Remember what potatoes used to be like…hot and steaming from the oven, full of fluffy white goodness, and with an earthy flavor that didn’t need the help of butter or sour cream? Well, you can raise your own spuds, and recapture that special flavor, and you won’t have to do a lot of backbreaking digging, either.
You can grow potatoes in a barrel – placed in any sunny part of your patio, backyard, or apartment balcony – and that container can be filled with sawdust, dirt, mulch, or rotting leaves. Here’s how its done.
First, get a barrel, a discarded keg, or even a metal or plastic trash can. (The larger the container, the more spuds you’ll eventually harvest, so make your selection accordingly.) To prepare your growing bin, punch several holes, spaced about six inches apart, in the bottom of the container. The drainage these provide will help keep your crop’s “feet”dry, which is an important consideration. Then spread a layer of large pebbles in the bottom of the barrel, and put about six inches of soil over that. Next, put in a four-inch layer of well-rotted (not fresh) sawdust, and you can also add some soil if you’d like. Now you’re ready to plant.
Potatoes, unlike most vegetables, aren’t usually raised from seed…they’re sprouted from the eyes of fully grown tubers that are known as seed potatoes. If you, or someone you know, grew a crop of spuds last year and set some of the beauties aside, you’re ahead of the game as these can be your source of new potatoes. But if you don’t have this advantage, you’ll need to visit a garden shop, nursery, or farm supply store that sells seed potatoes. Those store-bought spuds that may be hibernating in the pantry won’t do. These commercial tubers have usually been sprayed with an antisprouting chemical, so even the ones that do put forth new growth will do poorly.
Slice your seed potatoes so that each chunk contains two eyes, and let the pieces sit for a day or two while their cut surfaces dry. Next, take the “seeds” and push them down into the layer of planting medium in the barrel – just far enough so they’re covered – and dampen the soil. In only a few days you should find little plants sprouting through. Each time these sprouts grow a couple of inches, dump in enough well-rotted sawdust (possibly mixed with soil) to cover them up, and give the crop a soaking. Since the new potatoes form above their parent eye, you are- in effect – creating room for more down-home delicacies each time you bury the plant. By the time the container is full, you’ll have two or three feet of barrel-grown beauties to harvest.
Come September, when it’s time to gather your spring planted crop, you can forget about your spading fork. Simply tilt the barrel over on its side, give it a shake or two, and pour out the most beautiful spuds you’ve ever seen!
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I have also seen people who have done this with old tires. Just stack another tire on when you need more room. I’ve been wanting to try for some time. Since my garden is water logged now I may just do potatoes like this! Thanks for the reminder!
This is brilliant! I’m going to keep this in mind for my “someday” garden.
Sounds fun to do but where does one get ‘well-rotted’ saw dust? I can get fresh. How long does it take to rot?
Very interesting. I will have to get my gardener (a.k.a my husband) to try this.
Hello.I came to your website via make it from scratch.I am new to gardening and I have a question.Where do you get sawdust-even rotted sawdust?I know it may seem silly but I TRULY don’t know.
I’m praying you can answer these question for me.
Are there any restriction to what part of the United States potatoes are grown in a barrel? What are the planting dates and and I too late to start now(late April)?
Do you recommend a certain kind of potato to grow in south Louisiana?
Hi Calvin -
I’m afraid living in Connecticut all of my life has left me a bit provincial in my awareness of climate and gardening in other parts of the country, but I’ll try to answer your question.
I can’t imagine any reason why you wouldn’t be able to grow potatoes in a barrel almost anywhere – I feel certain that you could in south Louisiana. It wouldn’t be too late to start – go right ahead and give it a try!
As far as the type of potato –
the important thing is to get real seed potatoes from a farm store or from someone who grew a crop last year and has some left over. You wouldn’t want to use potatoes from the grocery store because they have been treated to retard sprouting and make them “keep” longer.
Any variety of potato would be fine (I’d like to try the red ones next) but I would suggest smaller varieties because of the container.
Let me know how your project turns out!
Potatoes can be grown in smart pots which cost a little over three dollars for a 15 gallon pot. You can put 4 to 6 potato seeds in each pot. Also, you can purchase a board 10 inches wide 2 inches thick and 12 feet long. Have the board cut into 4 equal parts. It also takes 8 nails to assemble your grow bed for potatoes. This size box can also grow other plants needing more root space such as tomatoes. The 3 foot square grow box can yield about 42 pounds of potatoes. If you have gopher problems you’ll need covered wire that should be stapled to the bottom of the box.
I too would like to grow potatoes this way……do not know where to get the rotting sawdust………would you please help……..thank you sounds so interesting…
love in Christ.
Thelma
does the barrel need to be in full sunlight or is part shade ok? Also, if I find fresh sawdust how long does it take for it to be rotted? Thanks!
In place of sawdust you could use compost or potting soil (available from a garden store) mixed with some leaves.
for those who are looking for rotten saw dust/ go to the nearest nursery and ask them you want their rotten stuff. they’ll be glad to give it to you real cheap before they get the new shipments. most nurseries don’t like to put new on top of old, if you know what i mean. as for planting potatoes in “tires” it is sooo cool. as they potatoes mature, you pick the top tire out without disturbing the plant and the plant keeps on giving! i’ve fed my family of 7 all year almost every day and stil have potatoes left over. this year i am trying my wine barells i brought from CA to TN. “Bon Apotet”
Mony
I live in NJ. When can I plant my potatoes?
A very similar article appeared in Mother Earth News a while back…
We’re in northwestern Missouri (zone 5), and we are preparing our barrels today (April 24) for planting in the next couple of days. Most info for our area says to plant them in early to mid May, so we’re a tad bit earlier than necessary… but the good seed potatoes around here are going fast! If you need info about when to plant for your area, it’s probably best to call and ask a local plant nursery, or a company that sells seed potatoes, when the best time to plant potatoes is for your zone. Many times, seed potatoes are only available shortly before and during the right time for planting.
For those asking about the sawdust, as far as I can tell it doesn’t have to be “rotted” (it will rot as you go). Most lumberyards will give you plenty for free–just be sure to call ahead; I’ve found that some places charge a small fee for it, while the place down the road might just be happy to have you take it off their hands! Just don’t use it for mulch; it does rot or “sour” and it’s NOT pretty. Works great for potatoes in a barrel, though!