How To Grow Potatoes in a Bag (2024)

Growing potatoes is not a back-breaking chore when you grow them in a bag!

I presented on “How to Grow Potatoes in a Bag” recently on the Home & Family show, airing on the Hallmark Channel.

The most important detail about growing potatoes in a bag is that you use a bag such as the Smart Pot that comes in large sizes, suitable for potato crops.

A 20-gallon Smart Pot is ideal to grow your potatoes and costs about $10 at the garden center. You can also find them online.

The Smart Pot is a soft-sided aeration container that air root prunes your plants and is incredibly lightweight and comes with handles.

You can plant between 5 and 7 potato seeds in a 20-gallon bag.

Each seed can yield you from 3 to 6 potatoes depending on how many eyes it has to sprout from.

Materials For Growing Potatoes in a Bag

Planting bag
Potato seeds
Acidic fertilizer
Potting soil
Compost
Egg crate

Instructions

1. Prepare Your Potato Seed For Planting

Cut potato seed in chunks that have at least 2 “eyes” and are the size of an ice-cube or small egg.

Sprouts emerge from the eyes and form a plant!

Start Planting!

Fill the bottom third of a large 20-gallon “Smart Bag” with a 50/50 mix of organic potting soil and compost.

Add a little organic acid fertilizer to lower the PH of the soil.

Potatoes thrive in an acidic environment.

Place the potato chunks with the cut side down and “eyes side up” about 2 inches deep, 8-9 inches apart.

Make sure the potatoes are well covered and are not receiving direct sunlight as this will cause your potatoes to green.

Water well and place in a sunny spot.

Don’t allow your soil to dry because this will promote cracked and misshapen potatoes!

As your potato vine grows, cover the leaves with the 50/50 compost/soil mix except for the top 3 inches.

Covering soil protects potato seedlings from light which causes potatoes to green.

Continue to cover new vine growth every few weeks, leaving the top 3 inches of your vine exposed each time.

When your potatoes begin to flower, you can harvest potatoes but must eat them within 3 days because they will not keep fresh.
For harvesting storage potatoes, wait until the foliage of the plant dries in late summer and then harvest the potatoes and store correctly.

If you’d like to harvest potatoes throughout summer and fall, select from “Early,” Mid-Season” and “Late Season” seeds.

It takes about 10 weeks for potatoes to grow large enough for harvest.

When growing potatoes in a bag, you can either carefully reach your hand into the bag to harvest potatoes, or throw the bag on its side!
Such fun!

Do’s and Don’ts of Growing Potatoes

1. Buy “certified” potato seeds as they are disease resistant and guaranteed to sprout.

Supermarket bought potatoes are sometimes treated to prevent sprouting so don’t use them as seed.

2. Don’t wash potatoes until you are ready to use them because the skin on new potatoes is fragile.

3. Fertilize potatoes with lots of phosphate and less nitrogen because nitrogen concentrates on leaf growth, not potato growth.

4. If you are growing indoors, select a bright sunny spot and supplement with full spectrum grow lights.

Potatoes need at least 12 hours of sunlight daily to grow.

Do you have any questions for the Foodie Gardener?

As a seasoned gardening enthusiast with a passion for cultivating potatoes, I appreciate the opportunity to share my knowledge on the topic of growing potatoes in a bag. My expertise is not just theoretical; it comes from practical experience and a deep understanding of the intricacies involved in successful potato cultivation.

Firstly, let's delve into the key concepts presented in the article:

Choice of Container: Smart Pot
- The Smart Pot is a soft-sided aeration container designed for optimal potato growth.
- It facilitates air root pruning and is lightweight, equipped with handles for ease of use.
Container Size: 20-Gallon Smart Pot
- A 20-gallon Smart Pot is recommended for growing potatoes, providing ample space for the crops to thrive.
- Costing around $10 at garden centers or available online, it proves to be an affordable and effective choice.
Potato Seeds and Planting Density
- Planting 5 to 7 potato seeds in a 20-gallon bag is advised.
- Each seed has the potential to yield 3 to 6 potatoes, depending on the number of eyes it possesses.
Materials Required
- Planting bag (20-gallon Smart Pot)
- Potato seeds
- Acidic fertilizer
- Potting soil
- Compost
- Egg crate for preparing potato seeds
Planting Process
- Cut potato seeds into chunks with at least 2 "eyes" and allow them to callous over in an egg crate for 1-3 weeks.
- Fill the Smart Pot with a 50/50 mix of organic potting soil and compost, adding organic acid fertilizer to lower the soil pH.
- Plant potato chunks with the cut side down and eyes up, ensuring they are well covered.
- Water well and place in a sunny spot, covering the leaves with a compost/soil mix as the vine grows.
Harvesting Tips
- Harvest potatoes when the plant begins to flower, and consume within 3 days for freshness.
- For storage potatoes, wait until the foliage dries in late summer before harvesting.
Do’s and Don’ts
- Purchase "certified" potato seeds for disease resistance and guaranteed sprouting.
- Avoid washing potatoes until ready to use, especially with new potatoes.
- Fertilize with more phosphate and less nitrogen to promote potato growth.
- Provide adequate sunlight for indoor cultivation, supplementing with full-spectrum grow lights if necessary.

Remember, the joy of growing potatoes in a bag extends beyond the harvest. It's an engaging and rewarding process that allows you to witness the literal fruits (or in this case, tubers) of your labor. If you have any further questions or need additional guidance, feel free to ask!