Potato - vegetable crop, grown in all regions of the country. The goal of planting potatoes is to get a large and high-quality harvest. To do this you need to select best variety for planting, select a place, fertilize the soil, carry out agrotechnical measures to care for the bushes. Growing potatoes in boxes is an experimental way of planting vegetables to get a good harvest.
The principle of growing in boxes
Potato growing is of great importance in Russian agricultural production.
Productivity depends on several factors:
- Potato variety;
- Soil condition;
- Agrotechnical measures for crop care.
The number of potatoes on a bush depends on the length of the underground part of the stem: the larger it is, the better the harvest. Hilling up potatoes increases the underground stem area.
The effectiveness of growing potatoes in boxes is that the stems of the bush grow in length. The boxes are gradually “increased” in height by stacking them on top of each other or nailing additional boards. The soil must be added as the potatoes grow - this stimulates the growth of new shoots-stolons. The process is repeated until the bush is completely grown.
The method of planting vegetables in boxes is productive. If you follow all the recommendations when planting potatoes and the rules for caring for the plant, you can get big harvest. One potato can grow up to 5 kg of vegetables.
Advantages and disadvantages of the method
The method of planting potatoes in an unusual way has its pros and cons.
Gardeners note the advantages of growing vegetables in boxes:
- Large harvest from each bush, growing vegetables is easy;
- The method does not take time and effort for hilling and weeding. Straw makes an excellent layer of mulch;
- No planting bed required;
- Allows for more efficient use of the garden area that was previously occupied by a potato field; potatoes in boxes are placed on beds;
- You can start planting in early spring; the box can be easily covered to protect it from frost;
- By growing potatoes in boxes, the soil is not depleted;
- The method is suitable for arid regions;
- The Colorado potato beetle does not attack the bushes;
- Harvesting is simple and convenient. There is no need to dig up the area; to do this, on the day of collection you will only need to disassemble the box and collect clean and large potatoes in a bucket.
The disadvantages include:
- Preparing boxes for planting. They are either made independently or bought in stores. Wooden pallets can be used;
- The soil for planting potatoes in boxes will have to be formed by mixing peat and sand. Ordinary land won't fit;
- Slugs can live in boxes;
- Constant monitoring of soil moisture is necessary; it is important to constantly water the potato tuber during the dry period.
The new cultivation of potatoes in boxes raises doubts among gardeners, but knowing the basic rules of the method, even beginners will be able to do it. The new method of planting potatoes has few disadvantages. If you know how to do everything correctly, then by autumn the gardener will reap a decent harvest.
Conditions for landing
Choosing the right potato variety is the key to successful work.
The following varieties are suitable for planting in a box:
- Nevsky;
- Youth;
- American;
- Reliable;
- Shante;
- Belarus.
Just a note. If you plant low-quality, small potatoes, the harvest will be small. Very large tubers contribute to the active development of the above-ground part. Green tops will take away the main nutrition, and the crop will grow average
To grow a vegetable, you can leave the variety you like that was used previously.
What you will need for disembarkation
You need to either buy or make wooden boxes yourself. It is important to install pallets or boxes without bottoms correctly. Pegs are driven into the ground, boards are attached to them or pallets are placed on them. The box can be built from boards and pine bars.
The site for planting should be chosen in the sun, on an elevated, flat surface.
In the place where the boards are attached, small holes are drilled for screws. Such boards can be used for several years.
To grow potatoes in boxes, the gardener should prepare special soil. The basis of the soil is a peat mixture. It has a loose structure, absorbs and retains moisture well. In the sun, peat can warm up completely. Plants growing in peat mixture are less susceptible to attacks by pests and diseases.
You can enrich the peat mixture by adding a layer of sand. It should be ¼ of the soil. Limestone or chalk is mixed into peat, at the rate of 70-75 g per 10 kg of soil.
Just a note. If there is no peat mixture, you can replace it with soil from the site, which must first be mixed with compost and ash.
