It is very doable as long as that bucket is well-drained.

I haven't grown them in a bucket, but have grown them in a wire cage, formed from welded wire fencing. (Picture a large wire cylinder about 5' across and 4' tall.) I set the fencing on the ground (in a place where the sod had been removed), filled the fenced-in area with compost, chopped leaves and hay, and then laid the seed potatoes on top of the compost/chopped leaves/hay mixture and covered it with more compost. As the potato plants grew upward, I added more and more layers of chopped leaves, compost, hay, grass clippings....whatever I had.

At harvest time, we just lifted up the wire cylinder and "pawed" through the compost/leaf/hay mixture where the potatoes were easy to find (and fairly clean compared to those growing nearby in the ground).

I have heard of people growing potatoes in buckets, children's wading pools, bushel baskets, rectangular Rubbermaid-type storage bins, trash cans, etc. The key is just good drainage 'cause excessively potatoes will be prone to disease and rot.

Dawn

Several years back Organic Gardening Magazine ran an article with photos of potatoes growing out the top of a stack of old tires. I never tried that, I was worried about chemicals in the rubber leaching out. The only down side to any of these schemes that I can see is temperature. Potatoes like to grow in cool soil in full sun. I would be worried that a metal bucket especially if small might heat the soil mix too much. The setup Dawn describes is large enough not to have a problem that way.

Dorothy,

I have been intrigued for years by the "idea" of growing produce in tires.....what an easy way to make a raised bed! However, like you, I am concerned about the possibility of chemicals leaching from the tires, so guess I'll never try it.

I don't even use treated lumber to build raised beds. Of course, the untreated wood decays more quickly and has to be replaced every so often, but I hate the idea of adding ANY chemical to the garden area.

Pat,

I truly think you could raise potatoes in any container that drains well and...as Dorothy pointed out, doesn't overheat.

Dawn