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How to grow potatoes in bags and pots: easy step-by-step guide

March 10, 2020 by Catherine 40 Comments

seed potatoes
How to grow potatoes in bags

It’s potato planting time! If you’d like learn how to grow potatoes in bags, this guide covers everything you need to know. As well as a guide to growing potatoes in bags and pots, there’s an explanation of the different potato varieties and tips on the best potatoes to grow in containers.

Growing potatoes in bags and pots

I think it’s impossible to beat the taste of homegrown new potatoes, and they’re not difficult to grow at all.  In fact they’re a brilliant veg to grow with kids; they’re nice and chunky to handle when planting, the kids get to pile soil on them as they grow, and harvest time is basically a treasure hunt as all those lovely spuds are unearthed!

Can you grow potatoes in bags?

If you’ve got lots of room in the garden or at an allotment, you can of course grow potatoes in rows and get a really big crop, but don’t be put off if you don’t have a lot of space.  You can grow potatoes in pots and bags very successfully, and using this method is perfect for small gardens or your first efforts at grow your own.  Container grown potatoes taste just as good as those grown in the ground too.

Here’s how to grow potatoes in pots and bags.

potatoes with shovel

The best potatoes to grow in bags

Before you start planting potatoes in bags, it’s worth understanding a bit about the different types you can grow.

There are three main varieties of potatoes for growing. The name of each reflects the time of year that you plant and harvest them.

  • ‘first early’ varieties will be ready to harvest soonest – around June. First earlies are what we traditionally think of as ‘new’ potatoes.
  • ‘second early’ varieties are also ‘new’ potatoes, but they take a few more weeks to grow.
  • ‘maincrop’ varieties produce potatoes that are best suited to baking, mashing and roasting. They take the longest amount of time to grow, and are ready for harvesting from late July to September.

What month do you plant potatoes in bags?

March is traditionally the most popular time of year to plant potatoes in pots and bags. Having said that, if you choose the right variety you can plant them in April and May and still have a crop before autumn.

potatoes on soil

How long does it take to grow potatoes in a bag?

The amount of time it takes for your potato harvest to be ready is mainly influenced by the variety of potato you choose. The weather also plays a part.

  • First early potatoes are ready to harvest around 10 weeks after planting.
  • Second early potatoes are ready to harvest around 13 weeks after planting.
  • Maincrop potatoes are ready to harvest around 20 weeks after planting.

It’s really up to you which variety you choose; just decide when you’d ideally like to harvest your potatoes. Once you know this, you can work out which variety is the best option. You can also check the growing times on the bag.

If you’re planting potatoes in bags in April or May, it’s a good idea to go for a first early or second early potato variety which takes less time to grow.

Once you’ve decided which type of potato you’d like to grow, you’re ready to buy your seed potatoes.

seed potatoes

What are seed potatoes?

Seed potatoes are potatoes that have been grown with the specific purpose of being replanted to produce a crop of potatoes. The little shoots that sprout from each potato are where the crop will develop.

It’s definitely a good idea to buy seed potatoes as opposed to potatoes which you’ve bought to eat that have sprouted, because seed potatoes are guaranteed to be free of viruses.

How to make seed potatoes sprout

It’s a good idea to let your seed potatoes sprout before you plant them. This gets the growing process started sooner, which gives you an earlier harvest and can also increase yield.

How do I encourage potatoes to sprout?

To encourage your seed potatoes to sprout, you need to put them in a cool, frost-free, light place. This is often referred to as “chitting”.

You might find that the seed potatoes you’ve bought are already sprouting. This is fine, and has actually saved you a bit of time!  If not, pop them into a plant saucer, shallow tray or old egg box until they have grown shoots.

The shoots should look nice and strong, and be reasonably short, with a green or pink colour to them. If your seed potatoes don’t get enough light they will produce long, white shoots that are more fragile.

seed potatoes

How to grow potatoes in bags

When your seed potatoes have sprouted, you’re ready to plant.

All you need is your seed potatoes, some compost, and a potato bag.

Potato containers: a few options for growing potatoes in pots and bags

You can use any large, strong plastic bag as a potato container. For example, you can make your own potato grow bag from an empty compost bag. Bin bags are a bit too flimsy as containers for growing potatoes.

To limit the use of plastic, you can grow potatoes in hessian sacks (also known as burlap sacks), or buy specially designed *potato grow bags like the one we’ve used in the picture below.  These bags can be reused year after year; as you can probably see ours is a bit faded and battered, but it’s still going strong after a few years of use.

how to grow potatoes in bags

Growing potatoes in containers

You can also have a go at planting potatoes in a pot, if you happen to have any spare. The one *pictured below is specifically designed for growing potatoes in containers, and has an inner pot with openings that allow you to check on your crop. You don’t need anything this fancy, but it definitely makes growing potatoes in a pot more fun!

how to grow potatoes in bags and containers

If you do use a plastic bag, make some holes in the bottom for drainage before you start.