Ash is used in any method of planting potatoes to prevent diseases and protect tubers from pests. It is not advisable to use manure as fertilizer before planting potatoes in boxes. Insect larvae multiply in it, which can harm the plant.
The soil in which potatoes grew cannot be reused. Often pathogens that cause tuber diseases remain in the ground. This soil can be used to grow other garden crops, and new soil is prepared for potatoes.
It is not recommended to place boxes for growing potatoes on the shady side of the plot - the bushes are affected by late blight.
Step-by-step steps for growing crops in boxes
Grow potatoes in boxes - unusual way, so there are special care requirements.
Technology for growing potatoes in boxes:
- The bottomless box must stand on bricks. This promotes normal soil aeration, since there will be no opportunity to loosen the soil;
- Place paper on the bricks under the bottom and sprinkle with a layer of expanded clay screenings with humus; you can lay out a layer of straw;
- Prepare the sprouted tubers, place them on the bottom of the structure, sprinkle with peat mixture;
- If planting is done in early spring, then the box is covered with agrofibre or film;
- After the first shoots appear, the structure is expanded and the second floor is completed. The top of the sprouts is sprinkled with a prepared mixture of peat and sand. The procedure is repeated until buds form, until about July;
- To prevent early budding, the soil is watered with compost and protected from excessive direct sunlight;
- Caring for bushes consists of regular watering, fertilizing, protection from possible pests;
- The end of September is harvest time. 7-10 days before harvesting the potatoes, you can cut off all the tops, this will allow the peel to become denser.
You can plant potatoes in a wooden box if the area is small, or the usual method does not bring the expected harvest.
Basic rules of care
Cultivation of vegetables comes down to performing the following manipulations:
- Water;
- Fertilize;
- Carry out preventive measures.
Watering growing potatoes in boxes is inconvenient due to the confined space. Before completing the second floor, it is necessary to dig 4 metal pipes with through holes at different heights for water supply.
Feed potatoes in the same way as during normal planting. Spraying of bushes against pests is carried out as needed. In boxes, bushes are less likely to be attacked by the Colorado potato beetle and other diseases.
Planting potatoes in boxes will allow you to grow a good potato harvest. By following the planting instructions and care rules, the gardener will appreciate the simplicity and effectiveness of this method.
The traditional vegetable crop for our region - potatoes - is grown by most amateur gardeners. Not everyone is satisfied with standard care, high labor costs and often disappointing results. Some experiment with soil or planting to achieve greater yields per square meter of soil. Not all research turns out to be successful, but some of them actually bring very good results. One such innovation is growing potatoes in boxes.
What is new about this method? Planting material is not planted in the soil directly on the site. For a new method of growing, some kind of container is used. Anything durable made of plastic or wood will do for the experiment. It could be an old barrel, a canister, a spacious box, etc. The main condition is to get rid of the bottom of the container, leaving only the side walls, this is done so that moisture does not accumulate in the container, otherwise the potatoes will begin to rot. For the necessary air access, holes are provided in the walls of the structure.
Everyone knows that potato tubers form on roots that grow quickly in the ground. To make the root system more branched, potatoes are hilled several times during the growing process. It is known from practice that the more soil can be turned in, the root system can emerge more widely, and accordingly more tubers will be formed. The result is that you have an excellent harvest under other similar conditions.
Growing potatoes in boxes is based precisely on this feature: to obtain the most developed root system. However, as with any method, this also has its own characteristics - this is the choice of location for the structure and the formation of a fertile environment for planting vegetables.
The ordinary soil on your site will not be suitable for use, even if you regularly enrich and fertilize it, because it is not a ridge that is being formed, but a closed space. You will have to prepare the soil yourself. Gardeners who have successfully tested this method advise using peat as a base because of its porous structure, excellent moisture absorption, and good heating sun rays, ability to retain moisture during dry periods. In peat, plants are less susceptible various diseases, which is important when setting tubers. To enrich the mixture, we add sand to the peat for better heating of the layer; it will be about 1/4 of the total volume of soil obtained.
