Raised Bed Growing potatoes in fabric smart pots?

parsonswife

Veteran Member
Has anyone grown potatoes in smart pots/grow pots ? What size pot? How was the yield? I want to grow Yukon gold and want to buy grow bags but don’t know if it would be worth the expense
 

Grouchy Granny

Deceased
Yep - tried it a couple of years ago. Worked really well except we didn't give them enough water.

I have one of the big fabric ones from Gardners Supply which we're going to use again this year (pricey but worth it as it is well built), but the plastic ones I picked up from the local garden center were really only good for one year (they kind of disintegrated after exposure to too much sun). We filled them with wood chips (we get them free from one of the neighbors who has a tree trimming company), mixed with compost/potting soil.

A whole lot easier than trying to hill them, just dump onto a tarp when harvesting. Pick out potatoes, the rest of the mulch/dirt went into the composters.
 

kyrsyan

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Going to make a suggestion. If you have any sewing skills at all, you can get a good roll of landscape cloth and make your own pots.
 

Grouchy Granny

Deceased
How big is big? How deep is the pot you used?

25 inch diameter by 14 high. You can put 7 plants in this (according to Gardners Supply). I think we only did 4. Holds 120 qts of potting soil, but as I indicated we used wood chips and potting soil, so about 50-50.

They are $25 each at Gardners supply, don't know if you get a discount if you buy more.
 

dioptase

Veteran Member
I have some potatoes that I have to get out there and start in fabric pots. GG, did you grow your potatoes in a 50/50 mix of soil and wood chips? I have 5 gal fabric pots, but I haven't opened them yet so I don't know what the diameter is, but almost certainly < 25 inch.
 

Murt

Veteran Member
I planted some sweet potatoes in a 3x3x3 bag that compost was delivered in
I am waiting to see how they do
I planted 5 sets in the bag and 45 sets in the ground
time will tell
I planted some sweet potatoes in cardboard boxes one year and they did very well
by the end of the season the boxes had rotted and made it very easy to get the potatoes out
 

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Just saw the jumbo bag at Gardeners supply 14 in high and it's looks good

Grow bag? If so my neighbor uses those every year to expand the size of her garden, and she's had great results with them. I may get one and a few sweet potatoes and see what happens this year.
 

parsonswife

Veteran Member
Grow bag? If so my neighbor uses those every year to expand the size of her garden, and she's had great results with them. I may get one and a few sweet potatoes and see what happens this year.
I don't know if sweet pots will work I was told they grow the potatoes on runners like a vine at each attachment in the soil not under a single bush. Maybe someone here on the forum has experience with sweet potatoes?
 

Grouchy Granny

Deceased
Need some input from you experienced potato growers with the grow bags.

Mine are almost at capacity and the plants are still going strong. So, can I make cages covered with plastic and continue to keep filling them?

Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions? Any and all greatly appreciated.
 

China Connection

TB Fanatic
The problem is one has to use water, water, water and more water. Not too bad first off with a high organic content but that degrades fast with all the air available. Good drainage also means you need lots of fertilizer also.

Use in a greenhouse might be more practical as air movement is reduced a lot.
 

marsh

On TB every waking moment
I am trying them this year with a red potato variety and some yukon golds. I have no idea what the yield will be as the bags are smallish. So far, the green growth is lush and exceeds double the bag size. I used a potting soil, some coco coir, a layer of manure ans some more coco coir to the top of the bag.

I am also growing some squash/pumpkins in the fabric pots. It gives me more space.
 
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