Growing Spuds In A Barrel

The idea behind using barrels, to grow potatoes, is to make it hard for critters, such as gophers, to ruin your crop.  Start with 4 plastic 50 - 55 gallon barrels.  Drill drainage holes in the bottom.  Set the barrels up on blocks.

Cut up potatoes which have started to sprout.  Leave an eye or two on each piece. Dry these out for two days in a cool, dry room. This will help prevent wet rot. Plant the spuds in a shallow layer of soil and compost in the bottom of the barrel.

As the potatoes grow, add more soil and compost. After they reach the top of the barrel, plant a couple of bush beans in each barrel. This is a companion plant for potatoes. The beans protect the potatoes against the Colorado potato beetle, and the potatoes protect the beans against the Mexican bean beetle. Horseradish is also good for the potato and distasteful to pests.   DO NOT co-plant with onions or garlic.

As soon as the potatoes flower you will find little spuds in the soil.

 "Thieve" early potatoes by scratching away the soil and picking out the spuds. Replace the soil.  (Remember how many you took this way when you're calculating your yield.)

When the whole plant dies back, kick over the barrel for a bountiful harvest. Try starting with two barrels of red potatoes, one of white russet, and one of Yukon gold.

Toss the dried potato vines on your compost heap. They contain lots of potash.

Potatoes can be left in the dirt as long as it is dry and not too warm (but don't let the sun "green" them). If they are muddy, toss them in a bucket of water and let the mud wash off.

For fun, fast and easy vegetable growing:

(Click on the pictures)