How to Plant Potatoes in Sacks

Potatoes aren't fussy about their growing environment.

Potatoes are low-maintenance and they aren't picky about their growing conditions. You can grow them in the ground, containers, trash bins, buckets and even garbage bags or sacks. Nurseries and garden centers sell bags meant for growing potatoes, but you can use burlap sacks or common plastic garbage bags. By growing in sacks, you will free up space in your garden bed for plants that do better in wide open spaces.

Things You'll Need

• Seed potatoes
• Large sack or garbage bag
• Potting soil
• Peat moss
• Compost
• All-purpose fertilizer

Instructions

1. Buy seed potatoes from your local garden center or nursery. You can also buy organic potatoes from your grocer or a farmer's market. Commercially produced potatoes are treated with inhibitors that can interfere with the growing process.

2. Place the potatoes in a sunny room for three to four weeks. This will encourage them to sprout, similar to the process of germinating seeds before planting them. Cut the potatoes into pieces so that there are three sprouts on each piece.

3. Fill a sack or garbage bag with a mixture of equal parts potting soil, compost and peat moss about 6 to 8 inches deep. Mix in some granular, all-purpose fertilizer to the soil mixture. Follow the instructions on the packaging for specific amounts to use. Place three to four potato pieces in the sack, with the sprouts pointing up, and cover with 3 to 4 inches of the soil mixture. Poke several drainage holes in the bottom of the bag and water generously until the soil is moist. Place the bag in a spot that gets full sunlight.

4. Water as often as necessary to keep the soil moist, but not soggy. When the plants are about 6 to 8 inches tall, fill the bag with more soil so that only the top 2 inches or so are above the soil line. Repeat this process until the bag is completely full.

5. Water the sack regularly until the leaves start withering and turning brown. Stop watering at this point and wait about one week or two to harvest. When you are ready to harvest, tip the bag on its side or cut it open and let the soil spill out. Pick through the potatoes and wipe off as much dirt as you can. Store them in a dark, shady spot.

Tips & Warnings

• Feed the potatoes with liquid seaweed once or twice a month for added nutrition.

References

• The Organic Gardener: Potato Bins, Buckets and Potato Grow Bags

Resources

• Gardeners: Instructions for the Potato Grow Bag