THE ART OF GROWING IRISH POTATOES IN A SACK/ BUCKET

Learning how to grow potatoes in sacks/buckets will open up a whole

new world of gardening potential. An extremely easy vegetable to grow,
potatoes offer a high-yield for very low output - they're a great choice if
you're new to growing your own vegetables. Find out how to grow
potatoes with our step-by-step guide – perfect for your vegetable garden
ideas.

Potatoes are also best grown in containers due to their propensity to

spread into all the soil available to their tuberous roots.

Therefore, knowing how to grow potatoes in a sacks offers one of the

best options for growing your own, both in terms of ease of harvest and
versatility. 'You can even have potatoes in a tiny rented plot. Grow them in
a potato bag or sack and you’ll be able to enjoy them.

HOW TO GROW POTATOES IN A SACK/BUCKET – PREPARATION

There are three things that you will need before starting to learn how to
grow potatoes in a bag for your kitchen garden. These are: Treated seed
potatoes; compost or manure and a bag or bucket.

Note: We'll send you a guide on how you can make Irish potato organic
liquid fertilizer at home.

Note:Treated potatoes helps to accelerate the growth of your potatoes.

If you're working out how to grow potatoes in a sack or bucket then you
also need to think about the soil. Potatoes grow best in 'well-drained, light,
deep, loose soil, high in organic matter. Potato plants also 'perform best
in acid soil with pH 4.8 - 5.5'. So, by growing your potatoes in a sack,
rather than a raised bed or in the garden, you can curate the perfect soil
conditions for the potatoes.
The final consideration for learning how to grow potatoes in a sack, is the
sack itself.

✓The important thing is that the sack or bucket need good drainage, so
with re-used sack bags or bucket do ensure that you make lots of extra
holes in the bottom.

Your sack or bucket should only be fitted with drainage holes at the
bottom.

✓Dont drill holes on the sides of the sack or bucket please.Irish potato
tubers don't like direct exposure to sunlight because they turn into green
tubers.

✓When you've planted potatoes in a sack or bucket always remember to

be soiling the top of the sack or bucket.This is so because,as potatoes
are growing they start coming to the top where sunlight energy is more
intense.

✓Therefore,keep on soiling the top of the sack or bucket to prevent

potatoes from direct exposure to sunlight which can make them green
and unfit for human consumption.

UNDERSTANDING THE SCIENCE BEHIND GROWING POTATOES IN SACKS

✓I normally advice people to plant potatoes using a sack than a bucket or

container because it's cheaper and that the sack holds a 100% success
rate.When planting potatoes in a sack let's say a 25Kg empty sack of
cement,fold the sack until it's at 10-12kg.

✓For example let's say you fold the sack until it's at 10kg add the soil
which is already mixed with compost or manure and then plant the potato
seeds and water the sack.If you don't have compost or manure then you
can use the organic liquid fertilizer which we'll show you later.
✓If you're using the organic liquid fertilizer do this:After planting potato
seeds in a well drained soil which is has no manure or compost mix a
500ml of organic liquid fertilizer to 1.5 litre of water and water the top of
the sack after you've planted the seed potato.

✓This means that you've applied fertilizer just as those who used
compost or manure.However, the good news with liquid fertilizer is that it
acts that very second it is applied.Unlike manure or compost which has to
first undergo decomposition.A very practical example I can give is when it
comes to the process of absorption in human beings. Absorption on a
person who has eaten nsima will take long because the solid nsima has
first to undergo the process of digestion.However,to the person who for
example just takes fruit juice or simply a glass of water absorption will be
instant because fruit juice or water is liquid and does not under the
process of digestion.This is the science behind frequent and instant
urination after drinking juice or water it's because digestion is skipped
and absorption instantly takes place.The same happens in plants between
solid and liquid fertilizers.

✓Now let's continue with the 10-12kg sack:So assume we plant a seed
potato in a sack which we've folded at 10-12kg and you've already applied
compost/manure or liquid fertilizer.So when the seed potato shoots green
plants at the top of the sack the tubers will start growing and coming at
the bottom of the sack.You'll start seeing cracks on the soil.

✓Therefore, when this happens just know that we potato is about to

come on top.Dont let potatoes come on top of the sack because once
exposed with sunlight it will become green and unfit for human
consumption.The only part which should be allowed to be exposed to
sunlight is the green shoot consisting of leaves and stems.

✓So when you see the cracking on the soil, just unfold the sack a bit and
put a good layer of soil again and continue with the the same routine of
adding soil and unfolding the sack each and every time you sense that the
potatoes might be exposed to direct sunlight.
✓Now suppose we filled our 25kg sack of soil to the brim at the time of
planting it simply means that our it'll will be difficult to soil the sack when
potatoes are about to be exposed to direct sunlight because when we add
the soil, the soil will just be falling down due to lack of holding support.

IN OTHER WORDS

✓Fill the bottom of the sack with about five inches of compost.

✓Roll the sides of the bag down to the level of the compost so that it
stands by itself.

✓Plant 3 or 4 potatoes – roots facing down - into the compost and then
cover with a few inches of additional compost – unrolling the first folds of
the bag if needed.

✓Place in a sunlight exposed area and water well.

✓When the potato plant starts to grow green shoots , unfold the edges of
the bag until it reaches the top of the shoots and then cover with soil.

✓Continue to do this every time shoots are visible or until the bag is full.

✓Watering is vital but only water when the top few centimetres of soil feel
dry to the touch. 'If the tubers dry out while they are developing, they won’t
develop into potatoes, resulting in a smaller harvest.

✓On the other hand, overwatering can cause the tubers to rot which will
also reduce the quantity and quality of your harvest.

✓When there is no more bag to unroll, then let the shoots grow.

✓Once the leaves and stem have started to die back, harvest potatoes by
cutting through the plastic bag or tipping out jute, hessian or fabric sacks
on a sheet of tarp and collect your harvest.

✓The compost can then go into your compost heap – just make sure
there's no rouge potatoes left in the compost.

hand planting potato seeds into bag full of compost.

✓Under good management.A sack planted with 4 potatoes can give you a
full 10 litres of freshly harvested potatoes.

ROOT SCIENCE IN IRISH POTATOES GROWN IN SACKS.

✓As the roots grow and reach the side of the sack, the fabric causes the
roots to stop growing, essentially killing the tips of the roots. This is
called air pruning or root pruning. Roots that aren’t air pruned will instead
continue to grow and circle around the containers, which leads to root-
bound this happens when your potato sack is staged in an area with poor
sunlight and air circulation such as a verandah.

✓Air pruned plants encourage new roots to form from the center, which is
the best root structure for sack grown plants. A strong root system is
essential for a bountiful harvest, especially for potatoes.

✓Air pruning happens naturally when roots are exposed to air in the
absence of high humidity. The roots are effectively “burned” off, causing
the plant to constantly produce new and healthy branching roots. If roots
are not exposed to air, they continue to grow around the container in a
constricted pattern.This is why we encourage you to stage the sacks in a
place full of sunlight and air circulation.

✓If you're using organic liquid fertilizer always apply it every after 2
weeks.For manure or compost it's every 30 days.

✓To fight diseases in sack potato growing without stressing your pocket,
just mix chili🌶 powder, vinegar and water and then spray on the potato
plants.Check below.
1kg of dry chili powder

500 ml white vinegar

10 litres of water

Make sure to sieve the chili solid particles so as not to block the sprayer.