Potatoes can grow in even a small garden if you contain the plants in a bin or planter. Using a container can even allow you to grow a small crop on a patio or balcony. Do-it-yourself planters and bins must contain the plants and soil while allowing proper drainage and room for the tubers to grow. Several options are available so you can create a planter to fit almost any space or garden design.
A simple box created from wood slats or old pallets provides a growing bin that can fit into a small garden. The container requires four corner posts if you are using boards; the boards are nailed to the posts horizontally to make each side. Pallets require less effort since they are already in panels and you can simply lash or nail the panels together to make a box. A 2-foot square box that is 3 feet deep supplies sufficient room for a small potato crop. The planter box doesn't have a bottom so you can set it anywhere in the yard or garden that receives sufficient sunlight.
Any large plastic container works well as a potato growing bin, including storage tubs and 5-gallon buckets. Drainage holes need to be drilled in the bottom of the bin so the soil doesn't become soggy and rot the tubers. If aesthetic appeal isn't a concern, small plastic children's pools can also provide a contained space in which to grow potatoes. Old tires that are stacked upon each other creating a tower also work well, although there are some concerns of chemicals leaching from the rubber into the soil.
Chicken wire, hardware cloth or nylon snow fencing can create an inexpensive and temporary potato planter. You must create the shape first with stakes, then wrap the fencing around it. At the end of the growing season you can store these planters without taking up a lot of space.
Planting in bins and towers requires a slightly different method than that used in garden beds. Bottomless bins are placed in an area with well-draining soil and full sunlight. Seed potato pieces are placed on the soil and covered to a 2-inch depth with soil, aged compost or straw. Plastic bins and planters are filled with 8 inches of soil, then the seed potatoes are planted using the same method as for towers. Gradually add more straw or soil to the bin or planter as the plants grow, so that only the top leaves remain above the soil surface, until the planter is filled. Potatoes may produce tubers along the entire buried stem when grown in this manner.
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