The Best Potato Grow Bags [Grow Potatoes in a Bag] (2024)

Many of the vegetables that we’ve grown over the years have been grown in pots. We’ve grown potatoes in the ground and potatoes in grow bags. These days we prefer to grow potatoes in grow bags because of the sheer convenience. Growing potatoes in bags make it much easier to manage, water, care for and harvest. When potatoes grow their tubers send out roots, which brand out in the soil and while more roots mean more potatoes, it also means that they take up more space. Using potato grow bags to grow potatoes enables you to manage and control the space in which you grow potatoes. We cover how to plant potatoes in bags and when to harvest potatoes grown in a bag. Here are our views on the best potato grow bags as well as how to plant potatoes, care for potatoes and harvest them.

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Best Potato Grow Bags At a Glance

Why Use Potato Grow Bags?

Potato grow bags, are for me, an easy way to start growing potatoes, and you know that at Lets Grow Cook, we’re all about making it easy. Potato grow bags make it easy to keep your potatoes contained in a specific space and grow bags for potatoes also allow you to move them to a different location. We find that potato grow bags mean that – especially with the fabric and felt potato grow bags – I don’t overwater them – as excess water just leaks out of the fabric. If it’s an especially wet year in terms of rainfall, then the ground in the garden can become completely sodden.

Potato grow sacks or potato growing bags make it easier to contain the area in which you grow your potatoes. The best grow bags for potatoes allow for easy potato growing by letting you add compost easily, view your potatoes throughout the season.

Growing potatoes in bags is easy – we’ve covered all the details of how to grow potatoes in bags when to plant potatoes in bags, how to chit potatoes and more in our growing potatoes guide here.

Best Potatoes to Grow in Bags at a glance

• Potato Arran Pilot: Excellent new potato or salad potato, resistant to scab and a traditional favourite.> Buy Arran Pilot Potatoes here
• Potato Rocket: Easy to grow and perfect for growing in bags and containersthis is a heavy cropper and is quick to grow baby new potatoes. >Buy Rocket Potatoes here
• Potato Charlotte: a reliable variety and a great tasting salad potato – excellent both hot and cold.>Buy Charlotte Potatoes here
• Maris Piper Potatoes:These dry floury tubers are fabulous for chips and easy to grow. >Buy Maris Piper Potatoes to grow in potato bags here
• King Edward Potatoes: This classic potato is resistant to scab and slugs and is very easy to grow (and eat!).Buy King Edward Potatoes to grow in potato bags here
• Maris Peer Potatoes:These potatoes are ideal for growing in bags for harvesting in autumn and winter. >Buy Maris Peer Potatoes here.
• Nicola Potato: Easy to grow in potato growing bags in the greenhouse or under cover and fabulous to eat for Christmas dinner. >Buy Nicola Potatoes here

Reviews of Best Potato Grow Bags

There are a variety of types of potato grow bags – from those that are made from felt, there are non-woven fabric, plastic and long-lasting potato grow bags, here’s our reviews of the best grow bags for potatoes to get started with and our best buy potato grow bags.

Best potato grow bag – Laxillent 33 litre / 9 Gallon Potato Grow Bag

The Laxillent Potato Grow Bag gets great reviews, we like this best potato bag. This potato grow bag is made of non-woven fabric that is reusable and durable. It has a life of up to 7 years. Each bag only weighs 200 grams and has two handles. These potato grow bags come with handles and a window. This is one of the best versions of potato grow bag with flaps. The fabric is flexible, water-wickable and there are reinforced drainage holes at the bottom of the bag too. Buy this best buy potato grow bag now.

Key Benefits of the Laxillent 33 litre Potato Grow Bag

• Eco-friendly fabric makes eco friendly potato grow bags
• Only 200 grams in weight
• Two Handles
• Visualization Window
• Reinforced drainage holes at the bottom
• Service life of 7 years
• Pack includes FOUR best potato growing bags
• Size: 33-centimetre height by 33-centimetre diameter
• The standard grow bag size for potatoes

Buy this excellent value, long-lasting set of potato grow bags now.

Best non-woven Potato Grow Bag

These non-woven potato grow bags are 10 gallons in size and come with a visualization window and handles. The potato grow bags are made of high-quality nonwoven fabric which allows the roots of your potato to breathe. The handles are reinforced and the material allows excessive water to wick from the container. Buy these potato grow bags now.

Key Benefits of the Non-woven Potato Grow Bag

• 10 gallon in size / 37 litre bags for growing potatoes
• Visualization window and flap
• Reinforced handles for ease of moving
• Made of high-quality non-woven fabric
• Size: 29 x 24 x 4 centimetres
• Comes in a pack of two potato grow bags

Buy this excellent value, long-lasting set of potato grow bags now.

