(Image credit: Alamy/Michiel Vaartjes ) How long does it take to grow potatoes in a bucket? When you see the foliage dying back, tip the contents of the bucket out and rummage for your potato crop. Continue to do this until it reaches within a few inches of the top of the bucket. In the same way as you top up plants with soil, simply add another layer of straw when the plants grow through – enough to leave the tips of the plants popping through. Water well and keep the straw moist as well as the soil underneath. Then top the potatoes with a small layer of soil and 6 inches of straw. It is important to ensure that the straw you use is organic and not one previously treated with herbicides.įill the bottom of the bucket with drainage material, add 6 inches of compost and place in your seed potatoes. Potatoes can grow in straw in a bucket in a very similar method to how you grow them in compost. For example, Nastya Vasylchyshyna, a resident botany expert for the NatureID (opens in new tab)app, advises: ‘Since the container is movable, you can place it indoors to protect the plants from Colorado potato beetles.’ It can help with pest control as you can cover the bucket with a lid or move the bucket to different locations if necessary – including moving it indoors when required.This can include anyone trying growing the crop for the first time and small families who want to experience homegrown potatoes. Buckets are ideal for anyone wanting a smaller harvest of potatoes.‘Potatoes that are grown in buckets are much easier to harvest since you can simply dump the bucket out and you don't have to worry about scarring them the same way,' says Shelby DeVore, founder of Farminence (opens in new tab). When growing the crop in the ground you need to carefully dig with a fork when it is time to harvest potatoes to avoid the risk of stabbing tubers. This helps ensure that your potatoes have the conditions they need to thrive.’ John Stephens, chief editor and gardener at (opens in new tab), says: ‘You will be able to use soil, compost and nutrients that are tailored specifically for your plants. When using buckets, or growing potatoes in bags or any other containers, you can control the environment.It opens up the opportunities for anyone to be able to grow potatoes. This can include anyone with a small backyard, or those with just a patio or a balcony garden. Growing in a bucket makes it possible for people with limited space to grow potatoes.Harvest potatoes when the foliage starts to yellow and die back.As plants grow, regularly top up with soil until within a few inches of the bucket’s top.Place in a sunny spot to grow – ideally with six hours of sunlight a day.Water the plants, keeping the soil moist but not waterlogged.
This can go up to five seed potatoes in a 10-gallon bucket. A 5-gallon bucket is suitable for planting two seed potatoes in. When growing early varieties, it is recommended to chit seed potatoes around 4-6 weeks before planting. There are many different types of potatoes to choose from, namely early, mid, and late season types.
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(Image credit: Getty/lowkick) How to grow potatoes in a bucket in 8 easy steps
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