Next, add chalk or lime flour: if the peat is wet, then 70 grams will be enough for every 10 kg; if dry, increase the dose to 75-80 g. If getting peat is problematic for you, you can use a mixture of compost and soil from the site, enriching her ashes. It is recommended to cover potatoes with ash during any planting method in order to protect them from diseases and pests. Gardeners have polar opinions on the use of manure in the mixture: some advise adding it, as when growing other vegetables, while others categorically advise against it because of the possible presence of plant pests or their larvae in it. Interestingly, both of them received excellent results, so we leave the addition of this component at your discretion.
To place the box would be better suited place in the sun or partial shade. It is better not to use shaded areas, because... Potatoes there are successfully affected by late blight, which we do not strive for at all.
Box structure
As we have already mentioned, seedlings can be placed in any box without a bottom. But it will be much more effective to build a special box. Let's consider the stages of its construction.
We will need scraps of not too wide boards and timber. Such building materials are necessarily present in any summer cottage. Materials about a meter long are suitable. The beam is needed for the stability of the future structure. In principle, you can do without it if you think about how to keep the box with soil and potatoes from falling apart.
The procedure for arranging a box for planting
We knock the boards into a frame, where the height is the width of the board. We fill this enclosure with prepared soil. We place previously sprouted potatoes in it, evenly placing them around the perimeter, for example, 4 rows of 4 tubers each. Sprinkle the seedlings with soil and a small layer of straw. Next, we should water our new “bed” well. To make potatoes germinate faster, it is recommended to cover the box with film. Now we wait for the shoots to appear. As soon as the height of the plants approaches the edge of the enclosure, the time will come to form a new floor of our structure. Using the old principle, we add height to the side, carefully cover the shoots with prepared soil, add another layer of straw and water. If the street is already warm enough, then you can no longer cover the box, if you want to get more intensive cultivation– you can cover the structure with agrofibre.
This procedure for building the box will be repeated until you reach the desired height. Usually it is 4-5 tiers. In pursuit of height, try not to overdo it, so that you don’t end up with a hugely long stem with a small number of tubers. The final height will be about 50-60 cm, some farmers grow up to 1 meter. Top floor installed about a month before harvest, so if you dig up potatoes in mid-to-late August, you should add the last boards in mid-July and do not increase the number of floors in the box.
Try to ensure that the tops develop normally; there is no need to bury them in the ground to the very top.
Growing potatoes in boxes is not left to chance. Our structure needs to be watered and fertilized. We water no more than 2 times a week, fertilize - as with normal cultivation. To do this, you can use a manure solution or other fertilizer that you usually use.
This method will be successful for older gardeners, because the labor costs for it are much less, and in old age, health does not always allow one to achieve the desired result.
Video “Growing potatoes in wooden boxes”
The video tells and shows how to grow potatoes in boxes: soil preparation, planting material, planting technology.
We offer you unconventional methods of growing potatoes that do not require planting tubers in open soil. The listed methods will save not only time, but also effort. Growing potatoes in bags, barrels, and boxes is an experiment that is sure to surprise and delight every gardener!
The following varieties are suitable for cultivation:
- Belarus
- Shante
- Reliable
- Youth
- Slav
- Nevsky
- Sineglazka
- Lugovskoy
- Lukyanovsky
- American
Potatoes in barrels
This technology is simply irreplaceable if you do not have a very large plot and little space for planting potatoes. You will need metal or plastic barrel without bottom. The absence of a bottom will provide free exit of excess moisture, as well as access for earthworms.
Growing potatoes in barrels requires taking care of sufficient ventilation of the plant root system. To do this, you need to make side holes in the barrel. If the material does not allow making holes, you can lay a hose with slots inside, into which air is regularly pumped using a pump (every two to three days).
You need to place compost at the bottom of the barrel (10-20 cm layer). If there is not enough compost, you can mix it with soil.
