How to Grow Potatoes in a Box

A potato grow box sits on the surface of the soil and allows you to expand the potato crop vertically. As the potatoes grow, the sides are built up and additional soil is added, burying the stems and increasing the underground nodes that produce tubers. Using a potato grow box allows you to grow a large potato crop in a small space, but it requires more regular attention than traditional growing methods.

24 pieces of 2 x 6 lumber, 4 feet long

4 pieces of 2 x 2 lumber, 3 feet long

Screws

Certified seed potatoes

Soil mix

Organic Compost

Organic Mulch

Cut all the lumber for the potato box. You will need four pieces of 2 inch by 2 inch lumber, each 3 feet long and 24 pieces of 2 inch by 6 inch boards, cut to 4 feet long.

Build the bottom of the box by attaching one layer of 2 by 6 inch boards with screws to form a box. Pre-drill the holes for the remaining layers.

Till the soil in the bed where the grow box will be placed. Choose a spot in full sun with well-drained soil. Remove rocks, sticks and debris from the soil. Mix a 4 inch layer of organic compost into the soil to loosen it and nourish the potatoes.

Place the prepared bottom layer of the box on the bed. Fill the box with a mixture of soil, compost and mulch. The mixture should be loose.

Plant late-season potato cultivars in the late spring or early summer. Use certified seed potatoes cut into 1 to 2-oz. pieces with at least one eye each. Place the pieces 9 to 12 inches apart and 3 to 4 inches deep in the soil and mulch layer.

Water the soil regularly to keep it moist but not wet. Potatoes need to be kept moist but will not tolerate soggy soils.

When the vines have reached 9 to 12 inches in length, screw another layer of boards around the sides of the box. Fill again with a mixture of soil, compost and mulch, covering the bottom 6 inches of the vines. Leave the growing tip and uppermost set of leaves exposed.

Continue adding boards as the vines grow so that the growing tip is always exposed with the remainder of the vine covered by soil. Potatoes will grow from the stems underground.

Harvest new potatoes in the early fall by removing the bottom board and reaching in to remove potatoes in the bottom layer of the box. Take the box apart to harvest all of the potatoes when the plants die in the late winter.

Use late season potatoes for best results. Early potato varieties tend to grow on the bottom layer only.