What do you grow potatoes in?

Question

My mother is growing potatoes in an old plastic linen basket, which now has a big split down the side, and won't hold for much longer. I'm thinking of getting her more professional equipment to grow her beloved spuds in, but I don't know what to get her.

It has to be a container, because she has arthritis in her knees and can't get down to dig them up.

Answer 1

My husband has a stack of 3 old tires that he grows his potatoes in.  He too has a problem stooping and bending and this method is much easier on him.  Another plus is that they don't split!  Also, if she wants to make them pretty they are easily painted.

Answer 2

They can be grown in 'Grow bags' which you can buy in any garden centre. I cut the bag in half and stand each half on its end and plant 2 potatoes in each one making sure they are planted about 10" deep. They need to kept well watered especially in hot, dry weather and once the foliage has flowered and started to die back they will be ready to harvest. There is also the added advantage that they can be stood on something to bring them up to a manageable height for anyone with arthritis.

Answer 3

try a black plastic refuse bin,you can get them at b&q in the garden centre for about a fiver.

Answer 4

get her a bin - the large plastic household rubbish type - thats what we use - dont forget to drill a few holes in the bottom tho

Answer 5

I found old paint containers in a skip,knocked a few holes in the bottom, filled with soil, and grew spuds very successfully..

Only one plant per container, great crop.

Answer 6

For your immediate situation, why not place the old plastic linen basket inside a newer one & tie them together with twist ties so it gets more reinforcement? You can place some black gardening plastic or a large strong bag between the two baskets & poke just a few tiny drainage holes in the plastic bag or lining. You can see in this video ...demonstrating how to grow potatoes in a bag...that you don't need many holes.

http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/pro...

These videos from gardening.tv/, gardenersworld, etc. demonstrate how you can use large pots, garbage cans, a bag, or a raised bed that's tall  enough so your mom doesn't have to exert herself too much.

Growing potatoes in a large pot or can:

Put 4 inch of potting soil in a large container; you can put in 3-4 potatoes in 15 inch pot; cover  with  2-3 inches potting soil & water them.   Wait for potatoes to come up above soil & after a week or two add more soil. Keep doing this until you've filled the container. Water regularly.  You can feed with tomato fertilizer. Once the potatoes have flowered & foliage is starting to die back, you can start to harvest them. All you have to do is tip it out.

http://www.gardening.tv/index.html?bcpid...

http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/pro...

Planting potatoes in a raised bed: You can make your beds even taller than the one shown in this video... if it helps make it easier for your mom to reach.

http://revver.com/video/742908/planting-...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC99aKzfE...

This video shows how to use bamboo sheeting to hold in soil when planting potatoes. When the potatoes are ready to be harvested, just untie the sheeting & the potatoes fall out.

You should be able to set the sheeting on a raised platform so it will be easy to reach.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flXSxrQxW...

Good luck!!!  I really think it's great that you are helping your mom. Hope this is helpful.

Answer 7

spuds grow anywhere so long as the vessel is deep enough for the potatoes to expand when they form.B&Q have a great selection out the back in their garden section, choose anything thats at least 18" deep so that its deep enough and high enough up for her to reach.You can get little folding chairs for gardening which are a godsend to people with arthritis

Answer 8

old car tyres are the best!

start with one tyre and fill it with dirt and plant your potatoes and when the the potatoes poke though the dirt you stack on the next tyre and fill it with dirt, and keep on repeating till you get about 5 or 7 tyres high.

the reason this is so great is when its time to "dig up the potatos you just have to take a tyre off one at a time and break the dirt off, and you get heaps of potatos and when i say heaps i mean HEAPS! it all so works well in small gardens because it takes up very little space for the amount of potatos you can get.

if you are worried about them looking like an eye sore you can do what my poppy doe's and paint them! at the moment he has 2 "rainbow stacks" in his back yard he swears by them.

Answer 9

we grow ours in grow bags. just cut across the top of the bag and plant your poatoes