I was way late getting some of my seed potatoes planted! Since they were already chitting (sprouting) I decided that I could try this experiment. GROW VERTICALLY! Hey, who wouldn't love a Potato Tower?
This Greenstalk Garden system is nice because it is easily taken apart, planted and reassembled. The planter levels are very deep too so I thought it would make a great potato garden.
The potatoes don't love the heat so I'm trying this experiment up on the porch where it will get a cool breeze and some shade. Maybe, just maybe I can get a small harvest from this in the Fall. I'm not holding my breath really since Texas is blazing hot in July and August. However there is always a bit of pleasure in the experiment.
You can see that the plants are a bit leggy (tall and thin) since they aren't getting adequate light. It's really a balancing act at this point between light and temperatures.
I'll post more pics as this gardening experiment progresses!
Here's the video where I put this tower together. Kinda fun :)
Thank you for sharing this time with me!
UPVOTE, RESTEEM, and FOLLOW!
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Awesome! I grew potatoes up in Illinois and got about 50 out of 5 seed potatoes. I guess it was a success! I could've waited longer. Never really thought to go vertical like this!
Wow, that average of 10 spuds per seed is fantastic!
Yeah! I lived in an older neighborhood (50s) where they didn't skim the topsoil that long ago like they do now in some places... Didn't have to amend my garden at all, just tilled it and planted! Black gold!
Nice! Seems senseless to scrape away all that beautiful top soil.
Well they turn around and sell it! $$$$$$$$
Me either! I thought it was only for salad and herbs and maybe strawberries but not potatoes. I hope it works you you then maybe I will try it.
I used cinder blocks last year and this yeas as well. I form a decent size square hole in the middle of them all and just yesterday I added a 3rd row of blocks. I also take advantage of the holes running along the outside edges through the bricks. Not sure how well those will grow but so far so good as everything I have planted is still growing. I also have 2 pots going as well. I did the pots last year and got a decent harvest from those too. Hopefully you will do well with the method you are trying! Good Luck!
How big is the block garden for the potatoes? How many blocks long and wide?
I have it set up as a square on the inside. In doing that you have to put 2 on each end and 1 on each side. 6 total blocks per level. I'll try to take a picture of it later today.
I would love to see it!
Here you go! I alternated the bricks for stability, I also want to point out that I did this on top of patio bricks to prevent anything from digging from below. I do have chipmunks that like to dig in there but I use a live trap and relocate them so they won't damage my plants.
Oh nice. Thanks for the pictures to help me visualize how this is working for you!
Hopefully you get a good harvest, make sure you make a harvest video and post it here then I can come back and let you know just how well I did! Thanks!
Quite a potato tower you have going there. This is a wild and crazy experiment. I will be interested to see how it works out. Hopefully your pots are big enough. I think it may work though. Good luck. Resteem
I'm just a crazy kinda guy. I livin' up any gardening party! LOL
Potato Tower :) Hey, that's an interesting experiment! I'm curious how this will develop in the coming months. I'll resteem it ;)
Thank you for the resteem! I'm hoping to get a small harvest. I don't expect anything grand. :)
Great idea! I plant mine in a large plastic tub. Last year they didn't fair so well. I thought maybe I overwatered but I am unsure. I am retrying and not putting as much water in there as I did last year at each watering. I live in Western Oklahoma so I imagine our climates are about the same. I look forward to seeing how this turns out for you!
I've had decent luck with fabric pots for sweet potatoes and potatoes.
Nice!
I also grow mine in plastic rubbermaid totes. I drilled 25 quarter inch drain holes in the bottom of each of the totes first. Our potatoes love the containers, plus it helps with bug control. Check out my last post to see the potato forest lol.
This is interesting, I didn't realize that potatoes would grow in a confined space like that. Makes me wish I had planted some here :)
They will do well in containers. How they do in this is yet to be seen :) The time of year is really poor, but hey... nothing ventured nothing gained!
I love those vertical garden! they are great for herbs too!
Yes! Many people like them for strawberries too. You should see some of the crazy experiments they have done with them on the https://greenstalkgarden.com/ site. Pretty fun seeing them grow corn it it!
Ohh that might be a good idea for my growing strawberries in the tropics project. Hope I can find something like it here or I will have to be creative! hehe
That's a nice big stacking tower. It's going to be pretty interesting to see how well the potatoes do in it. I wonder how bush type green beans would do in a tower like that.
Up here, we only get 1 crop of potatoes, the growing season is too short for anything else. I'm growing all my potatoes in the ground this year. I have good garden dirt so I might as well use it. :-)
I would like to try some of those growing bags with potatoes, it sure is easier to dump them out than to dig them up.
Looks like I'm going to have to follow you.
I'm interested to see how this will go. Do post updates! It's one of those things that only an experiment can show any hidden problems that may come up.
Very clever and looks workable. I'll be curious to see how well they do.
Yes! Me too :)
I've always wanted to do a potato tower. It would be great too see how yours do! Definitely will resteem!
Thank you. Whether this one works or not I'm going to try it again in a cooler part of the year. Fun stuff ;)
Looks great! I never knew potatoes could be grown vertically!
Technically, they are being grown by stacking them, a lot of things grow vertically as opposed to horizontally across the ground.
Some potatoes are indeterminate. Which means, as they start growing you can put more dirt on top of them so that they produce more potatoes as they keep growing up. By growing potatoes in a container, you can start with just a shallow amount of dirt and then add more as the plants grow.
Determinate potatoes will only produce at the root area.
Wow, thanks! I've learned something today :D Potatoes are awesome! I myself am not good at taking care of plants though. My kids have a cherry tomato plant and some strawberry plants now, I think they're way better gardeners than me :P
Just have to start somewhere.
I had my kids do a Root Viewer this year.
They also helped with other seed planting
They had a great time.
Yeah, kids love that stuff huh! My kids really enjoy helping out the bees :)
Very interesting layout. This is a very cool idea! I hope it works out! Post lots of progress pics for us. =)
Me, what i plant is a sweet potatoes my latest!! Before is papaya that already harvest all the fruits before the heat of the summer came... 😆😇😊