Potato advice needed!

Thea2

Hi, 
can anyone tell me please how to grow potatoes in a tall thinish container? It’s an old kitchen pedal bin. 

Would I plant them at the very bottom & they’ll grow upward or should I plant at the top? And do they need to be sprouting already? 

Thanks in advance! 

purplerallim

Nice idea but maybe a bit narrow. If you are going to buy a bag of compost how about growing in that instead!  Empty half out plant seed potatoes that the eyes have sprouted on, use an egg box to stand the potatoes in and put on a windowsill till then, put some holes in the bottom to allow draining and roll the sides down to the soil level. As the plants appear roll up the sides adding the rest of the compost as you go, that is call earthing up, and there you go.😁
The bin would be good to grow little gem lettuce and spring onions in btw.😁

Dovefromabove

Plant them near the bottom ... not on the bottom ... and cover with 6” compost (I use a mix of garden soil and ordinary potting compost)... as they grow and leaves poke through keep topping up the compost so just the tips of the leaves poke through. Keep doing this until the container is full. 

Don’t forget to water them ... potatoes are thirsty plants ... but make sure the container has good drainage holes as if the potatoes sit in water they’ll rot. 

It’s best to chit your potatoes first 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_potatoes1.shtml

Thea2

Thankyou both!! 😊 

sam-preston

Ive done this before & it was fine, just make sure you have drainage in the bottom. Then fill about a third with soil/compost, sprinkle fertiliser and mix in. Place seed potatoes on top then cover with about an additional 10cm on top. As shoots sprout through just earth up as normal. As its probably quite a narrow container id limit the number of seed potatoes you put in. Dont forget to water- good luck!

Thea2

Thanks Sam