You need to lay the tubers on a layer of compost along the walls of the barrel. The distance between the tubers should be approximately 20 cm and the same to the edges of the barrel. If the barrel is wide, then tubers are also placed in the middle.
A mixture of soil and compost (about 10 cm) should be placed on top of the tubers.
When shoots appear (stem height up to 5 cm), they must be sprinkled with the same mixture. Each time the seedlings poke out, the procedure is repeated; and so on until the barrel is full. The seedlings can be sprinkled almost completely. It is advisable not to allow the seedlings to grow more than 5 cm in height, since even covered with soil, they will not form a root system. If you missed the right moment, it doesn’t matter: add a few more potatoes to the new layer.
Also remember to keep the soil loose and moist.
Regular watering and fertilizing will ensure a good harvest: up to a bag of potatoes from one barrel. If instead of a barrel you take special containers with revision holes, then the crop can be harvested through them.
Potatoes in bags
The technology for growing potatoes in bags does not differ significantly from a similar technique for barrels. The only difference: when you've added the first layer of potatoes, fold the edges of the bag. And as the soil is added, the edges need to be turned away.
You can grow sprouts, peels or cut potatoes with eyes in bags. Sacks of sugar, flour, cereals, as well as plastic bags and old bags are suitable. Before planting, it is advisable to treat potatoes with the drug phytosporin (for diseases).
Bags for growing potatoes must be placed in a well-warmed place. Keep the soil moist by watering the plants regularly. If it is impossible to use compost soil, then you can fertilize ordinary garden soil with Gumi Omi Potatoes or Bionex.
Potatoes in boxes
A wooden, plastic or cardboard box will do:
Water regularly. No need. The harvest is small, but considering that it saves space in the garden, this method is what you need!
Pros and cons of growing potatoes outside the beds
We can say with confidence that this method of agricultural technology is replete with positive aspects. Judge for yourself:
- no Colorado potato beetle. Because potato sprouts are almost always underground;
- with such compact planting, potatoes crowd out weeds;
- bags can be placed in convenient location: on the balcony, in the garage or barn;
- no need to dig and hill. When you pour soil into a bag or barrel, this is the hilling process;
- after the tops wither, the box, bag or barrel can simply be turned upside down;
- Vertical beds allow you to make the most of your potato yield. Each bag can collect up to a bucket of potatoes, and even more from a barrel.
The only downside is constant monitoring of soil moisture. Especially if the potatoes are planted in a barrel, since the water drains out of it faster. If possible, organize drip irrigation, don't neglect it.
And finally, a short video on the topic of growing potatoes in bags:
Technology for growing potatoes in boxes
This technology for growing potatoes has received the highest rating and is recommended for use by everyone.
You can use any container as a box: a wooden or plastic barrel, a large box with meter dimensions, or even a reinforced concrete ring for wells.
First, the container should be freed from the bottom - this will allow excess moisture to escape and open the passage for earthworms. If the material allows, then the entire surface of the container should be drilled with small holes. They should be placed at a distance of 10-20 cm and the diameter should be kept within 1-1.5 cm. This procedure is necessary in order to ensure air access to the rhizomes, since potatoes are extremely demanding on the air regime of the soil.
If the material does not allow making holes, then a hose is laid in a spiral inside the box, through which holes are made every 20-25 cm. One end of the hose is clogged and sinks to the bottom, the other, arranged in ascending spiral rings, comes to the surface. Through it, using a bicycle pump, you will need to pump air 3 times a week, for 5-10 minutes, which will supply oxygen to the root system of the plants.
Since, when growing potatoes in boxes, it is expected to reap a good harvest, you should take the composition of the soil seriously; simply throwing soil from the garden with a shovel will not work. The bottom of the container, to a thickness of 10 cm, is laid out with urgasy concentrate, prepared independently from food waste.
To prepare the concentrate you need all food waste, including fish scales, bones and eggshells, collect and lay out in a thin layer in a plastic bag, and sprinkle the organo-microbiological preparation Urgas on top, then tie the bag and leave for fermentation for 3-4 days. The result is a highly valuable organic fertilizer.
