Tried the bins. Didn't work.

I planted potatoes in binds two years ago. Put the potatoes in at the very bottom and as the vines grew, I added in more dirt and added extra levels of boards - up until about three feet tall.

I used the Kennebec variety - and the only potatoes I got were within the top six inches. Very odd behavior though; I would have expected the potatoes to be in the bottom six inches - but nope - they were at the top.

Now I just use the bin to do normal planting. I'll plant the potatoes like normal and then only add one layer of six-inch tall board and fill it in with finely-chopped leaves. This worked well last year. So, not exactly the "bin" technique as outlined here.

For filling in the bins - you can use straw, leaves, soil, wood chippings - whatever you'd like. The leaves worked very well last year - but again, that wasn't really using the 'bin' technique.

I contacted a professor at a university in Idaho - and he said the same thing; you can fill the bins with anything. I specifically asked about using straw - and he indicated this would work.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Garden Blog

Potatoes and sweet potatoes grow differently. Sweet potatoes grow down; potatoes grow up along the vine. You need to use late potatoes in the bin. Early potatoes do one layer. Last year I grew Binjte (sp). Unfortunately, I used fresh grass clippings as a mulch and with record rain it rotted. This set back the vines and prevented mulching until late in the season. There was enough growth for hope and I'm trying again this year.

I built my bins with the 2X2 corners on the outside. I fastened the top, bottom, to the corners (should have used bolts). The bin is made from undressed 2X6 (fell apart when I tried to use nails). It is 4 boards high, but the two middle rows just sit in on the board below them. They are held in place by friction and the mulch.

OK,

So I need to change my order at Burpee. After doing an attempt at checking seasons (info not on their site) it appears that my choices are German Butterball or either Red Pontiac or Russet Norkotah. The last two seem to be listed as mid season on some sites.

So I'm going to go with German Butterball - although not my first choice - unless someone can point me to a different choice.

Thanks.

Andrew

Hi Andrew,
Will you please do everyone a giant favor ????

Post pics and updates onto this thread, that way we can all learn from your progress (what works and vice versa)
Thanks Brother

Jon

Everytime I hear about growing potatoes I think about the time I seen someone on here growing them in tires staked on top of each other. I would think, god what an eyesore. But I got some trashy neighbors too.

I must have found a couple dozen stories on GW and elsewhere on the web about people trying to grow potatoes in deep bins. The plans sound great, but in the majority of cases, the person with the plans never posts a follow up. The few people who do follow up report that most of their potatoes grew only in the bottom of the bin. I've heard that only some late season varieties will form potatoes all along the stem, but I've never seen a list of the exact varieties.

I plan to grow Rose Finn Apple fingerlings in a 25 gallon smart pot this year. I think it is a late season potato. Does anyone know if it will produce more potatoes in a deeper bin? I grew early season Anokas last year in the same bin. I got lots of tiny new potatoes, but they were all at the bottom of the pot.

Hi Ohiofem,
That is because it doesn't work (at least not that well)
for example, these pics show that you can actually get potatoes to grow up the vine,but unless you have the access to pull off the mature potatoes (so they don't get too old/mature) and then have the available time left on the season for an additional crop, it just isn't worth it. Meaning: the potatoes growing on the vine are wayyyyy behind those original tubers at the base of the plant (a picture is worth a thousand words) also note that the last pic is the potatoes I took off that same plant (they were done and the "stem" potatoes were just getting started.

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Hi Ohiofem,
I'm sorry,
I really really really don't want to stop you from trying, I would absolutely love to have someone "pull it off".
If it works for you, please come back and post your results, so future gardeners as well as us current gardeners can learn how to do it.

Why not just add another layer of seed potatoes about half way up? I did that after the first year (taters only grew in the bottom of my half barrel) and it worked fine. One tater did pop out of the top of barrel though so be sure to check on them and keep them covered up.

jonhughs - your potato plants still look green/healthy in those photos. Maybe you pulled them too soon and that's why they didn't fill out more?

Don't be sorry, Jon. I really appreciate your input. What I love about Garden Web is that people like you share their actual experience. And your pictures are worth a thousand words. It suggests to me that I might harvest more potatoes in a wider container with more plants than in a taller one with fewer plants. Whatever happens, I promise to share my results like you have.

Don't worry about discouraging me. It's spring, hope springs eternal, and I am a gardener. This is sure to be my best year yet!

Bumble Doodle,
You are totally correct about "pulling the plants way too soon", but I do that on purpose... my thoughts:
I donate all my veggies to the Local FoodBank, and I keep my beds in "full production" as long as the weather permits, meaning= I pull them at the time I get the "most bang for the buck", ie.....I could leave them longer, but my next "plantings" would not have enough "hot days" to produce as well.... it's a real juggling act trying to keep the beds in full production.

Ohiofem, Thank You for your graciousness, Hope does spring eternal, with new mercies each morning ;-)

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I'm also very curious about the bins, so pictures and progress would be so helpful.

One of my books talks about building a "bin" with chicken wire. The book's example has it about four feet above ground, with potatoes every 6 inches or so. Supposedly, as they grow, the stems find their way to the holes in the wire, and grow out the sides.

Thoughts about this idea versus the bin?

IT would be great to be able to get more vertically, especially when faced with limited space, like I am.

