Growing potatoes in a trashcan

[W2L]

Ive never grown potatoes before, but seeing how i have some seed potatoes i think i'll give it a try. Im going to use a trashcan as a container for my crop to grow in. I hear that this method has a high yield crop.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I've always wanted to try that.

 

[Aryeh Jay]

.

 

[W2L]

I've always wanted to try that.

Me too. I love potatoes.

 

[W2L]

I have done it and it works perfectly. Not a trash can per say but a red plastic tub that my kids kept their toys in, about 15-20 gallon sized. At harvest time I just dumped everything out and picked up potatoes, no pitchfork stabbed ones anymore!

Don’t forget drain holes though.

I did remember the drain holes. I just hope they grow.

 

[brinny]

I'm thinkin' that this should be kept outside.....

yeah, that's an afterthought of mine...when the drain holes were mentioned here and in the video.

Hahaaaaa...me brain works backwards....

 

[W2L]

I'm thinkin' that this should be kept outside.....

yeah, that's an afterthought of mine...when the drain holes were mentioned here and in the video.

Hahaaaaa...me brain works backwards....

Yup, its an outside container. You also want to sit it in direct sunlight.

 

[brinny]

Yup, its an outside container. You also want to sit it in direct sunlight.

Yes, that's good to know

 

[W2L]

Yes, that's good to know

Gardening is one of Gods blessings.

 

[brinny]

Gardening is one of Gods blessings.

i agree.

 

[afishamongmany]

I hear that this method has a high yield crop.

Hi W2L,
What variety are you growing? For me only early varieties (Roseval is popular here) or special, not usually available varieties would be worth the work. Main crop varieties are usually so cheap to buy. I don't do any veg now but new potatoes with the first broad beans used to be our first, yummy, home grown dish of the year.
I'm not sure why she cut the potato up? If one really needs more plants than one can afford to buy ok probably cut some in two, both halves with eyes but normally one would let all the eyes grow and get their initial growing energy from the one potato.
Let us know how it goes.
Good gardening
><>

 

[W2L]

Hi W2L,
What variety are you growing? For me only early varieties (Roseval is popular here) or special, not usually available varieties would be worth the work. Main crop varieties are usually so cheap to buy. I don't do any veg now but new potatoes with the first broad beans used to be our first, yummy, home grown dish of the year.
I'm not sure why she cut the potato up? If one really needs more plants than one can afford to buy ok probably cut some in two, both halves with eyes but normally one would let all the eyes grow and get their initial growing energy from the one potato.
Let us know how it goes.
Good gardening
><>

Im not sure what variety they are. I just happen to have a bag of potatoes that had a lot of eyes. I planted them.

 

[Take Heart]

Oh how neat! I've never thought to grow one in a trash can :0 I've grown potatoes before in a big pot though. And it turned out great! I hope to start it again perhaps

 

[W2L]

Oh how neat! I've never thought to grow one in a trash can :0 I've grown potatoes before in a big pot though. And it turned out great! I hope to start it again perhaps

Thats good to hear. Thank you.

 

[W2L]

I started my potatoes in the trashcan. They are growing fast.

 

[StbGradMom79]

That was a cute video. In my experience you want to be careful with dark plastic and direct sunlight as you can overheat your plant inside. I use my own adaption to that method but not with a barrel, I use cinder blocks and I don't keep adding soil I add straw. I make a ring of blocks around my growing area I cut the potatoes and put them 10-12" apart on the ground, cover them lightly with soil then as the greens appear I cover them with straw. As the plants grow taller I stack more blocks and add more straw. The cool thing about doing it this way is I can reach down and get fingerling potatoes during the year or feel around for bigger potatoes. It's kind of like picking strawberries or tomatoes but I have to feel for them under the straw.

Good luck with your potatoes!

 

[W2L]

That was a cute video. In my experience you want to be careful with dark plastic and direct sunlight as you can overheat your plant inside. I use my own adaption to that method but not with a barrel, I use cinder blocks and I don't keep adding soil I add straw. I make a ring of blocks around my growing area I cut the potatoes and put them 10-12" apart on the ground, cover them lightly with soil then as the greens appear I cover them with straw. As the plants grow taller I stack more blocks and add more straw. The cool thing about doing it this way is I can reach down and get fingerling potatoes during the year or feel around for bigger potatoes. It's kind of like picking strawberries or tomatoes but I have to feel for them under the straw.

Good luck with your potatoes!

The plants are growing fast. I thought about using compost over the plants. So far however ive just used dirt. Its my first time growing potatoes. Im excited to see how they turn out. Thank you for the suggestion.

 

[faroukfarouk]

That was a cute video. In my experience you want to be careful with dark plastic and direct sunlight as you can overheat your plant inside. I use my own adaption to that method but not with a barrel, I use cinder blocks and I don't keep adding soil I add straw. I make a ring of blocks around my growing area I cut the potatoes and put them 10-12" apart on the ground, cover them lightly with soil then as the greens appear I cover them with straw. As the plants grow taller I stack more blocks and add more straw. The cool thing about doing it this way is I can reach down and get fingerling potatoes during the year or feel around for bigger potatoes. It's kind of like picking strawberries or tomatoes but I have to feel for them under the straw.

Good luck with your potatoes!

Sounds like you are maximizing space in order to grow stuff!

 

[W2L]

Sounds like you are maximizing space in order to grow stuff!

Thats what im doing, i have such a small garden that this idea of growing potatoes in a container seems good.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Thats what im doing, i have such a small garden that this idea of growing potatoes in a container seems good.

You don't need a lot of space to grow some things.