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Potatoes are one of the easiest vegetables to grow in containers or bags, and they make a great side dish for any meal. These nutritious and relatively inexpensive vegetables are great for beginner gardeners and experienced green thumbs alike. Learn how to grow potatoes at home in containers or bags!

Why Grow Potatoes in Containers or Bags

The first reason to grow potatoes in containers or bags is simply due to cost. If you don’t have the space or the extra money to spend on setting up a garden, then containers are a great way to grow just about anything.

Next, potatoes are very easy to grow in containers or bags, and growing potatoes at home is a great way for the beginner gardener to hone their gardening skills. Growing potatoes may be one of the easiest vegetables to begin growing.

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Plus growing your own food saves money! And with the cost of groceries steadily on the rise, saving money by growing your own potatoes is a great way to cut costs.

Growing potatoes also allows you to control what goes into these nutritious vegetables; growing organic produce means there’s no need for harmful pesticides that could be then transferred to you when you eat them.

Growing your own food also means growing what is best for the season, so growing potatoes in containers or bags allows gardeners to grow more than one variety of potato. So with growing potatoes, it’s easy and effective both financially and as a way to cut back on pesticides.

Best Varieties of Potatoes to Grow

There are so many different varieties of potatoes growing in containers or bags, it’s impossible to list them all.

The best types of growing potatoes for growing organic produce are:  

• Russet: This classic baking potato grows better with a longer season.
• Yukon Gold (or Kennebec): These buttery, yellow potatoes are a personal favorite of mine! They
• Dark Red Norland: Classic red potato that is easy to grow and produces well.
• Adirondack Blue: This lovely blue/purple potato maintains its color even after it’s cooked! A fun potato to grow in the home garden.

There are certainly other varieties of potatoes to consider in all colors and shapes, so if you’re already an experienced potato grower try a new variety in a container or bag to see how it grows.

How to Grow Potatoes in a Container or Grow Bag

1. Always start off with good quality seed potatoes. If you have a local garden store, check there first. If that’s not possible, look online for heirloom potato varieties that grow well in your area.
2. Potatoes like a lot of growing space. So choose a large container or grow bag to give yourself plenty of room for a large harvest!
3. Take your seed potato and cut it into chunks or slices with at least one eye per chunk (or slice). Each piece should contain an “eye” from which a plant will shoot up.
4. Plant the potato chunks (or slices) in your growing medium (try my DIY Potting Soil recipe!). Place each chunk about six inches apart to give them room for growth and expansion. A few pieces per container or grow bag is a good number.
5. Water generously and keep the growing medium moist but not soggy. As the plants grow, continue to add more soil or compost around them so that the tubers have plenty of room to grow. This process is called “hilling,” and it will give you more potatoes in the end.
6. Harvest your potatoes when they are big enough for your liking! This will happen after the plant blooms and once it begins to die back. I generally harvest mine when they are about tennis ball size. Simply dig down in the soil until you find a potato, examine its size and go from there.

FAQ’s about Growing Potatoes in Containers

What size container or bag should I use to grow potatoes? Use at least a 5 gallon container or bag. Potatoes need space to grow and limiting their space will produce smaller potatoes. These grow bags from Amazon are 10 gallon size and that’s perfect!

How many plants can I put in one container? For a 10 gallon bag, like the ones above, I would put 2-3 potato pieces. This gives you a margin of error in case one of the pieces rots or doesn’t sprout for some reason.

How long do potatoes take to grow? Potatoes typically take about 60-90 days to grow from planting to harvest. This will depend on the variety you’re growing, so be sure to read the label.

What type of potatoes should I use? You can use any type of potato for growing in containers, but I prefer the smaller varieties like Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes. They are easier to handle and don’t take up as much space in the container.

Should I water potatoes every day?  That depends. If you live in a very dry area and your plants are in full sun, then they may require a daily watering. Check your soil, use the finger test, and see if it’s dried out. If so, give your potato plant a good watering.