[AndyRVTR]

Has anyone any experience of growing spuds in a potato tower? I've seen a few videos lately of people constructing towers 2' x 2' x 4' high and claiming to be able to grow 100lbs of potatoes using this method. As I don't have much growing space on my home plot, it sounds like a good way of maximising space... over to you!

[Goosegirl]

I grew potatoes in those big black plastic buckets with handles you can get on-line and they did ok but you have to keep an eye out to make sure they don't run short of water.

[Subversive_plot]

Andy, I am probably the worst source of information on the planet in terms of growing potatoes  .

Having said that, I looked on the interwebs for information on potato towers.  I found this: https://www.apieceofrainbow.com/potato-towers/  That website gives some information on the reason towers don't work, and strategies that do produce potatoes.  Having said that, the same web page has sparked the aging hamsters in my brain, and I'm thinking of possible strategies for making a tower that might overcome what the author identified as problems and sources of failure.  I am thinking of a tower that is more pyramid-like, Large shallow box at base, progressively smaller boxes upward.

If you try it, I would be very interested in seeing what you do, and whether you succeed!  I hope you keep us informed on your progress if you give it a go (here or in your diary pages).

Best of luck to you!

[New shoot]

I have had one that was a tall plastic compost bin looking thing and ditched it, so not much of a recommendation.  Tbh I think you are better off with a collection of decent sized buckets or other growing containers.  It is far easier to keep them watered, fed and looked after than a tower.

On the plot I often get potatoes sprouting in a compost bin.  I always leave 1 bin to grow - that would be a wooden bin about 1m square.  I water them and they do pretty well.  Much better than ones planted in open ground usually, but 100lb of spuds is a stretch.  The advantage of a compost bin is that if you make one with slot together sides, it is a doddle to dismantle and harvest the crop.

[AndyRVTR]

I grew potatoes in those big black plastic buckets with handles you can get on-line and they did ok but you have to keep an eye out to make sure they don't run short of water.

Thanks GG.. I had fairly good results last year growing 1st earlies in some supermarket flower buckets and I've still got plenty of those left, but I've just bought some 35ltr ones like the ones you mention so hoping for good things from those.

[AndyRVTR]

Andy, I am probably the worst source of information on the planet in terms of growing potatoes  .

Having said that, I looked on the interwebs for information on potato towers.  I found this: https://www.apieceofrainbow.com/potato-towers/ 

Thanks for this, funnily enough, I had an inkling that it might have something to do with keep on burying the stems of the plant, after all that's where the plants get their energy from to produce the crop. The idea of using a tower sounds great in theory but after all the trawling I did I couldn't find one really successful crop using this method.

[Subversive_plot]

I'm veering off on quite a tangent here, but if you have ever seen the movie "The Martian", I have always been amused by the fictional portrayal of raising potatoes in that movie.  Martian soil being barren dust, ground temperature likely well below zero (F or C, take your pick), no nutrients except the "poo" from 6 people over a few days, water derived from rocket fuel and the odd bit of wee.  What could possibly go wrong?

I know, it's fiction, just a bit of fun.  I really don't think of it seriously.  Just like I don't take the portrayal of rock drilling in the movie "Armageddon" seriously.

[meterman]

I grow my potatoes in towers/big boxes approx 4x4 ft by 2ft plant 9 seed  in own made compost (never use soil as to heavy) only use main crop seed on average 50 lbs per box 5 1/2 lb per seed. Not the 100 lbs but last year 151 lb from my 3 large boxes only 2 slug damaged potatoes if I grow in ground lower yield and 20-30%slug damaged

[steven c]

we grow in 55-70 litre tubs as stated by others they are harder to keep watered in hot weather but easier to harvest and are clean spuds [these we got from a local tree importer for a donation to Help For Heroes]  3 seeds per tub maincrop i dont know about yield amount  they also take up little room when not being used stacked behind shed.  Good luck