Growing potatoes in bagshas many advantages. It is very simple, it allows you to save a lot of space, you can even run it on a balcony or terrace. Jute bags or reusable shopping bags will come in handy for this. Seehow to grow potatoes in a sackstep by step - from choosing the right sacks toplanting potatoes in sacksand their further care.
Growing potatoes in bags
Fig. Halina, forum.PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Advantages of growing potatoes in a sack
Growing potatoes in a sack has many advantages . First of all, it allows you to save space in a small vegetable garden.Potato bags can be placed on the balcony or terraceor against the wall of the house.
The bigadvantage of growing potatoes in a sack is the ability to prevent the development of potato blightPotato blight is a dangerous disease caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans. It develops the fastest in conditions of high humidity. It is especially common in rainy summers.Potatoes growing in a sack can be protected against late blightby placing them under a roof that protects them against heavy rainfall, and thus against excessive moisture.
Anotheradvantage of sacking potatoes is that they get an earlier cropThe standard planting date for potatoes is from April 20 to May 10. If we only have a place at home or in a greenhouse, we can startgrowing potatoes in sacks a few weeks earlierthan outside, and then put the already growing potatoes on the balcony or in the garden.
Another advantage of growing potatoes in bags isdouble the yield of tubers than in traditional cultivation on beds .
Which sacks for growing potatoes?
To grow potatoes in a sack, we can use ordinary polypropylene braided sacks , which can be purchased at any DIY store or garden store. Reusable shopping bags, which are available in many supermarkets, and even a regular bag over the ground are also very suitable for growing potatoes.
You can alsouse strong foil bags , but it's best that they should be white, absolutely not black. The black color means that in hot weather the substrate in the bag heats up faster and more, which can harm the potatoes.To grow potatoes, we can also use jute bags , which should be lined inside with a foil bag that will keep moisture.
In England and France, where the cultivation of potatoes in sacks is very popular,special sacks for growing potatoes are available in garden shops Such bags are equipped with zippers mounted on one bag. Zippers are used for quick and easy access to potato tubers, without having to cut the entire bag. As a result, the bags can be used many times. They are also more practical as they allow you to take a few tubers out of the bag and reseal it tightly.
Potato growing bag
Planting potatoes in a bag
Whenhas already selected the appropriate bag for growing potatoes , there is nothing else to do but start our crop.
Step 1
We start withusing scissors to puncture the bottom and walls of the bag for growing potatoesto allow excess water to drain away and oxygen to the roots.
Step 2
Fill the bottom of the bag with a 15-20 cm layer of substrate . Compost soil mixed half and half with sand will be best. Avoid peat soil, which holds water for too long. We can add granulated manure to the substrate to provide the potatoes with nutrients.
Step 3
Wrap the sides of the bag outsideso that they protrude no more than 20-30 cm above the ground.
Potato tubers after planting. They still need to be covered with soil
Fig. Halina, forum.PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Step 4
On the ground layer, sprouts upwards, , place the seed potatoesOne bag will fit, depending on its size, 1-2 seed potatoes (1 tuber per 60 liter bag). This is enough, because 1 tuber produces 1 kg of yield on average. Potato tubers can be placed in the ground whole or cut into pieces (each piece should contain one active eye).
Note!
Potatoes sold in stores and supermarkets most often contain sprouting inhibitors to keep tubers from sprouting during storage.For this reason, when planted in the ground, they will grow very slowly or not at all. Therefore, it is best toget seed potatoes(e.g. buy from a farmer or garden center) oruse potatoes that have already started to sproutduring storage.
Step 5
The next step isto cover the planted potatoes with 10-15 cm of fertile substrate . It can be compost or ordinary universal soil.
Step 6
Water the substrate abundantly and place the bags in a bright place . Preferably in one where they will have enough sun in the morning and afternoon, and during the hottest heat a light shade.
Growing and caring for potatoes after planting
After a few weeks, the first sprouts should appear in the bag.Potato shoots appearing in the bag are covered with compostand the sides of the bag are gently unwound. We repeat this operation until we fill the bag with the substrate to about 3-5 cm from the upper border of the bag.This treatment will protect the developing potato tubers from the sun and the plants from possible frosts.Potatoes in a sack are allowed to grow and bloom freely
The substrate should be kept slightly moist throughout the growing periodThe moisture level of the substrate must be checked once a week. It is best to dip your hand in it and assess the degree of humidity. When the substrate is dry at a depth of about 15-20 cm, the plants should be watered. Too frequent watering should be avoided, because the moisture remaining in the substrate leads to rotting of the tubers. Frequent watering will only be necessary during dry and hot summer.Potatoes growing in a bag are best watered in the evening or very early in the morning
Do not fertilize the potatoes growing in the sack . Growing in compost, they will have a sufficient amount of minerals. The excess of nutrients in the substrate delays the maturation of potatoes.
Harvesting potatoes can be started when the plants wither and wither At this point, we take the plants out of the bag and harvest the crop. The cycle of growing potatoes in a sack lasts about 90 days, i.e. three months.For those interested in growing potatoes in a sack, I recommend visiting the garden thread of Halina from our forum, who conducts such cultivation and it is worth getting to know her experience in this field: -)
Agnieszka Lach, MSc
