How to plant and grow potatoes in bags

The earliest possible harvest has always been and always will be a gardener's dream. Other crops are planted in warm beds and greenhouses, but potatoes are often left "outside" and, exposed to the nighttime temperature drop, perish overnight. To protect them, the bag planting method was invented.

In this way, they manage to grow the crop not only in the country, but also on the balcony of a city apartment.

Description of conditions for growing potatoes in bags

Growing potatoes in a bag isn't difficult even for a novice gardener, provided certain conditions are met: choosing the right location for the bags, having fertile soil, and ensuring timely watering. The idea behind the bag planting method is to grow two to three more layers of tubers above the first seedling, tripling the yield.

Pros and cons of growing in bags

The great thing about growing potatoes in bags is that you only need to worry about watering; there's no digging, hilling, or removing weeds or pests, as there simply aren't any. Therefore, this method has no downsides. Planting and growing healthy potatoes using this method is quite simple. Every year, the soil needs to be replenished with nutrients using crop rotation. This means that soil for filling the bags should be taken from beds after cabbage, carrots, dill, and parsley have been planted. However, it's highly undesirable to plant it after tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers.

Step-by-step instructions for planting potatoes in bags

Planting in bags involves several key steps, including preparing the container and planting site, adding the soil mixture and tubers, proper potato care, and harvesting and storage procedures. Only by following all recommendations can you achieve success.

Selecting and preparing containers

Bags and tall polyethylene or burlap bags are used for potato storage. The capacity of the container should be 50-75 liters. A smaller bag won't produce a high yield, as only a single layer of tubers will grow. If you choose a non-hygroscopic material, make holes in the bottom and throughout the bag at intervals of 20-30 cm to allow excess moisture to drain.

Preparing a landing site

Potatoes are a southern, heat-loving crop, so the location for placing the bags should be on the south or southeast side of the plot. The easiest way is to lean the bags against a support, such as the wall of a shed, a bathhouse, or a fence. With this option, keep in mind that the bags should not be exposed to moisture from the gutter, otherwise, excess moisture will kill the plants. Another option is to place the bags leaning against each other. In this case, leave passages around the bags for easy access.

Planting potatoes

The key to a successful harvest is selecting and germinating the seed. Select only healthy tubers smaller than a chicken egg. If only large tubers remain, then (after the roots have formed) the tubers should be cut with a knife so that each piece contains 1-2 roots. It is recommended to germinate potatoes in a cool, dark place, such as a basement. Once the seed preparation is complete, it's time to plant.

The step-by-step process of filling the bag and planting tubers includes:

• We lay drainage as a base, for example branches, they will also serve as a warm layer, as in a “warm bed”.
• Fill a bucket with soil, breaking up any clumps. Add 400-500 g of wood ash and mix it into the top layer of soil. Ash protects potato plants from scab, provides calcium, and creates a loose soil.
• Sprouted potatoes should be planted in a bag, 4 pieces per bag.

• Add another 1/2 bucket of garden soil on top, along with the worms, and add another 200-300 g of ash. Turn the edges of the bag inside out and water if the soil is not wet enough.
• We lay the top layer of mulch, 10 cm thick, for example, lawn grass.

• As soon as the first potato shoots emerge 5-6 cm from the ground, unscrew the sides and, carefully shifting them by the handful, add a bucket of soil to each bag. After sprouting, mulch the potatoes regularly throughout the growing season.
• Adding soil and mulching should be done weekly until we reach the very top of the bag.
• After a short time, 2-3 weeks, the bag of potatoes will look like the photo.

How to properly care for potatoes in bags

Potatoes are a southern plant and prefer sandy soil and warm, settled water. Drip irrigation is considered ideal. As a result, 3-4 buckets of select, clean potatoes can be grown in a small amount of soil. In a particularly rainy summer, potatoes dug up from the garden will be unevenly shaped and caked with mud. This doesn't happen with bagged potatoes; all excess moisture is absorbed into the subsoil.

Harvesting and storage

Regardless of the planting method, potatoes ripen simultaneously. As soon as the tops dry, in dry weather, harvesting begins. Next, the potatoes are laid out to dry in the open air, then placed in boxes and stored in the cellar. The only difference from the traditional planting method is that you don't have to dig the potatoes; you just cut the bag with scissors from top to bottom. It's effortless and even enjoyable.

Are all varieties suitable for planting in bags?

When choosing seed for planting in bags, choose high-yielding varieties with a vigorous, above-average bush to produce more tubers. Under favorable, warm weather conditions, you can get two potato bag harvests per season.

Bellarosa

A German early variety with high yields and extreme drought tolerance. The bush can reach 70 cm, making it suitable for training in a 4-5-layer bag. Plant three tubers per bag to ensure large specimens. During the growing season, the plant should be fed with magnesium, like all early varieties, to ensure fruiting.

Sante

A Dutch variety, high-yielding, mid-early (from germination to harvest in up to 90 days). It has comprehensive virus resistance. The potatoes are excellent fried and retain their shape during cooking. They perform well in any growing environment and are resistant to mechanical harvesting, but produce two harvests in a bag.

Slav

This mid-season variety, bred in Ukraine, tolerates short-term drought and is rarely affected by disease. The potatoes are large and uniform, have a rich flavor, and keep well. The tubers are resistant to mechanical damage during digging or harvesting. This makes them easy to grow in bags and harvest.

Reviews

Ekaterina, Leningrad Oblast: "I don't know about others, but my experiment was only half successful. The potatoes grew, but they weren't very large and there weren't many in the nest. I realized my mistake later. I only added soil once and planted two tubers per bag. Next season, I'll follow the instructions and hopefully get good results."

Pavel, Crimea: "The results exceeded my expectations. I harvested 4 kg of fairly large potatoes from a bag, while I was only expecting small ones. I covered the top layer with moss instead of grass; it retains moisture better."