How to Grow Potatoes in Pots and Have a Constant Supply

Potatoes… a super healthy tuber that can be prepared in several ways:
Enjoy a delicious winter stoemp, homemade fries, baked chips or potato salad.

Grow your potatoes in the vegetable garden and enjoy them all year round!

1 – CHOOSE VARIETIES TO PLAN IN POT

There are 3 types of potatoes: firm flesh, tender flesh, floury potatoes. Your personal tastes and culinary habits will guide you in this choice. On the other hand, you will find early or late varieties of potatoes. To occupy an always limited space on a terrace or balcony for a shorter time, favor early varieties, which will stay in place between 90 and 110 days, compared to 150 for late ones: ‘Alienor’, ‘Dolwenn de Bretagne’, ‘Amandine’, etc.

2 – WHEN TO PLAN POTATOES?

Before putting them in the ground, they should be germinated. Do this one month before planting. Simply place the tubers in crates in a ventilated, cool, bright room but without direct sunlight. After a month, sprouts measuring a few centimeters appeared.

It’s time to plant the potatoes! Potatoes are planted after the last frosts. Depending on the region, the first plantings take place from the end of March to mid-May.

3 – WHEN TO PLAN A NEW POTATO?

New potatoes are not a variety but an early crop cycle. They are harvested as soon as they flower and are consumed immediately. They are planted at the very beginning of spring, preferably under a tunnel.

Use plastic pots. Strong plastic pots are available at all garden stores and are a great option for growing potatoes. They are black in color, which helps retain heat, and usually have original drainage holes. You can also consider fabric grow bags, but they won’t be as pretty to look at.

• If you opt for a heavier plastic pot, consider putting it on a cart. This will allow you to move your plants to water them.
• If you live in a warm region, avoid using black or dark-colored pots. These can attract too much sun and cause your potatoes to overheat.
• Wash your pots with hot water and soap before planting anything inside. This will help eliminate harmful bacteria.
• Only choose a pot that has drainage holes at the bottom. Alternatively, you can use a drill to drill 2 or 3 holes for drainage.

4 – MAINTAIN MY POTATOES

Four weeks have passed since planting and your potatoes are growing well! About 20 cm! What to do to maintain them?

• Add potting soil: Optimize your harvest! When the plants reach about 20 cm, add your mixture of potting soil and compost to better protect the tubers from the sun and let the top of the plant protrude about 10 cm. And now all that remains is to water according to a few simple rules.
• Water: Every 2 or 3 days following the heat, water your potatoes without wetting the leaves as this attracts diseases. The rule is simple: neither wet nor dry, just damp. A tip? Stick the tip of your finger into the soil to do the test. At this point, it is no longer necessary to add fertilizer. Your enriched potting soil is enough to feed the potatoes.
• Protect: Watch out for pests like Colorado beetles. If they appear, it is best to remove them by hand. If mildew appears, don’t panic! Just cut off the diseased leaves!

5 – POTATO HARVEST

• There is no point harvesting potatoes before the foliage has completely yellowed.This essential stage of yellowing indicates that the harvest is imminent.
• But it also indicates that you should not wait any longer because a complete drying out of the foliage would be a sign that you have waited too long.
• Store your potatoes away from light in a dry, cool and ventilated place.