container garden pics

**sinopa27** · 07-25-2011, 01:49 AM

I grew potatoes in containers and have been harvesting them all week.

**mommy4ever** · 07-25-2011, 02:02 AM

That is awesome! Love the pink bins..lol. How big are they? I just got more dirt, so am now trying to decide on what to grow in. This year is pretty much over for gardening except lettuce, radishes and maybe some carrots. But I can get the soil for free and ready it for next year, so why not?

**sinopa27** · 07-25-2011, 03:34 AM

the storage bins were the large containers by sterlite that I got from walmart for $4. Go ahead and get the soil. You can plant
onions, garlic and shallots in the fall.

**mamamia** · 07-25-2011, 06:33 AM

You did EXCELLENT! I can't help but feel a little bit jealous! But putting all that aside, can you tell me what kind of soil, and did you start from seed, planting them in your bins? And how did you start your potatoes? Someone on here mentioned you can plant them, using pieces of potatoes that have developed eyes.

Sorry for all the questions, but I would LOVE to have this type of garden.

Thanks so much for your help!

Theresa

**ladytoysdream** · 07-25-2011, 06:47 AM

Good job

The bins...did you put holes in the bottoms of them for drainage ? And if so, how big and what method to make the holes.

**nuisance26** · 07-25-2011, 07:54 AM

~They look great! I'd like to grow potatoes too so share your method please!~

**sinopa27** · 07-26-2011, 05:40 AM

i went to lowes and got a common household drill. i got my containers from walmart.
I drill holes all on the bottom
I just used compost and put a few inches of it in
I got seed potatoes that were small and put 2 or 3 in each container and covered with soil
In a few days, I saw the plant sprouting through. So I added more compost.
As it grew, i added more until I got to the top. They grew fast!!
I watered it.

It was so easy. I believe the hardest part was drilling the holes.
I did yukon gold and red potatoes
oh yeah......on the ground, I had grass so I covered it with cardboard and some of that compost black fabric so I would have a way to walk around as the weeds grow. No weeds grew in the area I have the potatoes. I kinda feel like it fooled the bugs cause I am just now seeing those potato beetles and I have already harvested potatoes

**sinopa27** · 07-26-2011, 05:43 AM

My question is can I reuse the soil for potatoes or should I rotate it and plant something else? In a normal garden, you may plant in the same place.
I am still researching. I did have a plant that grew and the leaves died back faster than the rest. I had potatoes from it though. So, I harvested them and ate them. I read somewhere that it could be blight and there is no cure. Since I didn't know what to be looking for, I don't know if i had blight or not. I do know that the potatoes were good.
Maybe that particular container I won't reuse the soil.

**mommy4ever** · 07-26-2011, 08:59 AM

It is normal for potatoes to die back after they start forming fruit. We actually beat ours back, so that we can have bigger potatoes. It's what the old timers recommend. The soil, you can reuse it, as long as you're adding more compost to it to feed it. Container gardening is usually intensive planting so it really needs to be fertilized frequently. My dad does soil-less planting. He uses a peatmoss mix, with vermiculite and compost, no dirt. As a result, he has beautiful plants, no worms in the cabbage or radishes. I'm curious to see his potatoes when he harvests. In a bed, ideally potatoes should be rotated. But with containers, since you will add to the soil you're using anyway, i'd think it's ok.

**sinopa27** · 07-26-2011, 09:03 AM

what do you mean by "beat back"? Like pulling it back???

**mommy4ever** · 07-26-2011, 09:15 AM

My mom would take a shovel to it and break the stalks, my grandma would step on it at the soil level. It kills off the green, but the roots are fine and producing potatoes, but this was only after then blooming occurred
.

**vigilant20** · 07-26-2011, 11:08 AM

Wow congrats! That worked great and it's even been a rough year in most areas for growing potatoes. I've only gotten marble sized ones out of mine so far lol

**Debbie-cat** · 07-26-2011, 11:53 AM

Looks great!! Congrats and thanks for sharing.

**sinopa27** · 07-27-2011, 05:11 AM

Originally Posted by mommy4ever

My mom would take a shovel to it and break the stalks, my grandma would step on it at the soil level. It kills off the green, but the roots are fine and producing potatoes, but this was only after then blooming occurred
.

Thanks for this advice. I will be planting more if I can find some seed potatoes. I would have thought the stalk gone meant no potatoes. Wow!!! I've learned a lot!

**mommy4ever** · 07-27-2011, 08:30 AM

I remember when we harvest the ripe potato at the end of season all that was left of the plant was dried out stems. Don't remove it, just damage the plant after the blooming is done.

Any potato can be planted, even those from the grocery store, seed potatoes are simply potatoes that aren't saleable as food.

Dad mentioned one more thing. Don't use partial potatoes, use a whole potato. My own personal experience and that of dad's and a few others, sections of potatoes grow a beautiful plant by minimal potatoes. A whole potato seems to grow oodles of potatoes...