This year we’ve decided to try a new crop to our little urban garden. Potatoes! Yukon gold in fact. I tried going the cheap route and bought some from the grocery store. After a couple of weeks trying to sprout them, I read that sometimes potatoes are soaked in something to prevent them from sprouting. Euw! Not sure what that is.
So then I decided to order “official” seed potatoes. By the time they arrived my grocery store ones started to sprout. Of course! So if the potatoes work, I will be rich with them. The potatoes are from a place in Colorado called The Potato Garden.
Smart Pot
And since my soil is lousy and filled with glass, I looked into suitable containers for growing them. You have to have something that is deep, so you can keep adding soil (hilling) as the plants grow. This keeps the potatoes from getting hit by the sun, which causes them to turn green and be bitter. I found Smart Pots and ordered 2 of them. They are made out of a sturdy fabric. I thought I would give them a try.
placing one of the seed potatoes
As usual, I have to put my garden behind bars to keep the squirrels from destroying the unestablished plants.
potatoes planted and behind bars
I have been scratching my head over what to do about the squirrels destroying my young plants. I love the idea of covering the pot with bars. I think I will copy you!
It works really well. You can use a more subtle bird netting, which doesn’t show up that much. Here’s a link to see some photos.
http://www.brooklynfeed.com/2011/05/raised-bed-planters/
Good luck!
Martha
I want to get a veggie garden going at the new house, BUT there is so much to unpack. After seeing your Smart Pot and having read other folks who use tires, I am going to try recycling on of my sturdy moving boxes for a potato box. We’ll see how THAT goes!!
You know what? I’ll bet the boxes will work well. Good use! Just keep those darn squirrels out of there!