Digging for potatoes is one of the most exciting garden moments for me, although it can also lead to major disappointment . Some years we have good success, some years not so great success, but it’s always a fun experiment and we love the bushy greens that come out of the bucket because of it. Speaking of potatoes, we just planted some potato eyes a few days ago that went bad in our cabinet, that’s usually what we do and have bigger success than seed potatoes, and we just spotted the green above the potting mix. Now we wait….

Good luck on your potatoes! I am already excited to plant some sweet potatoes! It is so fun growing things to eat. We had them last night and they were delish! I know my friends and family get tired of me saying it, but… I LOVE my garden. I know you feel the same. (smile)

PS. Your potatoes are lovely!

Wow! That is a great return on 3 potatoes. I always thought it would be hard to grow them in Texas. Guess you proved me wrong. I think I will try them next year.

Yes I was happy with the return as well. I will plant more next year and they were so crispy and fresh to eat – delicious!

this is great! i’ve been wanting to grow potatoes this summer and you just provided the know-how! thanks!

Yeah! let me know how they grow in Utah! probably different growing seasons but all the same. I was suprised how crunchy and crisp and fresh they were. It was all fun growing them too!
best wishes,
Melanie

What a great harvest! I love harvest time 😀 I am trying my potatoes in wire cages this year, and piling dirt and straw around them them as they grow up. I have read that you can increase your yield this way! I have awhile to go before potato harvesting, and I am excited to see what we get!

Virginia

Virginia,
Good luck with the wire cages! I tried them but didn’t plan well and they were in a place that didn’t get enough sun and I overwatered them. I have heard they get good results. Let me know – it would be fun to try them again.
gotta love potatoes!
best wishes,
Melanie

They look great! How often should they be watered?

Nijole,
Hi! I water my garden daily and fertilize it weekly. I also check for bugs about every day too. Those are the three most important things to keep a garden healthy.
If it rains of course I don’t water but yes water every day, only the soil, never the leaves. I hope that helps!
good luck to you,
Melanie

Oh my I wish mine grew like that. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I think i will start again

Jeanette,
I have had those moments too! I pulled out four bell pepper plants last year because I was tired of fighting the aphids on them. Gardening is never boring and a lot of work, but I find it worth it. Good luck to you!
Melanie

Those look great! How deep and what size are the containers you used? I want to try growing potatoes even though I hear they don’t grow well here in Puerto Rico.

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I don’t have a website or anything…. but I’m so fond to gardening. Your potatoes are so lovely and I will try to do it… but I have one question though… do the soil need to have some sand in it?.

Fauziah,
Hi! I do not put sand in my soil. I use a garden mix and compost. I have all the directions on how to build my garden in my plans with the type of soil to use as well.
Good luck to you!!
Wishing you the best
Melanie

If you are interested in the plans, here is the link to them.
thanks!
https://gumroad.com/l/RaisedUrbanGardenPlans

Cut your seed potatoes next time, so each chunk has an eye on it, then let them dry out for a day or two so the cut side develops a dry skin, then plan those. You will have many, many more plants!

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Hello Melanie,
When your potatoes sprouted (1st potato sprout pic )
Did you cover green with dirt except for a little showing or did you let the green grow ?
Your potatoes are beautiful ,I did the cage hay/soil and had some potatoes but added dirt.
Your potatoes were bigger than mine,That’s why I am wondering maybe I put too much hay/soil as they came along. I live in N.C. about an hour from Raleigh. Tried to grow bush beans but the bugs ate them up any tips. Will be going to your website.
Thank-you Robin

Robin,
Hi! I let the green grow. I never covered them with dirt I just let the potato grow and come up naturally. My sure you plant the seed piece about six inches below the surface of the soil. I hope that helps!
Melanie

Do u cut holes in the bins for drainage?

Somer,
Yes the details are in the plans!
thanks!
Melanie

I have not tried this, but my dad told me one way to grow potatoes is to take old tires and fill one with soil and seed potato…then pile another on top doing the same thing…and then repeat. He said the first ones will come up on top……when ready pull them up and take the tire off and the next batch will come up. It is like vertical gardening and you don’t get all the potatoes at once to spoil. Just a thought. I’d be interested in knowing if anyone has tried this idea.

What is a “seed potato”? Can I plant a potato I bought from the store, that has sat in my pantry too long and started to sprout?