Best 360-degree view potato grow bag

This two-pack of 10-gallon potato grow bags have a unique 360-degree viewing window. These are the best bags for growing potatoes if you have kids. Fabric means that the material is breathable and durable. There are two reinforced built-in handles for moving easily around and there’s good drainage with this bag too. Buy the 360-degree view potato bags now.

Key Benefits of the Full View Potato Grow Bags

• 37 litre / 10 gallon potato grow bags
• Each bag weighs 400 grams
• Comes in a pack of 2
• Sturdy reinforced handles
• Velcro flap for harvesting
• 360 degree view of potatoes – great potato growing bags for kids

Buy these full view potato grow bags now.

Best felt potato grow bag – Eco friendly grow bags

This pack of 3 felt potato grow bags is of excellent value. These fabric grow bags / felt grow bags are long-lasting and hard-wearing too. The bag size is 10 gallows (37 litres) Each bag weighs 400 grams and is made of felt, which is excellent at absorbing and retaining moisture meaning that it reduces water leakage through the walls of the bag. A window flap allows you to see the potatoes are they’re growing and sturdy reinforced handles mean that you can move the bags easily. Buy felt potato grow bags now.

Key Benefits of the Felt Potato Grow Bag

• 37 litre / 10 gallon large potato grow bags
• Each bag weighs 400 grams
• Comes in a pack of 3 growing bags for potatoes
• Superior moisture retention
• Superior air circulation
• Sturdy reined handles
• Velcro window and flap

Buy these superb felt potato grow bags now.

Which are the Best Potatoes to Grow in Bags?

So far, we’ve written about the best grow bags for potatoes, and below you’ll also read about how to use a potato grow bag and tips for growing potatoes in a bag, but what about the best variety of potatoes to grow in potato grow bags?

You’ll want to plant your potatoes between the end of February and late May depending on the variety that you buy. And while there are more than 500 varieties of potatoes grown around the world, we’re going to keep this simple. We recommend Jameson for seed potatoes (but of course you can also buy on Amazon for a super fast delivery too). Here are the best potatoes to grow in bags:

Types of Potatoes to Grow in Bags

There are 4 primary types of potatoes in the UK – you buy, chit, plant and harvest them at different times during the year. Of course, you don’t need to plant just one type – as with everything we grow we try to succession plant so that we get a continual supply of fresh vegetables throughout the year. Here are our recommendations of the best buy potatoes to grow in bags.

Best First Early Potatoes to Grow in Bags

You’ll plant your first early potatoes from the end of February until late May and harvest them 10 weeks later. Try these varieties of first early potatoes in potato grow bags.

• Potato Arran Pilot: Excellent new potato or salad potato, resistant to scab and a traditional favourite. > Buy Arran Pilot Potatoes here
• Potato Rocket: Easy to grow and perfect for growing in bags and containers this is a heavy cropper and is quick to grow baby new potatoes. > Buy Rocket Potatoes here

Best Second Early Potatoes to Grow in Bags

Plant second early potatoes from March to late May, you can harvest second early potatoes in about 13 weeks. These are excellent varieties of second early potatoes for potato grow bags.

• Potato Charlotte: a reliable variety and a great tasting salad potato – excellent both hot and cold. > Buy Charlotte Potatoes here
• Potato British Queen: This potato is a great option for second earlies . > Buy British Queen Potatoes here

Best Maincrop Potatoes to Grow in Bags

Plant your maincrop potatoes from March until mid-May. Maincrop potatoes will be ready for harvesting in around 20 weeks. Buy these maincrop potatoes for growing in potato grow bags.

• Maris Piper Potatoes: These dry floury tubers are fabulous for chips and easy to grow. > Buy Maris Piper Potatoes to grow in potato bags here
• King Edward Potatoes: This classic potato is resistant to scab and slugs and is very easy to grow (and eat!). Buy King Edward Potatoes to grow in potato bags here

Best Second Cropping Potatoes to Grow in Bags

Second crop potatoes can be planted in potato grow bags in August, they will be ready for harvesting 11 weeks later. Buy these second cropping potatoes and harvest in time for Christmas!

• Maris Peer Potatoes: These potatoes are ideal for growing in bags for harvesting in autumn and winter. > Buy Maris Peer Potatoes here.
• Nicola Potato: Easy to grow in potato growing bags in the greenhouse or under cover and fabulous to eat for Christmas dinner. > Buy Nicola Potatoes here

How to Grow Potatoes in Grow Bags

Growing potatoes in bags is not difficult. As soon as you’ve picked your favourite grow bag, then you’ll need good quality soil or compost to fill the bottom of the bag.Here’s how to plant potatoes in a bag and when to plant potatoes in grow bags.

