Potatoes are one of the most versatile crops because they are easy to grow, they store well and can be cooked in many different ways. An ideal crop for beginners as they almost ‘look after themselves’ potatoes can be grown in the ground, in containers or sacks and there are always new varieties to try. But we found the best way to grow them is in a box!
Grow Potatoes In 4 Foot Square Box
Potatoes are fairly low maintenance, can be grown in a pot or in the ground, last a fairly long time if stored properly, and can be very nutritious (high in potassium and vitamin C). Here’s more incentive: according to this article, you can grow 100 pounds of potatoes in 4 sq. feet.
According to this article from The Irish Eyes Garden Seeds Guide for building a potato growing box, it yields up to 100 pounds of potatoes in just 4 square feet. All that is required:
- Lumber
- Seed potatoes
- Soil
- Careful attention to watering
The Times’ guide for building a potato growing box yields up to a 100 lbs. of potatoes in a mere 4 square feet is shown below:
Here are some pointers from the article:
- Cut apart larger seed potatoes, making sure there are at least two eyes in each piece you plant.
- Dust the cut pieces with fir dust, which seals the open ends from bacteria.
- Fertilize with 10-20-20 fertilizer at planting and a couple of times during the season.
- Water so that the plants are kept at an even level of moisture.
- Don’t plant in the same area in consecutive years or use the same soil to fill your potato box, as potatoes can attract various diseases.
To save space, Lutovsky recommends building a box and planting inside it, adding sides to the box as the plant grows and filling the new space with mulch or soil. When the plant blossoms, it starts setting potatoes in this added soil. Soon after that, you can start removing the bottom boards from your box and “robbing” the plant, reaching in carefully and pulling out new potatoes.
