Back in March I put together 3 potato towers {How to Build a Potato Tower} and with all the rain we’ve been having lately, the potato towers have really taken off. Potato tower # 2 in the center seems to be doing the best.
Potato Tower #1 – I covered the potatoes with 6 inches of dirt. My plan with tower #1 is to add additional dirt {but no more potatoes} as the potato leaves begin to pop through the soil.
So far I have added one layer of dirt {about 4 inches} to encourage new growth.
Potato Tower #2 – I covered the potatoes with 6 inches of soil, then added 5 more potatoes. I ended up doing this 3 times. Someone had suggested I try this method to see if it would grow more potatoes.
Much to my surprise, this tower is doing the best. Instead of adding soil to top of the tower when the potato leaves reach about 8 inches, I’ve been adding grass clippings about once a week. Kind of weird I know, but it seems to be working.
Potato Tower #3 – This tower was planted with alternating layers of potatoes, dirt, potatoes, straw, potatoes, dirt. Again, someone suggested this growing method because it had worked for them.
Finally I am starting to see progress in this tower. Although there are potato leaves popping out the sides, there is still no sign of anything growing beneath the straw at the top of the tower.
These potato towers are total experiment for me. Last year I tried growing potatoes in towers and failed miserably. But I think it was because I placed them to far away from the house and they didn’t get enough water. I am actually a little surprised at how well they are doing so far this year and I’m hoping we can get a decent crop out of them.
If not, we do have potatoes growing in raised beds to count on.
Gardening is an adventure and it’s fun to try new things, even if they don’t always work out the way you had planned.
How about YOU? Are you growing anything in towers this year?
~Mavis
To find out how I built my potato towers go here: How to Build a Potato Tower
Lisa says
Mavis, I bought some seed potatoes a few weeks ago that still haven’t sprouted even though they are on a sunny windowsill. I’m in CT and wonder if it’s already too late to plant them now? I was going to grow them in large plastic buckets.
Alicia says
I am eagerly watching your tower updates. I made two last year and they were major fails for me too. I skipped them this year, but if yours do well, I might try again next year. No pressure! 😀 My little potato patch is doing great so far, but it would be nice to get the most out of my space with a couple of towers thrown into the mix.
Mavis says
No pressure. Ha!
Cecily says
They look like they are doing great! Your raised bed potatoes look like they need to be hilled, you will get more if you do (unless they have started to flower). Hope you have a great harvest!
Erika says
I’m growing my potatoes in a 6′ kiddie pool container garden this year. Once they were 4-6″ tall, we put a good layer of compost over the dirt. They’re getting huge now! I need to get pictures of everything that I’m growing and send them in.
Mavis says
You do! I think people would like to see them.
Sarah says
Out of curiosity, is it too late to start trying to grow potatoes this way? (I’m in WA too)
Can I do this in the fall for winter potatoes? I’ve never grown my own potatoes but would love to give it a try!
Mavis says
Not to late! I am planting more this week for a late fall harvest. 🙂
brie says
When will your potato towers be ready to harvest? I started mine in late Feb in Ohio. I’m curious to see how mine will do. However, I have no clue how long this process takes!!??
Mavis says
I think most potatoes on average are ready to harvest in 90 days. But basically they are ready after the plant dies back and the leaves turn brown. I usually harvest around September.
Dena says
I went out and bought potato bags. They even have a little trap door so I can harvest a couple potatoes if I want. My question is… how do you store your potatoes over winter. I don’t have a root cellar. Any suggestions?
Thanks
Dena
Beks says
My entire garden is an experiment this year. So far I’ve been pleased with my harvest (2.7 ounces of butter lettuce and 6.3 ounces of curly kale!) and I want to plant potatoes, but will probably plant them this weekend. Hope so, anyway. You’ve given me inspiration to do so. 🙂
Paula says
Since potatoes form on the *underground* stems of the potato plant, I’m not sure you want anything growing out the sides of the towers. If you can keep the plants growing straight up, so that the underground stems are long, as opposed to letting the stems grow out the sides, you should harvest more potatoes. In theory, anyway. I harvested my first potatoes today, some blues that were volunteers from last year’s patch. I’m in Western Washington.
Rebecca Mickelsen says
Hi Mavis- this is my first year growing potatoes, and I built three potato towers from wire also, but I lines them with paper sacks cut open. Also, I started with four inches of good composted soil on the bottom before adding my potatoes. I covered the potatoes with four more inches of composted soil, and then as they sprouted I continued to cover the with coir, which my experienced gardener cousins tell me is a far better product to use than straw or peat moss. However, it is more expensive, so as my towers continued to rise, I did end up using peat moss for the last layer. Right now the growth in each tower is astounding, and the plants are so tall they are now filling over- but they are blooming nicely, so I am hopeful! I would post a photo for you, but I don’t think it allows me to. Happy to email you a photo if you like. BTW, I live in Salt Lake City, and we have snow up through Mother’s Day, so my potato towers were not started until The end of May! Keeping my fingers crossed for a healthy harvest!
Mavis Butterfield says
Let me know how many you get when you harvest your spuds! I’d love to know how it works out for you.
Loren says
I live on the Washington Coast and have found that the trash can method is the best for growing potato’s out here … just make sure there are good drainage holes and they are in a good sunny spot (okay.. where they are in the light, this is Grays Harbor and it is named that for more than one reason). Last year I did 3 cans and they were filled with potato’s !!!
Rebecca says
I tried the potato bags last year and they all rotted. I watered them just like everything else with a couple drippers from the irritation system I use for the raised beds. Way too soggy. So this year I did them potato towers on top of small boxed raised beds. I have used mostly dirt but also grass clippings and some straw in beginning. I’m unaware of the “flowering” part of growing tomatoes. Is that a sign you’re getting new buds below? Oops I mean spuds.
Lin says
Love love your site! I live in the coastal area of central California and fall is usually when they recommend we plant taters because of our mild winters. This will be the first year that I will try growing potatoes and I will be using a version of your towers. Hopefully the gophers will not get them, they seem to get almost everything else I try to grow 🙁
Betsy says
How did you experiment go this year? I read about your 2012 summer that didn’t work so well. I tried growing some Yukon gold potatoes this year in a similar fashion (with just dirt) and didn’t get very much. It was still fun, I’m just wondering how different your yields were with just dirt compared with dirt and straw. Thanks!
Chris ester says
Hi Mavis, I love your website! I am planning my garden as we sit looking at a LOT of snow that is having sleet piled on top of it… And I am dying to know if your latest potato tower adventure was a success? We are over here on the east coast so there are probably some differences in soil and conditions, but the basics are the same. So, how was your potato harvest this past season?
Mavis Butterfield says
Here is the update post. –> http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/potato-tower-update-and-harvest/