1. Place a 20-centimetre layer of good quality compost (our guide to compost is here) in the bottom of the potato grow bag (nowadays I always wear gloves when planting potatoes in bags – here’s my recommendations on the best gardening gloves here)
2. Place in 3 to 4 seed potatoes on top of the compost and then cover with another 10 centimetres of compost.
3. The compost should be kept moist but not waterlogged.
4. When you start to see greens sprouting at the top of the compost cover with more soil and unroll the bag to make the sizes higher.
5. When the soil or compost reaches the top of the bag you can let the plants grow their flowers.
6. If you’re using a potato grow bag with a “window” you can take a look from time to time to see how your potatoes are doing, but remember to close it up again.
7. Keep the bags in a sunny spot if possible

How many potato tubers do I put in each bag?

When planting potatoes in grow bags, the number of seed potatoes you put in each bag depends on the size of the bag. Most potato grow bags are about 9-10 gallon bags. For a 9-10 gallon bag, you should put 3-4 seed potatoes in.

What are the best potatoes to grow?

The best potatoes to grow when you’re starting are going to be ones that you will eat. We always recommend that you should try to grow the foodstuffs that you tend to spend money on at the supermarket. We use a lot of Maris Piper potatoes and tend to grow those. They’re easy to grow and they’re flexible in terms of what you can use them for. Buy Maris Piper Seed Potatoes Now. We’ve also included details in this article of what potatoes are best to grow in bags.

How much space does a potato plant need to grow?

Potato roots tend to spread out, so while they’re not as vigorous as mint (read about mint here), they will spread out. A 9-10 gallon potato grow bag will grow 3-4 potato plants.

What do you need to start growing potatoes?

To start growing potatoes in a potato grow bag you need

• Seed potatoes
• Good compost or soil (here’s our guide to compost)
• Potato grow bags
• Access to water

Where should you place your potato grow bags?

One of the great benefits of growing potatoes in potato grow bags is that they’re portable, so if you don’t get quite the right spot for them you can move them. However, it’s worth planning where you’re going to put them to minimise disruption. Potatoes need a light sunny spot and grow best if they get at least 6 hours of sunshine each day.

How to care for potatoes in grow bags

You’ll need to ensure that you’re topping up the compost in your potato grow bags to cover over the green shoots until you get to the top of the bag.

Potatoes also need watering regularly – as the fabric (unless it’s plastic) is porous letting your potatoes breathe, but this also means that the moisture levels can drop and it can dry out quickly.

Look out for pests – if you find any pest on a plant in a bag be sure to isolate it and move it away from other plants and deal with them. You can read more about that here

When to harvest potatoes from grow bags

Keep an eye on your potato plants, you’ll see them flower and grow quite strongly through the summer. When the leaves start to yellow and the stems wilt you should stop watering. At this time wait about 10 days and then your potatoes should be ready to harvest. However, when to harvest potatoes in a bag also depends on how big you want your potatoes to be. You can harvest early new potatoes from about 10 weeks from planting. If you’ve bought a potato grow bag with a window or a flap you’ll be able to see the size of the potatoes quite easily.

What To Consider when buying potato grow bags

There are several options when it comes to buying potato grow bags, you’ll want to consider

• Size
• Materials
• Durability

What size potato bag should you use?

Most potato grow bags vary between 7 to 10 gallons in capacity. The most popular ones are 9-10 gallons and a potato grow bag will give you space for 3-4 seed potatoes.

What material is best for potato grow bags?

You can grow potatoes in any container that’s deep enough, they don’t need a huge amount of depth. Potato grow bags can be made of polythene, plastic, fabric and felt. The best material for potato grow bags allows air circulation and allows water to drain. So while a plastic or polythene bag can grow potatoes you’ll need to make sure there is appropriate drainage and that the compost and potatoes don’t sweat. Fabric and felt allow better air circulation and drainage.

What are the disadvantages of potato grow bags?

The main disadvantage of potato grow bags is that they need more watering than if you’re using a traditional – in-ground type of growing. Grow bags also need more watering than pots or containers. The reason that potato grow bags need more water is because the bags are porous – so excess water leaks, or wicks out of them, rather than sitting in the bottom of the pot. (I see this as an advantage – my potatoes are never sat in a pool of water!) This means it will take more of your time and attention. It’s a great reason to set up a rainwater collection system – as rainwater is so much better for your vegetables than treated tap water.