A soil mixture consisting of the above-described compost, turf soil and ordinary soil, taken in equal proportions, is laid out on the urgasa. The soil layer is 10 cm, and here, in fact, the planting of tubers begins. This technology for growing potatoes assumes that potatoes will be planted every 20 cm, and if the container is round, planting should be done diametrically, if square, in a checkerboard pattern. Having planted the first layer, lay out a coil of air hose, sprinkle it with a layer of soil, water it and plant the layer of potatoes again. This planting can be done in three floors.
If everything is done correctly, then in a small container the formation of powerful root systems will begin, on which many potato tubers will form. You should not forget to maintain optimal water-air balance in the soil and fertilize.
Similar to the technology described above is growing potatoes in bags that can be hung, placed on the balcony and moved. It is recommended to take canvas bags with handles, with a capacity of approximately 40 liters. By growing potatoes in bags, you can get an extra-early harvest of tubers, since the bags can be hidden indoors at night and from frost.
Experiment, try and your reward will be a high yield from a small plot.
Do you want to eat potatoes in June? Plant it in box beds!
The agricultural company "SeDeK" actively uses its lands in the Kashira district for various types of experiments. One of them is designed to prove: you don’t need to have tens of hectares of land to get a large harvest of potato tubers. Moreover, in terms of per hectare, not even large number land can produce more potatoes than a whole field. A few ridge boxes are enough! This is the so-called intensive potato growing technology to receive early harvests.
Never used this method? Look at the results from Agrofirm "SeDeK" and use it on your site. We tested early and mid-season varieties, mainly of domestic selection: Alena, Irbitsky, Kamensky, Leader, League, Charm, Luck, Hostess. And also variety Felox German selection.
The land was prepared in advance, in the fall. Contributed organic fertilizers and dug up the ridges. In March, when there was still snow, they covered the ground with film.
Tubers were planted in ridges April 24 sprouted tubers. Two weeks before planting, the tubers were germinated in a moist peat mixture in boxes at a temperature of +23 +25°C and light. Tubers were planted in a checkerboard pattern.
A double film was reinforced on the arcs installed above the ridges, and the surface of the soil in the ridges was covered with dense lutrasil (non-woven material). With the onset of warm weather and when the threat of frost had passed, Lutrasil was removed. When the height of the plants reached the level of the film, it was also removed.
After the first shoots appear (already a week after planting), you need to loosen the soil a little and water if necessary. After complete removal of lutrasil, it is necessary to carry out deep hilling with fertilizing for each plant.
As for the film, it can be opened slightly during the day and closed at night. In May, do not rush to remove the film completely, as night frosts are very likely.
Budding occurs at the end of May, and flowering occurs at the beginning of June ( exact dates depend on the ripening period of the variety).
The first digging of potato tubers was carried out on the 45th day after planting, i.e. June 7, the second on the 60th day - June 22, subsequent ones with an interval of 10 days.
Excellent variety Alena. Already on the 45th day, the average yield per bush was 989 g, and on the 60th day – 2000 g! The marketability of tubers was 90% - a super indicator! That is, almost all tubers had an attractive shape, skin color, and presentation.
The variety is not far behind League– 840 g per bush on the 45th day; 1500 g – on the 60th day. Famous variety Luck also generated a very high yield - 735 g per bush. On the 60th day, the yield doubled.
Variety Mistress It is interesting because, being mid-season, it is capable of producing impressive early harvests.
Now comes the fun part.
We decided to determine what results the same varieties show when grown in field conditions and in box beds.
Potato varieties planted in early date in ridge-boxes, they were 1.5-2 times more productive than varieties cultivated in field conditions! Judge for yourself! Record holder for yield in boxes - variety League(1682.5 g per bush) showed in field conditions the result of 889 g per bush. And the difference in yield per hectare was 39.6 tons!
