from finding its way out of the drain holes to make a mess.
Grow Potato Layer Two: Add 3-4 inches of potting soil or good garden dirt. This step isn’t 100% necessary. I have grown potatoes in a trash can without any dirt involved, but the dirt seems to give you a better crop.
Grow Potato Layer Three: Add pieces of cut-up potato that have eyes on them. These should be cut so that you have an inch or more of potato behind and around the eye to provide the plant nourishment. I have always just used potatoes from the grocery store with great results. Or, you can buy seed potatoes from a nursery if you would like.
Grow Potato Layer Four: Cover your potato pieces with about 2-3″ more of shredded newspaper, shredded junk mail, straw, peat moss, or whatever you have available. Dirt works too. Water until you see water coming out of your drain holes. From now on, you can never let layer one become dry. It is also important not to let your potatoes sit in soggy soil. You want your soil to be moist or wet, but never soggy.
While seedlings are coming up, it is okay to protect them from the cold at night by putting the lid on your trash can. They will die if you leave the lid on during the day.
Grow Potato Layer Five: After your potatoes grow 2-4 inches above your last layer, cover the plants with more shredded newspaper, shredded junk mail, straw, peat moss, or dirt so that only about 1 inch of plant is showing. Continue doing this until the plants are growing taller than your container or trash can, and then add stakes so that they don’t fall over and break.
Grow Potato Options: Some people like to add a little dirt with every shredded newspaper or straw layer. Some people like to add fertilizer. Go with your heart on this one. I have grown the potatoes without “extra’s” but, who’s to say that adding normal growing mediums won’t make your potato plants happier. Some people add wheels to the bottom of their trash can or container so that it can move around easily.
How They Grow: Potatoes grow on roots that go off to the sides of the main stem-stalk. They will be growing in your container or trash can all of the way up. As the little potato balls form, they like easily moved material so that they can get bigger without fighting the dirt while growing. This is why they will grow in a trash can as long as their bottom roots have a little dirt and/or water to work with. Your bottom layer is very important to keep wet. Don’t let your bottom layer dry out.
Grow Potato Flowers: As your potato starts to flower, you can gently reach in and get some “new” or baby potatoes to eat. When your flowers start to fade, your stalks will start to turn yellow. Your big potatoes are growing now. When the end of the summer comes, you will have a trash can full of potatoes.
To Harvest: Unpack your trash can, throw away the trash, clean it, and your spuds can store in there in your basement or other cool place while you eat them.