Fill your potato grow bag about a quarter full with compost; you can roll down the top to make this easier.

how to grow potatoes in bags

How many potatoes can I plant in a bag?

The number of potatoes you can grow in a bag will vary depending on the size of bag you’re using. For the bag shown in the pictures, I plant 2-3 seed potatoes, depending on how big the potatoes are.

When planting potatoes in pots and bags, don’t be tempted to plant too many in each container. This will just make more plants compete for the same amount of nutrients, and won’t give you a bigger harvest.

How to plant potatoes in bags

Position your potatoes evenly in the bag, with the majority of their sprouting shoots pointing upwards.

how to grow potatoes in bags - planting seed potatoes in bags

Cover the potatoes with another layer of compost, then give them a thorough watering.  And that’s it!

How often do I water potatoes in a bag?

How often you need to water your potatoes in containers will depend on the weather and their location. Check them regularly, and water if the top of the soil feels dry. This is all you need to do until you see leaves appearing on the top of the compost.

Do potatoes need full sun or shade?

Potato plants grow best when they have access to plenty of daylight. A sunny spot is great, but they will also tolerate partial shade.

how to grow potatoes in bags and pots

Earthing up potatoes

When your potatoes have produced leaves, it’s time to earth them up. This is simply adding more compost to cover them up again.  You need to do this for two reasons: to prevent the growing potatoes turning green and poisonous, and to increase your crop by encouraging more potatoes to grow on the buried stems.

Unroll the top of the bag as you add more compost. Repeat this process until you’ve almost filled your bag with compost. At this point you can leave the plants to grow and flower, but keep watering them regularly.

flowering potato plants

How do I know when my potatoes are ready to harvest?

Your potato plants will produce flowers. They are ready to harvest when the flowers start to die off.

To harvest your potatoes, pull the stem of the plant out of the compost. Gather up any potatoes that are still attached to the roots, then check the compost for any that have been left behind.

You don’t have to harvest all of your crop in one go. You can dig up a few potatoes at a time, coming back for more when you need them.

If you’d prefer to dig all your plants up in one go, that’s fine too. Just make sure you store your potatoes somewhere cool and dark until you’re ready to use them. This will keep them fresh and prevent them from sprouting. You can buy *potato storage bags which are designed specifically for this purpose, but a container with a lid or a cloth drawstring bag will work well too.

potato harvest

And that’s all there is to growing potatoes in bags. Follow these few easy steps, and you’ll be enjoying amazing homegrown potatoes this summer. They really do taste so much better than shop-bought!

man's hands holding harvested potatoes

Growing new potatoes for Christmas

New potatoes are very much a summer treat, but it’s perfectly possible to grow potatoes in containers or bags for Christmas lunch too!

The method is just the same, but for a Christmas harvest of potatoes grown in a bag you need to plant your seed potatoes in late summer. Garden centres usually have seed potatoes for sale at this time of year that are specifically suited to this project.

You will need to protect your plants and harvest from frost, so move your bags into a sheltered spot or greenhouse when temperatures start to drop.

If your potatoes are ready a bit too early, you can dig them up, re-bury them in soil, and put them in a frost-free place until you’re ready to eat them. It’s not a great idea to leave them in the ground, as they’ll be vulnerable to damage from frost, slugs and general wet conditions. You can also dig them up and store them in the fridge, or in a bag in the shed or garage, but you’ll lose some of the lovely flavour and texture this way.

heart shaped potato on soil

If you’re interested in other ways to grow potatoes, take a look at this post on how potatoes are grown. This video also covers growing potatoes in bags:

More grow your own inspiration

For more grow your own ideas, you might like to check out these gardening posts:

10 easy vegetables to grow in pots

Quick and easy veg to grow

How to grow a windowsill herb garden

55 easy grow your own tips, ideas and resources

My list of vegetable puns and vegetable jokes also has a whole section on potato gags to get you giggling.

Are you having a go at growing potatoes in pots or bags this year? Do you have any tips on how to grow potatoes in bags or containers?

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Think you don't have enough space to grow potatoes? Think again! Check out this easy guide on how to grow potatoes in bags.
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Filed Under: Grow Your Own Tagged With: Allotment, Containers, Crops, Food, Garden, gardening, Grow Your Own, Harvest, Homegrown, Planting, Potatoes, Spring, Top Tips, Vegetables

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Comments

  1. Karen Stacy says

    April 18, 2017 at 2:45 pm

    They are super to grow, I do not have a large space for gardening and I found that this is the very best and easiest way to grow potatoes. I encourage anyone who likes gardening and has small space try this. You can reap the joy of planting and eating your own food.