From the table we can conclude that potato yield most depends on the eliteness of the seed (super-super-elite and super-elite material is among the leaders in yield). The second factor is the method of cultivation (here the conclusions are obvious: potatoes grown in beds-boxes significantly outperform their counterparts from the field plot in terms of yield). Planting timing, soil fertility and potato harvesting timing are also of great importance.
I would like to especially cancel that our main task was analysis of the potential capabilities of each variety at different times of excavation, rather than calculating the total yield. For this purpose, we did 5 diggings at different times, which is why the total yield decreased by 40-60% of the potential. Consequently, the indicators in your areas will be higher than the indicators in this table.
Experiments have shown that modern varieties of Russian and foreign selection with an intensive cultivation method are capable of producing up to 1 ton or more per hundred square meters, even in a year with minimal precipitation in terms of weather conditions that are not very good.
| So, why is it worth growing potatoes using intensive technology in box beds?
1) even without a field for cultivating potatoes, you can get harvests on your several hundred square meters. 2) in July, when you can only buy old Russian or young Egyptian potatoes on the market, you will already have your own harvest of early potatoes, very beautiful in shape and color of the skin. 3) the yield of potatoes when using this method is higher than the yield of the same varieties when grown in the field. 4) after the potato bed is free, you can plant any other crop on it: greens, radishes, salads, etc. And this is only for the better! The soil in the ridge-boxes after potatoes is very fertile, as we dug it up and applied organic fertilizers. There are no weeds in it! And the space on the site will not be empty. 5) Potatoes bloom very beautifully, and can even replace flowers in your area. 6) Using box beds, you can determine the potential and productivity of the varieties you are interested in for planting next year. 7) you can propagate exclusive, rare or simply especially liked varieties. |
Potatoes are a common product for our country. This plant is universal in nature - it is used not only as a food and feed crop, but also as a technical crop. As for the nutritional advantage of the crop, it lies in the high calorie content of potatoes.
Description of culture
Potatoes are perennial, which is preferred to be grown as an annual.
The plant is characterized by a fibrous root system, which penetrates into the soil to a relatively shallow depth (most of the rhizome remains in the arable layer).
The potato tuber, which is consumed as food, is a slightly modified stem with eyes. At first glance, the position of the eyes may seem chaotic, but in fact they are located in a spiral.
Ripe tubers have several layers:
- a peel that reliably protects the root crop from drying out and the negative influence of the environment;
- parenchyma with a high starch content;
- educational fabric.
In addition to the above, inside the potato there are vascular bundles that directly connect to the eyes. There are a large number of varieties of this crop, which differ not only in color and shape, but also in their taste characteristics.
The potato bush is distinguished by an erect stem, the height of which can vary from 30 to 150 cm. The inflorescences of the plant can have various colors, but are more often white. Flowers consist of 5-6 petals. Flowering begins a little more than a month after the first shoots. Potatoes are self-pollinating. The harvest (directly depending on the climatic characteristics of the planting region) begins to be harvested from mid-August. Planting into the soil takes place in May.
Planting potatoes in beds
Many of those who have a summer house prefer to plant potatoes in beds. This planting method will be appreciated by any lazy gardener. The fact is that planting potatoes in ridges allows you to grow root crops with minimal effort, because such cultivation of potatoes allows you to avoid loosening the soil and hilling. The method of growing potatoes in beds allows you to get an excellent harvest even on poor soils.
Other benefits include:
- convenience of watering;
- saving space in the garden;
- significant increase in yield.
Narrow beds
The width of potato beds can vary, but more often potatoes are cultivated in narrow beds. Before placing planting material in the ground, the future potato bed must be thoroughly cleared of weeds. The better the weeds are removed, the less effort will subsequently be required for weeding.
The placement of beds should be planned in advance. Then they will not change, which will allow you not to dig up the space between the rows in the fall.
Important! Narrow potato beds take up a third of the garden space.
