The potato bags I wrote about last month are working out really well. The green shoots grew up from the seed potatoes incredibly quickly. In fact, they grew so fast that I barely had time to fill in the soil behind them. Now, the bags are completely full of a mixture of soil and compost, and I mixed in a little organic fertilizer for good measure.
From here on out, the potatoes should be pretty low-maintenance. They just need water, sun and perhaps a bit of liquid fertilizer from time to time. Apparently, I'll know they're ready for harvest when flowers appear. According to Seed Savers, my German Butterballs should take 100 to 120 days to reach maturity. I have my fingers crossed that I'll have some delicious, organic, home-grown potatoes to roast this Fall. Yum!
Cool Beans! I'm going to do the same with my Russian Blue potato seed. Except I'm going to use a heavy black plastic garbage bag doubled and try it that way!. We'll see if I get the same good results you do. Hope so!
That's interesting. I've built up a potato bin using wood. I'll put the final slats on soon, and the bin will be 4' tall. I'm amazed how quickly the potatoes have grown. I have been told that they are ready to harvest when the leaves start to wilt. I'll look into that further, but what signs will you look for before harvesting?
Alexiajoy -- I bet trash bags would work. Just be sure to poke some holes or cut some slits near the bottom so extra water can drain out. You can also search "grow bag gardening" on Flickr for some visual inspiration.
Doug -- According to my reading, I should be able to tell the potatoes are ready when white flowers appear on the plants. This is my first year growing them, though, so it may be a bit of trail & error.
What month did you start them?
Hey Ilsa
I started my potatoes on the window at the beginning of April and planted them in the bags in May. Have you grown potatoes before? Got any tips?
I'm planning to add taters for the first time this fall. I look forward to hearing how yours turn out, esp if they tolerate summer heat.