Kim,
Many potatoes that are sold in stores have been sprayed with a sprout inhibitor that stunts their growth or sprouting ability. Even though it is sprouting, the germ has been damaged and it is better not to plant it. Seed potatoes can be bought from a local nursery or ordered online.
I hope that helps!
thanks and good luck,
Melanie

[…] 18, 2014 admin Leave a comment Potato harvest! – Raised Urban Gardens (raisedurbangardens.com) I just returned from a week-long trip to Utah and I had a blast with […]

My first time growing potatoes — I planted one from the grocery store and it has been growing the green leaves just like it should. NOW, after keeping a close eye on the plant, I find out that you recommend to NOT plant store bought ‘taters. I’m hoping that I get SOMETHING out of the effort. One more layer of soil and I’m gonna let it grow until it wilts and see what happens.

so going to try this but what do you use to store the growing plants in? Looks like a plastic tub but did you put holes in the bottom? Just curious since will be doing this next year. Thank you again!

Hi Melanie!

Hope you are doing well! Funny story with a question…

I built my Raised Urban Gardens about 15 months ago, and, well, didn’t have such a good year. I am thinking it got to hot where the beds where, but the good news is we can move them pretty easily this year.

One of the crops I tried to grow was potatoes. I think we had about a dozen (from 2 lbs. of seed) and most of them were around the size of a quarter 🙂 The funny story is: I planted next to nothing (1 seed potato) and the beds are blowing up. (So much for all the effort, planning and care of the garden, huh?).

My question is: because I didn’t plan the potatoes, they are sprouting in all kinds of places. In fact, some of them are very close together. It pains me to cull some of the plants, but is that necessary? How should I decide which plants stay, and which go? Is it possible to transplant the smaller ones — would they live?

Thanks…looks like you definitely know what your doing, so I thought I’d ask!

Ian

hi

nice picture

can you tell me how I can know that the potatoes are ready to harvest

thanks

Maria,
Hi! The vines will start to lay down on the ground and after a couple of weeks they will turn brown. When the vines turn brown, it is time to dig them up.
Good luck to you! (It’s about 120 days after you planted them)
Melanie

Hi Melanie! Great potatoes! I have a story to tell about growing potatoes! Last spring I discovered a bag of red potatoes in my potato basket which I keep under my sink. They had been around much too long, but instead of rotting, they grew shoots…. I decided to cut them into quarters, and plant them in my raised beds. Just water, compost, and bingo a whole 4×4 bed of potatoes in the fall! A whole bushel basket full. It was just that easy! Everyone should give it a try! Nothing can compare to the fresh taste from the earth!

When do you stop watering?

Bob,
I think I stopped watering them about a week before harvest.
Hope that helps!
thanks,
Melanie

I waited until my sweet potatoes sprouted and the ground warmed and set them out to slip. After slipping I set them out and now have over 100 plants growing in my garden. It didn’t cost anything.

How do you know it’s time to harvest? It’s my first time. I followed what you said and now I have greens growing one. About 10 inches tall.
-Shelly

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I grow my potatoes in kiddie pools. When I want potatoes I root around until I find what I need and leave the rest. One pool for each kind ( red, gold, white, blue). I haven’t replanted in 2 years. They just keep going

I would like to grow potatoes in a kiddie pool, please tell me how do I prepare the soil, and what kind of soil do I use ? Thanks

Thank you very much that is good work

I am planting a garden in my yard. I live in Tucson,AZ.any ideas on how to enrich the soil? What are the best plants for this region?

I am inspired by your i nitiative and I want to be and so remain your contact; I want to share with you the way land or garden where to plant Irish / potatoes. Please, at my request accept to help me start a project i.e a Potatoes Growing Project. Location – here in Uganda, at Jinja i.e in Eastern Uganda. Can we work together and be helped to raise potatoes for food security purposes.

A fruitful potato harvest will keep you supplied up with newly developed potatoes for whatever length of time that two months, from the time the plant blooms. The main potatoes you can harvest will be pretty much nothing, child potatoes – ordinarily alluded to as “new potatoes.”

I love potatoes in all variations, especially homemade oven baked potato wedges with rosemary. While I’m happy to say that I have always fresh rosemary in my garden, I wish I could grow such great potatoes as you do, Melanie. Your post is a great inspiration. Thank you:)

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