Potatoes are essential in many Western societies and throughout history they have always guaranteed a source of livelihood against hunger. They resist even in unfavorable weather conditions and can be stored for several months. However, they tend to take up a lot of space in the garden, can be difficult to harvest and need to be planted in a different area each year. For these reasons, it is very often easier to grow them in containers that simplify the harvest and take up little space. The ideal ones are ordinary plastic garbage cans. Read the following steps to learn how to grow potatoes in a waste container.
Steps
Step 1. Drill holes in the bottom of the container to ensure water drainage
If the bin does not allow the water to drain, the potatoes rot. You can use a drill or cut with a hacksaw. Drill as many holes as you can, trying not to make the bottom too weak and unable to hold the ground.
Step 2. Add a layer of soil mix to the bin
Once you have drilled the drainage holes, you can start putting soil. It is better to use a soil mix rather than garden soil, as the former is more effective and gives better results than the latter. Start adding a layer about 10 '' deep.
You can mix some fertilizer inside if you like. You should use a low nitrogen fertilizer, since, if the presence of this substance is too high, you risk favoring the growth of the foliage at the expense of the size of the tuber. A "5-10-10" fertilizer will do: this formula indicates that it contains 5 parts of nitrogen for every 10 parts of phosphorus and potassium
Step 3. Prepare the potatoes for planting
Small ones can be planted together, but larger ones will need to be cut into small pieces. Each piece must have at least 3 "eyes", or concave shaped gems. After cutting the potatoes, allow the cut parts to dry before planting them.
Step 4. Plant the potatoes
Bury the tubers in the potting mix to a depth of about 10cm. In a 120 l bin, you will only have to put 4 potatoes approximately, spaced evenly between them. Place the container in an area where it can receive direct sunlight for 4-6 hours a day.
Moisten the soil while growing potatoes. In mid-summer, you will likely need to water them once a day to prevent the soil from drying out
Step 5. Add more potting mix as they grow
As the potato plants begin to grow, you will need to continually put more potting soil in the bin to cover the stems that sprout, being careful to leave the leaves exposed to the sun. By doing this, you will give the potatoes more space under the ground for them to grow.
You should continuously increase the volume of soil throughout the growing season. This is why the bin is a really effective container: it allows you to have a lot of vertical space in which you can continuously top up the soil that will cover the stems of the plants
Step 6. Collect the potatoes when they are ready
Towards the end of the growing season, simply spread out a tarp and turn the bin over. Then you can pick the potatoes scattered on the towel. Don't reuse the same soil mix to grow other potatoes, or the plants will be more prone to disease.
Advice
- This method is most effective if you are using a 120 L bin with thick plastic walls. Also, if it is black, it will increase the heat of the soil contained inside.
- It is possible to grow any potato variety with this method. However, the ideal conditions of temperature and humidity vary according to the type of potato.
