Growing Potatoes

[Matthew323]

Anybody grow potatoes in large, 30-gallon, breathable fabric grow bags? Using chopped leaves, or clean straw, to mulch/hill the potatoes in the bag as the plant grows upwards? Allowing for a clean potato when harvested?

Reason I asked is I got an e-mail from Amazon for all different sizes of fabric grow bags. When I saw the 30-gallon one's at 5 for $34.99, I immediately thought about growing potatoes, something I never have done, but have always wanted to do.

Mulching them in the 30-gallon fabric bag would keep the rodents out of the mulch. Which, I have read, is the MAJOR issue with using mulch to "hill up" potatoes.

Bottom watering the 30-gallon bags in a plastic kiddie swimming pool would keep the foliage dry from hand watering.

I would use 1" diameter galvanized steel plumbing pipe pounded into the ground, with 1/2" PVC conduit bent into a hoop; to create a miniature hoop house to surround the kiddie pool.

Cover the PVC with REMAY fabric to keep out the Colorado Potato Beetles. Fertilize well, as I have read that potatoes are heavy feeders?

Any thoughts?

 

[GM54-120]

I have never grown taters but i think they sell bags just for taters too. I do have plenty of experience with grow bags. I love them. Bottom water works fine for me.

 

[MrTom]

I've usually used straw or alfalfa bales. Break a couple open and spread thickly on bare soil. water well. spread your seeds [potato eyes] evenly spaced, then open and spread more bales to about a foot thick on top of the first bed. Keep watered but not wet. When the plants are a foot above the straw, open other bales and carefully add another foot so the tops of the plants have sun. Water this straw in again. Now let them go. No digging needed, just roll the layers of straw off and pluck your spuds.

 

[deermanok]

I've grown potatoes back in New England. Never used any of the methods you all are talking about but I'm sure they work just fine.