Growing Potatoes in a Barrel

Potatoes are an important crop in my vegetable garden. I plant Norland red potatoes because they are great for boiling, baking and frying. This year I wanted to save space, so I grew them in a barrel. Here's the video that got me started.

I used a 55-gallon plastic barrel cut in half with slits in the bottom for drainage. I started with six inches of soil, placed my seed potatoes on top and covered them with an additional inch of soil.

Once they sprouted, I covered the leaves completely with more potting soil. I wasn't sure it would work, but they sprouted again, even more vigourously. I had enough room to cover them one more time. Then I left them alone until flowering was complete and the leaves died.

Wayne dug some potatoes this week for his famous sliced potatoes and onions cooked in foil on the BBQ. This picture shows the ones that came out of about one fifth of the barrel. I'm going to leave the rest in the soil and dig them as needed. They will rest there without sprouting for several months, insulated from the cold by the well drained soil. They'll be nice to have this winter for soups, stews and baked in foil in our wood burning stove. Growing potatoes in a barrel was a huge success. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed. -- Margy