Today there are many methods of growing this vegetable. As soon as it is not grown: in the traditional way, and trench, and ridge. But there is another unusual way - growing potatoes in bags.
Advantages and disadvantages of the method
The most obvious advantage is saving space in the garden. You can put the bag to any place with sufficient lighting. Let it be a place on the path or under the house on the sunny side: in any case, the tubers will feel excellent.
This method is a real salvation for summer residents, because you just want to plant more, but there is not enough space. The traditional planting of this vegetable requires a lot of space in the garden, because it is logical to plant such necessary tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries instead of potatoes.
Read also about the peculiarities of growing varieties of potatoes: "Luck", "Kiwi", "Irbitsky", "Gala".
This method also makes it easier for a summer resident to work in terms of sacking potatoes does not need hilling - just sprinkle the tubers with high-quality soft soil. Weeds will also not grow next to the potatoes, and therefore they will not have to dig up.
Planting potatoes in bags with the ground will protect the vegetable from the Colorado potato beetle, wireworm and phytophtoras, which young tubers are so afraid of in the open field.
If the Colorado potato beetle appeared on a potato, then it can be fought with traditional methods, for example, using vinegar and mustard, or using insecticides: "Tanrek", "Regent", "Taboo", "Corado", "Calypso", "Confidor" , "Aktofit", "Aktara", "Decis".
Rot is also not terrible to this vegetable, because the water does not stagnate, and the soil is warming enough. Speaking about the advantages of this method, it is impossible not to remember the fact that the potatoes do not need to be dug up: you just need to collect dry and clean tubers from the soil.
Of course, not without flaws, among which the most significant is watering problem. The level of humidity will need to be constantly monitored and it is better to do this with the help of drip irrigation. In addition, not every soil is suitable for this method. For a good harvest you need to provide the vegetable light and loose soil (for example, a mixture of humus or compost).
Features of obtaining a rich harvest
In order to properly plant potatoes in bags, it is necessary to understand all the nuances step by step.
Place to grow
The most important requirement for a place in which there will be a container of vegetables, is sufficient lighting. You can put the bag in your yard on the sunny side, next to the beds, or even hang it if necessary: the vegetable will feel great everywhere.
Did you know? Potatoes are from South America. Wild potatoes are still growing there, but the locals have been growing home-grown vegetables for a long time.
Capacity Selection
Potatoes can be grown in any capacity. Any plastic bags will do. (from sugar and flour). On the sides and at the bottom you need to make small incisions that provide ventilation inside the tank. An alternative option is to buy ready-made containers for growing vegetables in any garden shop. It should be noted that the purchased containers are equipped with convenient carrying handles, as well as valves that can be opened for access of air.
Planting potatoes
Growing potatoes in bags requires special planting technology. This stage is best started in late April and early May, when there is already quite a high temperature outside.
For convenience, the edges of the bag are wrapped up and 10-35 cm thick layer of nutritious soil is poured onto the bottom. Planting material is laid out on top (germinated vegetables or slices with eyes). You can upload no more than 3-4 potatoes. Top need to fill with a layer of earth in 15 cm to water the crops.
It is necessary to wait for the emergence of sprouts 10-15 cm long and pour the next layer of soil. We must not forget to water the vegetables regularly. Therefore, these steps should be repeated until the bag is two-thirds full.
Important! The total depth of planting should be no more than one meter, because otherwise the plant will not have enough strength to feed all the tubers.
How to care for potatoes in bags
After carrying out the manipulations described above, the potatoes need only watering. But it should be borne in mind that the evaporation of moisture from the container is more intense than in the soil. Therefore, the potatoes will have to be watered more frequently and more abundantly than usual. Particular attention should be paid to watering during flowering, when the first tubers are formed.
Experienced gardeners advise drink plenty of potatoes in sacks so that all layers of soil were wetted. Often, sufficient air intake and excess water discharge become problematic when growing vegetables in a container. If you do not forget about the notches on the bottom of the tank, this problem will not arise.
As for plant nutrition, the best option would be moderate use of potash fertilizers. They have a beneficial effect on the quality and quantity of the crop.
Important! It is better to abstain from nitrogen, because it will not allow the tubers to ripen quickly and form a strong skin that allows them to store vegetables for a long time in the future.
Harvesting
It is necessary to know not only how to plant potatoes in bags, but also how to properly collect them. It is best to start harvesting from the second half of August. It is enough to pour the contents of the container and remove fresh potatoes from it. With each tuber planted you can get about a kilogram of the crop.
Did you know? In 1995, the potato became the first vegetable grown in space.
Are all varieties suitable for growing in bags?
Experienced experts urge to use for planting such varieties of potatoes, which give sufficiently large tubers and are unpretentious when grown in bags. These include:
- Bellarosa from Germany;
- Sante from the Netherlands;
- Svitanok Kiev and Slavyanka (domestic selection).
Important! Potatoes grown on the bottom of the bag will always be larger and more mature, while the upper fruits will delight lovers of young vegetables.As a conclusion, we can say that planting potatoes in bags has many advantages, and this method should definitely be tried by novice gardeners. You can save space on the beds, and you will not have to fight with potato pests. Potatoes in bags only need proper planting and care, which you can learn about using the following video.
