Growing Potatoes in a Laundry Basket
Okay, so my experiment this month is growing potatoes out of laundry baskets. I started with seed starting potatoes and I cut the potatoes in sections that had at least 2 eyes per section.I placed newspaper around the lower base to keep the soil in, eventually the shoots will break through the soggy newspaper. I then planted them in 2 inches of soil, eyes facing up, cut side down. I covered them up with about another inch of soil. In about 8 days they started to grow and look like plants. As they continue to grow, I keep adding soil to the basket. This is called the “hilling” method. Eventually this basket will be full of soil and the plants will be growing out of the holes and out of the top of this basket
I have also purchase one of those potato bags. I started the potato bag the same time I started the Basket, just look at the difference in results. I think this is due to the bag being so deep to start that the sun does not get to the new shoots sprouting. I will do a follow up at the end of July to see how they are progressing.
Any of you fine Gardening/homesteading/prepping folks out there have any weird, wacky container gardening going on, please share. Thanks
Happy Trails
Sources:
http://preparednessmama.com/grow-potatoes/
http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/5215/growing-potatoes-in-a-laundry-basket
Laundry basket potatoes look good! I grow mine in rubbermaid totes lol.
I have 3 of those potato bags and they do work really good. The trick is to roll the bag down on the outside to make it half as tall when you start them. As you hill the potatoes you roll the bag up further.
Great idea with the laundry basket!
Thank you. You have restored my faith in them. Thank for the tip of rolling the bag down.
No problem. Hopefully it makes a big difference for you. =)
Fantastic! I'd much rather grow potatoes in a laundry basket than use it for it's intended purpose! Very cool!
I've produced them in straw bales, milk crates, built boxes that I threw over them in a stack as they grew, and even grew some in a wash tub once, but that growth you're getting in the basket is intriguing! Love experiments, thanks for sharing!!!
Thank you. A wash tub, now I would love to see pic's of that. Isn't it funny how I purchase the potato bag and it is not performing as much as the laundry basket. Thinking outside the box
The wash tub was pretty cool, I tend to use whatever is laying about as I have found that a lot of so called specialized products don't work at well as things like your laundry basket genius idea😊
Can't wait see to see the yield you get with your experiment!
I planted carrots in a plastic half barrel. I put large rocks in the bottom to fill space followed by punky rotten wood to hold moisture. Then a mix of soil and sand. They are growing wonderfully and I haven't watered them once.
I have carrots growing in buckets and they are doing amazing, but never thought to put punky wood, thanks for the tip. uPvoted
It is an experiment based on the hugel bed. Fingers crossed, but it looks like a success!
Thank you
When we had too many sweet potato starts one year and the planted ones were instantly attracting night visitors who consumed the leaves, we tried planting the rest in a tall laundry basket and they were protected from the wildlife who feasted on our garden every night. The sweet potatoes grew in their contained way successfully.
Awsome. Yes it is a great way to keep unwanted hungry creatures away.
awesome bro..
That's great! I thought potatoes had to be super protected from the light or else they'll turn green. I wonder if the slots will pose a problem or not... I can't wait to see your results!
Stay tuned my friend, and hey please DO NOT STOP posting great content. You are one of the reason's I am on here...to learn...and be a better person, and well gardener.
This is awesome! We grow in cages made out of wire fencing, but this looks so much easier. We've had great luck with our potato yield growing them this way. I had six small cylinders last year and it yielded 75lbs of potatoes.