Makes sense for city people short on space.
https://gatdaily.com/pandemic-potato..._campaign=8_19
Makes sense for city people short on space.
https://gatdaily.com/pandemic-potato..._campaign=8_19
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Stack It Deep!
Original Member-July-1999!
Many years ago, I used a 30 gal plastic trashcan to do much the same thing.
The first thing I did was to drill about 18 - 1/4" holes in the bottom, then put in about 2" of 3/4" stone and cover it with some landscape fabric to keep the soil from getting into the stone.
Then comes a potting mix type of soil to which I add additional perlite to help keep the soil loose and friable. With 4" of soil down, I put in 3-4 seed potatoes about 2" from the inside wall and add about 1/2" of soil above the potatoes. After those sprout and are 3-4" above ground, I add another inch, wait a few days for the existing plants to grow higher, and add another layer (3-4) seed potatoes and another 1/2" of dirt over those. This continues until the barrel is nearly full.
The barrel is left until the vines start to wither and then harvested. The potatoes are on top are small and are used as "new" potatoes with the ones on the bottom being fair to good sized baking potatoes.
BTW - if you dump the soil out onto a tarp (8x10) you can reuse the soil the next year as long as you add the amendments (fertilizer, micronutrients, compost) needed to replace what the potatoes used up.
“I have little patience with people who take the Bill of Rights for granted. The Bill of Rights, contained in the first ten amendments to the Constitution, is every American’s guarantee of freedom.” - - President Harry S. Truman, “Years of Trial and Hope”
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