If you’ve never dug for potatoes, you don’t know what you’re missing. Finding spuds hiding in dirt is sort of like uncovering buried treasure. That is until your garden fork impales one of the darlings.
Generally speaking, a potato patch involves a good amount of garden space, which means patio and balcony crops are out of the question, right? Nope. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, you can grow potatoes in a garbage can, or any large container, for that matter.
To try this method, the Almanac says to find a garbage can (plastic or otherwise), a barrel, a wooden box or any other container that is at least 18 inches deep.
Punch or drill holes in the bottom of your planter of choice for good drainage.
Put 6 inches of soil into the container.
Place the seedling potatoes on the soil and cover with 3 inches of soil or mulch.
When leaves start to sprout and plantings reach 6 to 8 inches in height, add another layer of soil. As the plants grow higher, you keep adding soil, making a hill of sorts.
When the potatoes are ready to harvest, all you have to do is turn the planter on it’s side and shake out the spuds, which means no potato impalements.
