If you are short on space, growing potatoes in pots or containers works surprisingly well. This method is suited for first and second early potatoes as they grow very fast and you can harvest the potatoes from as little as 12 weeks.
Choosing the right size pot or container
Choose the largest container you can find, such as an old plastic pot that’s at least 30 litres. Alternatively, you can buy potato growing bags. Create some drainage holes at the bottom and place in a sunny, frost-free spot.
How to grow potatoes in a pot or container
Add some compost at the bottom (5-10cm depending on the size of the container) and place two to four seed potatoes in each corner. Cover with 8-10cm of compost and water well.
Keep watering your potatoes and when the shoots have grown to around 5cm, cover them with another 8-10cm of compost.
Repeat the process until you’ve reached the top of the container and harvest the potatoes when they begin to flower.
To harvest them, simply empty the container and enjoy your home grown potatoes.
Growing tips
- Water your potatoes regularly. Growing them in a container means they can dry out quickly. Give them a good soak every 2-3 days.
- Try to avoid watering them from a water butt, especially in the summer when blight is a risk. The water from the water butt may contain blight spores. If a water butt is all you’ve got, water them at the base of the plant.
- Grow them in a sunny spot that gets at least sun for half the day.
- If there’s a risk of frost, protect them with a fleece to avoid damaging the growing tips. Should frost damage the plants, they can recover but it may take a while for them to start growing again.