Features and technology of growing potatoes in bags

Potatoes are grown everywhere, but there are some plots of land where it's extremely difficult to get any harvest at all. In such cases, an unusual method can help: growing potatoes in bags. This method can be used to accelerate harvesting in any part of Russia. It requires much less time and effort than transforming infertile soil into a more or less suitable plot for planting. Often, soil transformation is simply impossible.

Description of cultivation technology

Growing a good potato crop requires a lot of time and effort. The vegetable requires:

• weeding;
• watering;
• hilling;
• fertilization and insect protection.

Older gardeners simply can't care for their favorite vegetable and are forced to give up planting it. But there's a solution: growing potatoes vertically. This solution has many advantages. They don't take up much space, and you can tend to them without bending your back. An added bonus of this planting method is the decorative effect. In Peter the Great's time, even ball gowns were decorated with potato flowers.

Growing potatoes in bags is very simple, but you need to follow the rules:

1. Prepare the container for planting. You can use traditional flour sacks. Punch holes at the bottom to allow liquid to drain and around the perimeter to allow gas exchange.
2. You need to purchase or prepare well-fertilized soil yourself. It should be loose and fertile. If you prepare the soil yourself, it should be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate.
3. Pour the prepared soil into a bag, place whole tubers or those cut into several pieces into it and cover with soil and rotted straw on top.
4. Bags with planted tubers must be placed in the sun.

You can find special potato planting bags in stores. They have all the necessary openings, including a valve for harvesting. They last for several years. Some gardeners use garbage bags nested inside each other for this purpose. This is an environmentally unfriendly solution: the material releases harmful toxins.

Particular attention must be paid to moisture. Without sufficient moisture, tubers will not form. To accurately determine whether the soil is sufficiently moist, it is recommended to purchase a special moisture meter. Since potatoes grow in confined spaces, fertilizer must be applied regularly; the soil quickly becomes depleted.

Place potato sacks away from tomatoes and eggplants. Beans and marigolds can be planted nearby. The latter effectively repel the Colorado potato beetle. Growing potatoes in sacks is possible in any climate zone.

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Pros and cons of the method

There are certain advantages to growing potatoes in bags. Anyone who has ever tried it planting potatoes in bags note that this is a very good method:

1. Seedlings are not afraid of pests living in the soil.
2. Gardeners have noted that the harvest is much more abundant and larger than with traditional planting.
3. This type of planting saves a lot of time and effort, as it does not require weeding, hilling or digging.
4. If you provide good water flow, the potato tubers will not rot.

After such use, the soil can be added as fertilizer to flower beds and crops that do not have diseases common to potatoes.

Every method of growing vegetables has its drawbacks, and this method is no exception. One of the disadvantages of this method is the rather labor-intensive soil preparation process.

Selecting a variety and step-by-step instructions

The most suitable varieties for this planting method are early and mid-season varieties with good resistance to various diseases. Early varieties ripen very quickly, thus reducing the need for care. The most popular of these are:

1. Sante is a mid-season Dutch potato variety with yellow tubers.
2. Bellarosa is a very early ripening variety of German selection; the fruits are smooth, large and pink in color.
3. Svitanok Kyivskiy is a mid-early variety with above-average yields in all climate zones.
4. Povin is an early ripening variety, the fruits are ready for harvesting in mid-June – early August, tuber weight up to 200 g.

In our country, it is best to plant potatoes this way in mid-May, after the onset of consistent warmth.

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When planting, it is advisable to use the following instructions:

1. First, fill the container with soil and humus (10-30 centimeters).
2. Place whole or cut tubers on the soil.
3. Cover all of this with 15 centimeters of soil.
4. After 7-15 days, when the sprouts appear and reach a height of 10-15 cm, their leaves need to be covered with a nutritious soil mixture.
5. Step 4 must be repeated until the soil reaches a third of the bag's height from the top.

How to care

To ensure your efforts are not in vain and you get a good and quick harvest, you should properly care for these potatoes. To do this, pay attention to the following:

1. Bag placement. Potato bags should be placed in a well-lit area. Ensure good heating to promote rapid germination. One option is to place them along paths or in flower beds.
2. It's important to remember to ensure stability (they could tip over). To achieve this, you can lightly bury the bags.
3. Watering. Moisture from the bags will evaporate quickly, and this is essential for tuber formation. It's important to water the plant regularly. The bag should have a covering that will absorb excess moisture, which will drain out through a special hole. This will prevent rot from overwatering. Avoid watering the plant until the first sprouts appear. Provide 3 liters of water daily, provided the weather is dry.
4. Fertilizing. The soil quickly becomes depleted, so it's necessary to apply fertilizer at least once per season. Prepare the fertilizer according to the instructions and apply 1 liter per potato plant.

You can begin harvesting in mid-August. There are two ways:

1. Turn it over and empty the contents (this way the bag will remain intact and can be used next year). If you don’t plan to use the container further, you can cut it open.
2. If the bag is equipped with special valves, then it is easy to remove ripe tubers through these holes.

The most basic recommendation is to remember to water. Bagged potatoes require regular watering. Ensure the plant is covered with soil up to the leaves. Don't forget to apply fertilizer and ensure proper ventilation.

In European countries, farmers have long used this growing technique, as it allows them to harvest early potatoes right near their homes. In Russia, growing potatoes in bags is just beginning. Those who have tried this method leave positive reviews, noting its effectiveness and simplicity, as well as its space-saving benefits in their gardens. For a more understandable overview, watch the video.

Growing potatoes in bags is convenient. The entire process, from planting to harvesting, doesn't take much time or effort. You can even plant a bed like this on a balcony. If you follow all the planting and care instructions, you can get a more bountiful harvest than with regular planting. However, choosing the right variety is crucial.