Never mind what you’ve heard; you don’t need to hill or hoe potatoes. With a potato growing kit—which consists mainly of a waterproof bag and potting soil—you can grow the underground root vegetable nearly anywhere. Prepare for the long winter ahead by planting a crop now (potatoes will mature in from 70 to 120 days).
What you’re looking for in a potato growing kit: proper aeration to encourage healthy roots, sufficient depth so you can plant potatoes four inches below the soil surface, and a sturdy bag to use over and over.
Here are 10 potato grow bags and planting kits to consider:
Above: A soft-sided nine-gallon Potato Planter Grow Bag from Bloem is available with a side flap to harvest potatoes is available in eight colors including Living Green as shown and Union Red (in the top photo of this post). It is $14.99 to $20.00 depending on color from Target.
Above: A square, 15-gallon Potato Bag With Handles by GeoPot has a side flap (secured by Velcro) for access to grown potatoes; $28.27 from Amazon.
Above: Also suitable for growing herbs and other edible plants, a nine-pocket Bacsquare 9 Kitchen Garden is a self-contained vegetable garden “perfect to plant on a terrace;” €177.80 from Bacsac.
Above: Approximately nine inches deep, a Reusable Growbag “made of heavy duty polypropylene will help produce bumper crops and can be used year after year,” notes retailer Harrod Horticultural. It is £8.95.
Above: Made from recycled material from PET containers, a Plant Container Made Of Recycling Fiber is available in three sizes (from 25 to 40 centimeters). Notes retailer Manufactum: “The plant containers are made for nurseries and commercial horticulture and are more functionally designed for optimal use and good cost benefit than for their appearance. The seams are not always perfect.” Prices range from €6.40 to €12.80 depending on size.
Above: A Jumbo Potato Grow Bag available in black or tan (as shown) has a capacity of 120 quarts of potting soil; $19.89 from Gardener’s Supply.
