Raising Potatoes Vertically

How to Do It

• When you plant potatoes the traditional way, you put the seed potato in the ground. After the green plant grows for a while, you add more soil around the base of the plant in a process known as "hilling." The potatoes grow from root systems deep underground. When you plant potatoes vertically, you plant them in containers. As the plant grows you continually add more and more layers of soil around the base of the plant. The green plant is forced to grow taller, developing more and more roots along its stem. The potatoes form from these roots above the ground instead of growing underground.

Containers

• You can grow potatoes vertically in a number of different containers, from the commercial to the makeshift. Purchase commercial square bins with a series of slats for sides. As you add more soil, add another layer of sides to the structure to make the planter taller. Use heavy duty trash cans, filling the can halfway for the first planting and adding 6-inch layers every time the plant grows up. Plant the potatoes in tomato cages lined with plastic to hold the soil and budding potatoes. You can even grow potatoes in bales of hay, piling more and more hay on top of the plant from which the potatoes will grow.

Advantages

• Growing potatoes vertically takes up much less space, enabling even the smallest backyard gardener to grow dozens of pounds in a small corner. Harvest is also much easier with vertical potatoes. Instead of digging the potatoes from underground, you simply dump out the container onto a tarp. Pull the potatoes from the soil and discard the rest. Vertical growing is ideal for those with physical challenges, as well, as there is much less stooping, bending and heavy digging with this method of growing potatoes.

Disadvantages

• Growing potatoes in a vertical container can be more labor intensive. Instead of hilling potatoes once or twice a season, you may have to add soil or growing medium every two weeks. You may also have a smaller yield from your plants, depending on the container you use, and you'll need to water much more frequently.