Potatoes - growing potatoes in pots

I would like to share my way of growingearly potatoesin pots. For this you need large containers, at least 30 cm high, and a sunny, sheltered place.
Select the tubers

For seed potatoes, I suggest buying very early varieties'Denar'or'Lord' . Then we subject them to a process of early germination.

• At the beginning of February, place the tubers on newspapers or linen cloths in a bright and warm place. The ambient temperature should be 12-15 ° C.
• The skin of the potatoes must always be firm, so we sprinkle them with lukewarm water every morning. If necessary, repeat the treatment in the afternoon. This will keep them from wilting.
• Properly developed sprouts must be green and 1-1.5 cm long. Good lighting will make them thick and he althy. When they reach a height of 1 cm, they need to be gradually cooled to a temperature of 3-5 ° C for a few days before planting into pots. This will inhibit their further growth and harden our plants.

Planting step by step

1. Potatoesshould not be planted earlier than at the end of March. The soil in the pots should then be at least 5 ° C.
2. The right choice of substrate is also important. Compost soil is perfect for this purpose. The humus contained in it will contribute to a good yield of potatoes.
3. We do not use fresh manure for growingtubers . It must be composted beforehand.
4. Pour the substrate into the pots a few days earlier and water it. We do it to make the ground settle down.
5. Potatoesplant them to the wells to a depth of 5-7 cm flat, cover with soil and water. The air temperature on that day should be above 5 ° C.

When our plants will grow in pots, we need to remember a few things:

• The emergence ofpotatoesare uneven, as it depends on the strength of the sprouted tubers.
• The containers are protected against frosts with agrotextile or straw, so that the emerging plants do not freeze.
• Planted in moist soilpotatoesplace them in a quiet, sunny place and water them once a week until they sprout.
• Then we water every second or third day. It depends on the weather conditions. The soil in the pot must be kept constantly moist for proper growthnew potatoes .
• The haulm in the pots grow tall - don't worry about it.
• If we used compost soil for planting, then we do not use additional fertilizers.

At the end of May or the beginning of June, our potatoes should be fit for food. Under one bush taken out of the pot there are about 7-11 largetubersand several smaller ones.

The cultivation ofearly potatoesfrom our garden can be classified as spring vegetables. This method allows you to get early vegetables every year.The dug up potato parts (haulm) can be added to the composter. You just need to add some lime to it.

I wish you successful potatoes growing in pots.

Krzysztof Lewandowski