Grow bags are not as durable as a hard-sided pot or container. You can likely expect a fabric potato grow bag to last for 3-4 seasons – depending on how you treat it, clean it and store it, but pots can last, well forever. This means that there is a potential cost implication.

What are the advantages of potato grow bags?

There are several advantages to growing potatoes in bags – here are the main ones

• Potato grow bags are reusable, so you don’t just use them once, you can use them for multiple seasons
• Grow bags don’t just need to be used for potatoes. You can also grow other vegetables – like courgettes or carrots or salad leaves in them.
• Potato grow bags keep the soil at the right temperature for the potatoes to grow – so they don’t dry out excessively or get waterlogged.
• Potato grow bags allow for airflow to make sure that your growing potatoes get the right amount of air to be healthy.
• Potato grow bags are portable – most come with handles that mean you can move them while full easily and quickly.
• Most potato grow bags have a convenient access opening – which means you can check on the growth of your potatoes and also harvest them without having to tip the entire bag upside down or dig deep.

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FAQs on Growing Potatoes in Bags

Got questions about growing potatoes in bags? Or want to know how to grow potatoes in bags and we haven’t answered your questions? Check out our frequently asked questions about growing potatoes below, or ask us yours in the comments.

Are potato grow bags any good?

We think that potato planting bags are brilliant. They’re easy to use, they make growing potatoes in your space simple and they’re easy to store when not in use too! We started growing potatoes in grow bags, then grew potatoes in the ground and went back to using potato grow bags for the convenience of it all.

What’s the best size grow bag for potatoes?

A 9-10 gallon – 33 litres (ish) grow bag is a standard size for potato grow bags UK. This is a good use of space, it’s big enough to grow 3-4 potato plants. You can use a smaller bag and put fewer potato tubers in it. Or bigger and put more in. I like the 9-10 gallon bags as I can lift them when full and move them around without assistance.

How many potatoes can you grow in a bag?

A 9-10 gallon potato grow bag will fit 3-4 potato plants. How many potatoes each plant produces depends on several things – the quality of the compost you use, how well watered you keep it and most importantly, the variety of potato you grow.

What’s the best type of compost for growing potatoes?

Good multi-purpose compost is essential for good potatoes. Remember that the health of your potatoes will depend on the goodness that they’re able to take from the compost or soil that you plant them in. (Read our guide to compost here).

Do you need fertilizer for growing potatoes?

If you’ve bought a good compost with slow-release nutrients, then you shouldn’t need to use potato fertilizer. However, to maximize your harvest – and especially if you are reusing compost, then we’d recommend adding some potato fertilizer (we suggest this one). Don’t forget you can use your own compost – we use a compost bin to speed up the process and keep it all tidy – here’s our guide to composting bins.

What month do you plant potatoes?

Usually, potatoes are planted in March and can be harvested in the summer and autumn months. Potatoes, however, can also be planted in August and September so that you can harvest new potatoes around December time. Find out what else to harvest in December here.

What else can you grow in potato grow bags?

We love growing vegetables in any type of container and potato grow bags are particularly versatile, not least because they’re easy to store and put away (don’t forget to clean them though). While vegetables with shallow roots are best to grow in grow bags you can grow all types – here are a few suggestions

Courgettes, tomatoes, herbs like basil, salad leaves and lettuce. We’ve also grown some heritage carrots in there too (check out our guide to growing carrots in pots and containers here)

While you’ll need a slightly different type of bag, strawberries are fabulously easy to grow in bags – our guide to the best strawberry planters and bags is here.

How do you store potatoes?

The best place to store potatoes is in the ground – or your grow bag until you’re ready to use them. After that, when you are ready to harvest them, you’ll need to let them dry in a well-aired location for a while. Once they are dry, store them in hessian sacks (try these) in a place that is cool, frost-free and dry. Do NOT store your potatoes in plastic bags, they will sweat and rot quickly.

Final Words on the Best Potato Grow Bags

Potatoes were one of the first vegetables that we grew and being limited on space in our first season – with just a small backyard, we used potato grow bags and we’ve never looked back. Since then we’ve grown potatoes in the allotment, dug into the ground, but growing potatoes in bags is – in my opinion – so much easier. We’ve found that fabric potato bags breathe better, but plastic ones last longer. In the beginning, the best potato bags we found had viewing windows, because it’s exciting seeing them grow. There’s something just so organized about having them in bags and it’s so much easier, stepping out of the back door and checking how they are in the morning. Let us know what you decide to do and which you’ve found to be the best potato grow bags for your garden.

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