The main features of the narrow ridges in which planting will be carried out are as follows:
- size: length - about 10 m, width - 45 centimeters; Such dimensions allow for a two-row method of planting potatoes;
- if you follow the order of watering and fertilizing, the crop will give a higher and more abundant harvest;
- V southern regions a narrow bed allows you to get two full harvests in one season.
Box beds
Another way to plant potatoes in beds is to use boxes.
This technology allows you to reliably protect the plant from cold and sudden temperature changes.
In order to make such a box, you will need:
- boards;
- nails;
- dye.
Advice. Slate should not be used as a base for boxes. Its production uses asbestos, which negatively affects the soil.
Since a stationary box for planting potatoes is made for more than one year, the wood requires additional treatment with paint or varnish. If this is not done, organic natural material will quickly rot. Alternatively, you can singe the boards with a blowtorch or whiten them with lime.
The length of the boxes is usually about 6 m, the width is 1 m, and the height is about half a meter. The distance between the boxes should not be less than 60 cm. The box bed is filled traditionally: with sand, peat, compost and sawdust.
The sprouted tubers are placed in a box in two rows, observing a checkerboard pattern. Then they are covered with earth with a small amount of ash. Then mulch (hay, sawdust or peat) is laid. Arcs are installed over the bed, over which the film is stretched. When growing in a box, potatoes require abundant watering (about twice a week). Additional fertilizer is not needed - everything necessary to get a high yield is contained in the mulch.
Warm beds
In harsh climates, so that the potatoes begin to turn white with their flowers in a timely manner and have time to ripen in a short summer, the crop is planted in warm beds. You can plant tubers as follows: place a tablespoon of vermicompost in each hole and wood ash, the cells themselves are arranged in a checkerboard pattern.
Just a note. In case of morning frosts, beds with potatoes, when planting which a warm version of the bed was used, should additionally be insulated with freshly cut grass or straw. Freshly cut grass without seeds can also be used.
In this case, humus, hay, spruce needles and tree bark can be used for mulching.
Vertical types of beds
For those who value the most economical options for growing potatoes, a vertical planting scheme is optimal. She suggests that the potato head is placed in old barrels, bags or cans for planting. The method is best suited for use on small garden plots, whose soil is not very fertile.
The container (bag or canister) must be convenient for transportation. In addition, it should be additionally equipped with holes. They are vital for ensuring ventilation of the root system. Holes with a diameter of about 1 cm will be enough. Next, the container needs to be filled with a mixture of humus, soil, and peat. A sprouted or simply planted tuber or part of it with a sufficient number of eyes is placed with the sprouts up during the planting process.
When planting tubers is completed, the plant needs to be watered abundantly. When the potato sprout reaches a height of 7 cm, soil is added to the level of the last leaves. The procedure should be continued until the volume of the planting container is sufficient. The described procedure completely replaces hilling.
Furrow beds
The method of planting potato crops in double furrow beds is quite interesting. Compost with ash added to it, straw and only then the sprouted tuber should be placed at the bottom.
Often, when planting in such beds, potato tubers are used, which are cut in half or into several parts. In this case, the cutting is done in such a way that there are several eyes on each part of the potato.
Before planting potatoes, the tubers are sprinkled with ash. This not only significantly accelerates the growth of stems and root systems, but also reduces the risk of plant disease from late blight.
Planting in double furrows is done in even rows at a distance of 30 to 35 cm from one another. In this case, a distance of about 20 cm should remain between the seedlings.
Whichever of the listed methods of planting potatoes in beds is chosen, it is strongly recommended to fertilize the plants about a month before harvesting. To do this, use superphosphate and boric acid. For 100 square meters, 6 kg is usually sufficient boric acid and 5 kg of superphosphate, diluted in water. Even if the potatoes were planted on fertile soils, the fertilization procedure can increase the yield by at least 10%, while simultaneously promoting the successful outflow of starch into the tubers from the tops.
When choosing a bed method of planting potatoes, you can forever forget about the walk-behind tractor and the need to plow the area for planting.