How to Grow Potatoes in Bags: A Complete Guide
Table of Contents
Have you ever dreamt of growing your own potatoes but don’t have enough space? Don’t worry because growing potatoes in a grow bag have become an easy and convenient option for everyone.
Not only do grow bags take up less space, but they can also be moved around according to their needs. So now you will ask how to grow potatoes in a grow bag. It’s quite simple than you think. All you need is a grow bag, seeds, soil, and a sunny spot in your home. With just a little bit of care and attention, you can enjoy a bountiful harvest of fresh and delicious potatoes.
In this blog, we will walk you through how to grow potatoes and the benefits of growing potatoes in a grow bag.
How To Make Your Own Potato Bag
If you are looking for an easy and inexpensive guide on how to grow potatoes, then it’s better that you also learn to make your own grow bag at home:
- First, you will need a breathable cloth material like burlap, landscape fabric, or breathable felt. Avoid using plastic or thick materials, as they can trap moisture and run your harvest.
- Cut a large rectangle of fabric of about 3-4 feet in length and 2-3 feet in width. The size totally depends on how many potatoes you want to grow.
- Then proceed to fold the fabric in half with sides facing each other and stitch the bottom of the material, leaving the top edge open. To make sure your bag is strong, you could run a stitch again.
- Turn your bag inside out, making sure the stitches are intact inside.
- Finally, you have a perfect bag ready to grow your potatoes.
Even though you can buy potato bags or grow bags online but it is always fun to DIY. And moreover, you can customize it according to your requirement.
Step 1: How To Grow Potatoes – Choosing a Grow Bag & Potato Seeds
There are many different-sized potato grow bags available in the market. Make sure you check out what fits best and choose the right one. Most people tend to use the 10-15 gallons bag as it can easily store one big potato plant. However, there are smaller and bigger sizes available. In the “How to grow potatoes” blog, this is one of the important things that you should consider. Next comes what seeds to select if you want to grow potatoes in a bag. We have researched and curated a list of products that would work best in your region and give amazing yields.
We hope you explore the products and find the best one suitable for your taste and environment.
Step 2: Preparing The Seeds For Plantation
An important step for planting potatoes is that you let your seeds sprout before you actually put them in the bag. This is a great step to make sure the potatoes grow fast and healthy. Place the seeds in an egg carton, or you can also use a tray, preferably with the seeds facing upwards, to make sure the seeds chit easily. To make this happen, you will have to keep them in a bright area. The potatoes will easily sprout with the help of sunlight. Then you can go ahead and plant those seeds into the grow bags after they have grown approximately 1 inch.
Step 3: Process To Plant Your Potato Seeds
For the initial step, fill the grow bag up to five inches with the compost and make sure to roll down the sides of the bag to avoid any kind of spillage. Then you can proceed to plant your chitted potatoes; for a safer side, you can add three to four chitted potatoes. Further, you will need to add a few more layers of compost above the seeds. Fold the bag from above if needed. Make sure you place the potato bag in bright light and a place where there is no moisture or less moisture. Then you can leverage the power of grow bags and move them anywhere accordingly to make sure your potatoes are growing healthy.
Step 4: Taking Care Of The Newly Planted
It is essential to take care of potatoes grown in bags to ensure a successful harvest. You will have to make sure you water them regularly and also keep in mind waterlogging can be harmful. However, you might not face the problem of waterlogging as Grow bags have amazing soil drainage. When growing plants, we know pests and diseases can be a big struggle; it is suggested that you always keep an eye out for them. You should also make sure to use fertilizers, and it’s always better to use organic ones. And just like that, with proper care and attention, you will have potatoes fully ready to be harvested.
Step 5: Harvesting The Potatoes
The time has finally come, and trust us, the process of harvesting is very simple. Start by just tipping the grow bag to one side and slowly start digging through the soil. You can do it with your hands or by digging tools, whatever suits you best. While doing this process, you will ultimately explore your homegrown potatoes, and trust us; you will love the feeling of it. Make sure to enjoy the benefits of your hard work. You can easily store these potatoes in your home and enjoy them whenever you want.
Benefits of Growing Potatoes In a Potato Bag
Always remember that benefits are a great way to analyse if you are making the right choice. Growing potatoes in a bag can be a terrific way to reap the advantages of eating homegrown and organic potatoes. So, here’s a list of benefits you get from growing potatoes in a grow bag.
Saves a Lot of Space
While learning how to grow potatoes in grow bags, we understood that they could be grown literally anywhere. You don’t need to have a big yard or a garden. Just a small space like your balcony or even indoors could be used to grow potatoes in bags. Such an amazing thing, right?
Convenient to Use
Grow bags are quite easy to take care of because they are small and portable. You could literally keep them anywhere for the potatoes to get the appropriate amount of air and sunlight for better growth. And the cherry on top is they are easy to harvest as well. Just flip the bag, and ultimately, you have your potatoes.
Highly Cost-Efficient
That was a given, we guess. Just buy grow bags and seeds, and you’re good to go. It also saves you costs when it comes to space because you could literally keep the bags anywhere where there is appropriate sunlight and air facility.
Gives Higher Yields
This happens simply because you have 100% control over the soil quality and moisture levels. This is always a better option over the traditional methods that leads to better growth and development of plants in their overall journey.
Provides Better Drainage
Grow bags provide a very amazing drainage facility as it does not store any water. This eventually leads to the happy and healthy growth of plants by not letting them rot in water. You can also easily figure out if there is a problem with drainage.
Reduced Soil-Borne Diseases
Using fresh bags and soil each time you grow potatoes reduces the risk of scabs and other soil-borne diseases. Moreover, you can also be cautious of the solid that already has organisms that cause soil-borne diseases and make sure not to use it further, which is obviously not possible otherwise.
Grow Potatoes in a Bag Today!
Growing potatoes in a bag is a convenient and space-efficient method for those who want to enjoy fresh homegrown potatoes without the need to plant them in a traditional garden. By following our guide carefully curated on how to grow potatoes, you can easily grow potatoes in a bag and store them for further use.
With just a little patience and care, we believe you could grow your own potatoes in a little while and enjoy the benefits of 100% organic homegrown potatoes. So, give it a try and enjoy the satisfaction of homegrown food.
Keep in mind to follow the steps we have mentioned so you grow healthy plants and enjoy the benefits of fresh potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are Bags Good for Growing Potatoes?
Yes, indeed, growing potatoes in bags is a great option if you don’t have a garden or a big space to plant your potatoes. However, there are some major benefits as well to growing potatoes in a grow bag.
How Long Do Potatoes Take to Develop in a Bag?
The duration totally depends on the weather conditions and the quality of the soil used. In most cases, you can harvest them within a span of 10 to 12 weeks. But it may also take longer if the quality of the soil is not up to the mark.
How Many Potatoes Can I Get from One Potato Plant?
If your plant is growing healthy, then in usual cases, you might get five to six full-grown potatoes. You must also keep in mind that each plant also has a possibility of growing a small branch as well from where you could get three to four small potatoes.
