Growing potatoes in containers - how?

[pugs]

I've been reading up on growing potatoes in containers and the method I'd like to try is growing them in a garbage can, which seems the cheapest container I can find.

Question, do the taters really get enough light in the cans? The directions say to put 6" of soil in the bottom, plant the potatoes then keep filling the can as they grow. It just seems like it would be rather dark for them till they get close to the top of the can.

Any ideas, or good links would be helpful.

Thanks,

Pugs

[Alan]

I would definetly think that they wouldn't get enough light that way. Can you come by some used tires? If so, we did this in highschool as an experiment, fill up the tire with some good soil and compost, plant your potatoes and after they grow for a while add another tire and compost, keep doing so as long as you can and when the potatoes are where you think you want them, remove the tires and you'll have potatoes all the way down to the bottom!

We did this five tractor tires deep in high school! It was very cool, youv'e never seen so many potatoes from one plant!

[grunt]

What Alan said.

[canadamike]

You can also put potatoes in the tire per say, they love the heat, and will grow from the center too.

You can also poke (saw) larde hole in the sides and put taters close, they will find the light.

I had a cedar composter once, and I would put taters in the bottom and add as I filles it. They grew through the horizontal openings and where VERY healthy and productive. The same goes with tomatoes. The plants should still go strong and be dark green by the time most are about done..In that case, you have to put them through the cracks and make sure roots are well covered.

A compost pile, especially a contained one, (we tend to pile roughly on a simple mound, and not be careful, as a contained one has the walls for plant protection ) is a super garden in a mini space.

I always wanted to try melons too, as I have no doubts they would thrive...

There is NO DOUBT WHATSOEVER in my mind that ''tire"" growing potatoes is a fantastic solution for small spaces. I saw a gardener who grew ALL his potatoes that way, and I would be hard pressed to devise a more productive system per square foot.

Vertical is to gardening what skyscrapers are to a city: a way to put much more on a land...

[gardenhappy]

i'VE GOT GRUBS AND ANTS EATING MY POTATO'S IN THE GROUND,MABIE i SHOULD JUST PLANT THE REST I HAVE LEFT THIS WAY!!! iT'S EASY TO GET USED TIRES BUT i HAVE ONE QUESTION
wHAT ABOUT POSIN OR CHEMICALS COMMING FROM HOT RUBBER?

[canadamike]

Very old tires pose a risk because of the leaded gazolines, but not modern ones, rubber, sulfur and steel are ok, and polymers are inerts
I would put 2 layers of geotextile cloth on the ground and put light soil over it to cut the grubs

[bluelacedredhead]

Michel,
I am thinking of planting the tubers you sent me in a garbage can so I can move them.
Or, when would they be ready to harvest if I put them in the ground say, midMay?? too precious to waste or to leave...