How To Grow Potatoes in Pots Potatoes taste best when freshly harvested. Follow these steps to learn how to grow potatoes in deep pots or bins. Tags: Planting Simple Steps to Success: Fruit and Vegetables in Pots, Jan 2012 3514 992 33 Google2 Stumble Share Print Support Potato Plants as They Grow © Dorling Kindersley Limited 2011 "Before planting, potato tubers need ""chitting"" to encourage them to produce shoots. In late winter, place the tubers in a shallow tray. When shoots are about 1 inch long, the potatoes are ready to plant." Step 1: Sprout Seed Potatoes Put Seed Potatoes in Egg Cartons for Sprouting Sprout (“chit”) potatoes before planting. In early spring, place seed potatoes in egg boxes, with the end with the most eyes facing upward, and set them on a cool windowsill. Plant when the shoots are ¾in (2cm) long. Step 2: Plant Potatoes in Large Plastic Bin From mid- to late spring, make drainage holes in the base of the bin and fill a third with compost. Evenly space five potatoes on the surface, with their shoots pointing up. Cover with 6in (15cm) of compost and water well. Step 3: Earth Up Potato Plants As They Grow Add compost around the plants in stages as they grow until the bin is full. Known as “earthing-up,” this encourages more tubers to form, prevents them turning green and poisonous on exposure to light, and reduces frost damage. Step 4: Water Pots Regularly Potatoes Need Water to Develop Healthy Tubers The large, leafy potato plants and developing tubers need a reliable supply of water to produce a good harvest. Water pots regularly and never allow the compost to dry out. Step 5: Harvest When Ready Potato Crop Ready for Harvest Once Plants Bloom © Dorling Kindersley Limited 2012 Potato Crop Ready for Harvest Once Plants Bloom With consistent watering, potatoes should be ready to crop when the plants flower. Empty the bin and harvest the tubers all at once or allow plants to continue growing and pick through the compost to take what you need. - See more at: hgtvgardens/potatoes/how-to-grow-potatoes-in-pots#sthash.9Fxvqb1S.dpuf
Posted on: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 05:52:28 +0000
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