Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
#175 Dtp: 229 Page: 222
700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 222 5/24/17 12:23 PM
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
#175 Dtp: 229 Page: 223
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
#175 Dtp: 229 Page: 222
700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 223 6/5/17 3:15 PM
While you can harvest a good potato crop from just about any wide, deep
container, this one is perfect for budget-savvy gardeners.
Because the edible portion of a potato plant are the underground
tubers that form along the base of the stem, the more stem surface you
have beneath the soil’s surface, the more potatoes the plant produces.
This potato bin uses a series of layers to continually bury the plant as
it grows, leading to the production of many large, potassium-packed
tubers. When done properly, the 3 to 5 pounds of seed potatoes planted in
each bin yield 30 to 50 pounds of mature tubers.
POTATO
BIN
MATERIALS NEEDED
A roll of 3 to 4-ft. tall
metal chicken wire or
cattle fencing
Newspaper
3 to 5 pounds of seed
potatoes
Enough 50/50 blend of
compost and potting
soil to fill the bin,
or any mixture of
compost, potting soil,
shredded leaves,
year-old composted
manure, or any other
organic matter
Straw
TOOLS NEEDED
Wire cutters
Knife
222
Text Black Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete#175 Dtp: 229 Page: 222^
700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 222 5/24/17 1:07 PM
STEP 1 If the seed potatoes are larger than a golf ball,
use a sharp, clean knife to cut them into 1-in. chunks,
making sure each piece has at least one “eye.” Let any
cut seed potato pieces rest on the kitchen counter for
a day to callus over before building your potato bin.
Do not plant grocery-store potatoes, as they’re often
treated with an anti-sprouting chemical that prevents
them from growing. Purchase your seed potatoes from
a reputable local nursery or online source.
STEP 2 Use a pair of wire cutters to cut a piece of the
metal fencing. You can make the bin any size you’d like.
For a bin with a 5-ft. diameter, use a 16-ft. foot piece of
fencing. For a bin that’s 4 ft. across, the fence should
HOW TO MAKE A POTATO BIN
be 12^1 ⁄ 2 ft. long. A 3-ft. bin requires a fence piece that’s
91 ⁄ 2 ft. long. Bend the fencing into a cylindrical shape
and wrap the loose ends of wire around each other to
fasten it closed. Place your bin in an area that receives
6 to 8 hours of full sun per day.
STEP 3 Spread a layer of newspaper, 5 to 6 layers
thick, around the inside of the bottom part of the wire
bin. This will hold the soil inside the bin and form your
first layer. At the end of the season, the newspaper
will degrade. Fill the bottom of the bin up to the top
of the newspapers with a 50/50 blend of compost and
potting soil (or another mixture of organic matter as
mentioned above).
Continued
223
Text Black
1 2
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
#175 Dtp: 229 Page: 223
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
#175 Dtp: 229 Page: 222
700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 223 5/24/17 1:07 PM