Here is a link that might be useful: potato harvest blog pic

If the stems grow out the sides of the and set potatoes, there would be no way to cover them and they'd go green. One of the advantages of bins, tires, etc, is how it keeps the light off the growing tubers.

I am also going to experiment with growing potatoes in a bin. I plan on using chicken wire and had not heard that they will grow out the side. I have yet to read an account of someone who has actually done this and produced any more potatoes that planting them the regular way. I will also try to update once the harvest is in.

Bumble Doodle,

I like your idea of replanting half way up - in theory. I think in practice the plant wouldn't have enough time to fully grow and set potatoes.

Assume a 100 day season for late season potatoes (the kind that alllegedly 'hill' well). This would be my full growing season.

Assume further (yeah, I know what they say about assumptions) that the growth is linear. That would mean I would get to the half way point in 50 days.

If I replant, my shortest season potatoes are at least 70 days and would therefore not fully develop. They would also be starting off slower (I assume) than the already developed growth of 50 days - so I couldn't keep layering unless the new planting could keep up.

Given that I'm better at math than gardening, someone else can pick holes in my thoughts.

I priced cedar and douglas fir for my sides. The HD cedar is $24 per 2x6x8 versus $4.5 for the fir. I might spring for the bottom row in cedar, but I doubt it.

The T nuts are reasonably cheap, but I need to find 3 1/2 or 4" galvanized 1/4" bolts with full threads. Since I need 96 of them for the project (6 tiers, 4 sides, 4 bolts per board) I don't want to get crushed on that price versus just using 96 wood screws.

Burpee's graciously changed my order from Evangiline sweet potatoes to German Butterball. Given what they charge for either, they should be gracious - but it's nice that they are.

Andrew

One caution about mulching with straw: it is really nice nesting material and cover for voles and mice.

I tried mulching with straw last year, covering the potatoes with soil in the spring and then "hilling up" with several inches of straw as the season progressed.

Turns out the voles dug homes in the potato row and I didn't see them because they were hidden by the straw. They pulled the softest bits of straw down to line the nests. I had 4 nests in one 25 foot row.

Can't say I blame them for setting up housekeeping right in the "pantry". They chewed holes in all the potatoes closest to the soil surface. I lost about a third of my potatoes last year.

I'm mulching with soil this year.

Potterhead,

Since I've read that voles can't climb, I SHOULD be OK since I'm using a bin. The very bottom of the bin will effectively be IN the dirt, so while they can burrow in the dirt, I don't think they will dig UP 3'.

Famous last words.

I just ordered the 4" machine screws w/washers and tee nuts from Grainger. I'll pick them up locally tomorrow and not pay shipping.

I must remember to keep track of expenses on this project (even though economics isn't the issue - it's obviously more profitable to play with my kids and buy my potatoes than to build all this and grow my own - even with years of amortization against the costs). But hopefully the kids will learn something with me and participate.

Andrew

jonhughs, Kudos to you for growing veggies for your local food bank! The recipients of your produce must be very grateful for your hard work.

andyinnyc, I understand your hesitation with planting another layer. Maybe just try just one to test it out? I added the second layer when my half barrels were about half way filled so it was really just a difference of a couple of weeks between planting. The biggest potato actually grew in the second layer (it was the one that popped out of the dirt/leaves)

I came up with a new (possibly harebrained!) plan for growing potatoes in a bin inspired, in part, by this discussion. So as not to horn in on the original poster, I started a new thread in the Container Gardening Forum on using a 3-foot by 3-foot Geobin Composting System, which can hold a cubic yard of compost, as my potato bin. Follow the thread below if you want to chime in.

Here is a link that might be useful: Potato dreams: Can you double your yield in a bin?

I tried growing in a bin 3 times and my impression is that it doesn't work. I have had great success growing hill potatoes, so my failures left me scratching my head, and swearing I would never do it again. After great research, my results left potatoes only in the bottom of the bin.

The best advice is to use a late variety. I did this...did not work. I filled my bin with half sand and half compost...did not work. Regulating moisture is important...I keep the bin evenly watered...did not work

I'm going to try the bin method this year, as I was inspired by the instructions on the Irish Eyes Garden Seed site below (hey, if they're Irish, they should know their 'taters!).

I think the key is 1) use late season potatoes, 2) be able to access the more mature ones on the bottom while the smaller ones keep growing higher on the vine.

I'm going to try a modified version of the bin with a roll of plastic/wire cage that is tied together, thus allowing me access. My friend places her potatoes on top of the soil, so I'm trying that (might scratch a shallow indentation for good contact). I'll mulch with straw so it'll be cleaner to get to the potatoes. I'm not really expecting 100 lbs, but hopefully a good crop & that the kids will think it's fun raiding the potato bin for dinner! I'll let you know if it's successful!

Is it true that home grown potatoes taste much better than ones in the store? You know, like tomatoes? Or is a potato just a potato? I'm trying Kennebec & Red Pontiac for the bins (mid-late), Yukon Gold (early), and Purple Majesty just for fun.

Here is a link that might be useful: How to Grow 100 lbs. of Potatoes in 4 Sq. Feet

dianega,
If you are using the Irish Eyes site for materials (seems like you are not) then recognize that the posted measurements are off - the lengths of wood and the number of cuts don't tie-out to the original lengths of the 2x2s.

I go out this weekend with a drill and cut all my pre-drilled holes for my bins.

The potatoes arrived Monday.

Now we need the weather to cooperate.

Andrew