How To Make A Small Potato Garden

Are you hoping to plant a small potato garden of your own this year? You can grow a nice crop of potatoes with a very small amount of space, making these spuds a great choice for small yards. Check out these tips for creating a small potato garden of your own.

When planting potatoes, you will need to dig a shallow trench (about 4 inches deep) to plant the seed potatoes in. For a small potato garden, you can also use a tall trash can as a container for potato plants.

You will need to fill the bottom of the trench or container with compost or some rotted manure (not fresh manure). If you’re planting in a container, be sure there are plenty of drainage holes in the bottom.

For a small garden, you don’t need very many seed potatoes. One potato plant will yield several pounds of potatoes.

Potatoes need full sun, plenty of water, and loose, well-drained soil. When planting the seed potatoes, be sure to cut them up so that each piece has two eyes. Cut them 1-2 days before you plan to plant as this will encourage the potato seed to form a protective layer that will help deter rot and also keep moisture in.

Plant potatoes right after the last spring frost. You will need to put the seed potatoes in the trench about one foot apart, and with the eye side up. They should be ready for harvest about 10 weeks after planting. You can dig them after the plants have died.

Once you’ve finished your planting, you will need to do regular hilling of the plants. What does this mean? Basically, you will be using a hoe to pull dirt up around the plant as it grows or covering the plant with straw.

Some gardeners do one or the other or a combination of both. You will need to make sure to cover the roots thoroughly when you hill the plant. Hilling the potato plants helps protect the roots and promote growth of the plant and formation of the tubers that will become those yummy taters.

Start hilling when your potato plant is about 6 inches high, before the blooms start on the plant. Hilling should be done on a schedule every two weeks once the plant starts growing.

If you choose to plant your potatoes in a container like a trash can, you will just need to add dirt to the trash can every couple of weeks.

When it’s time to harvest your potatoes, choose a dry day when the soil is soft and not too compact. With the trash can method, you can just dump the trash can over and pick out the potatoes.

After digging potatoes, brush off any dirt then store them in a cool, dry place. Wash the potatoes just before you use them.

A small potato garden doesn’t require a lot of work, but the yields will be plenty. Potatoes are easy to grow and worth the effort when you enjoy that homegrown taste.