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      April 20, 2017 at 9:54 am

      That’s great to hear Karen, it really does work doesn’t it! Hope you have a bumper harvest this year 🙂

      Reply
      • Valerie says

        April 2, 2021 at 12:39 am

        Hi I’m new to this potato growing so I’ve bought 3 grow bags they are a cloth material do I need to put a hole in the Botton of the bags for drainage there is a opening in the bag 1/4 way up thank you

        Reply
        • Catherine says

          April 5, 2021 at 4:40 pm

          I would expect excess water to drain away through a cloth bag without additional holes, but it depends on the material the cloth is made from. You could try adding some water to a bag before you fill it with compost to see how well it drains. If you do decide to add holes, bear in mind that these could weaken the strength of the bag’s base.

          Reply
  2. Jay says

    April 22, 2017 at 1:48 pm

    Great post, and great pics. I do this too. Works every time. The only cautionary tale I have is don’t plant before the frosts are over UNLESS you have some fleece (or other frost protector) to put over bags. I’ve been caught out this last week with just that very thing.

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      April 23, 2017 at 3:08 pm

      Ah that’s a great tip – thanks! We have frosts forecast this week so I’m definitely going to give our bags some protection, just in case. Hope you haven’t lost too many plants.

      Reply
  3. Whitney says

    November 1, 2017 at 12:35 pm

    How many potatoes will grow when you only plant 3 potatoes?

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      November 3, 2017 at 10:55 am

      That really depends on how big your container is and the variety of potato you choose, but in my experience you can expect to harvest around ten potatoes for each one you plant. The process of earthing up encourages more potatoes to grow on the buried stems, so it’s well worth remembering to do this regularly.

      Reply
  4. Connie says

    March 13, 2018 at 10:49 pm

    We would love to try your potato in a bag idea! But we are wondering where to keep the bag. Do you keep it indoors or outside? Which leads me to the next question of what time of year do you plant the potatoes? It is currently the month of March and we live in Minnesota. We would appreciate any advice you could give!

    Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      March 14, 2018 at 11:09 am

      Potatoes are an outdoor crop, so you should definitely keep the bag outside. Potatoes are usually planted in early spring for harvesting 3-4 months later, so the next few weeks would be ideal for getting started where you live. Happy planting!

      Reply
  5. lorraine says

    April 26, 2018 at 1:07 pm

    I’ve not tried growing them in a bag before, I may give this a go this year!

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      April 26, 2018 at 3:00 pm

      Ooh give it a go, it’s really easy and very low maintenance!

      Reply
  6. April says

    June 11, 2018 at 7:14 pm

    What if my potatoes don’t flower?

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      June 12, 2018 at 10:19 am

      Not all potato varieties flower, and you can also have a good crop of potatoes without any flowers at all. I would wait until the growth looks like it’s starting to die back, then carefully check for potatoes – if you find very small ones it’s probably worth waiting a bit longer before harvesting.

      Reply
  7. gillian says

    July 13, 2018 at 10:23 am

    hello Catherine, first can I say love your site you explain things that I understand, Im trying out for the first time growing veg in my back garden ive grew tomatoes, runner beans, were great now im trying to grow potatoes in growing bags the plants are looking healthy and green but still no flowers on the plants? how long do you think I should wait to see if there is any potatoes under the compost? How long does the flowers comes on the vines? Catherine I know this isn’t about potatoes but I would like to grow mushrooms in growing bags, can you tell me how easy to grow them? people have told me its hard to grow mushrooms out doors? if this is true could I grow mushrooms in growing bag in my spare room where its nice and warm? thank you so much catherine

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      July 20, 2018 at 10:33 am

      It sounds like you’re really enjoying growing your own! Not all potato varieties flower, so I think the best thing to do is wait until the foliage starts to turn yellow and die back, then check carefully for potatoes. If you know which variety of potato you planted you can also look up the typical time they take from planting to harvest. I’m afraid I haven’t ever grown mushrooms so I’m not much help with that one! I did find this article over at Thompson & Morgan which might be useful though: https://www.thompson-morgan.com/how-to-grow-mushrooms Happy planting 🙂

      Reply
  8. Martina says

    April 5, 2020 at 4:33 pm

    Hello like to try this with some ikea bags how many wholes I have to punch?

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      April 5, 2020 at 8:06 pm

      I would say around 6-8 holes would provide enough drainage – hope you get a bumper crop!

      Reply
  9. Pauline says

    April 26, 2020 at 2:19 pm

    Hi. Do I have to use black bags? Is the size of a 12.5kg rubble bag right for 3 potatoes or does it need to be bigger?
    Compost. Multi one or does it HAVE to have soil as well.?
    Stay safe. Kind regards
    Pauline

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      April 27, 2020 at 9:03 am

      You don’t have to use black bags, any plastic bag will do as long as it isn’t too flimsy. 3 seed potatoes sounds about right for the bag you describe. Multi-purpose compost is ideal, you don’t need any soil – just the compost. Hope that helps!

      Reply
    • Glenda Reynolds says

      May 5, 2022 at 1:43 am

      My thought on black bags is they absorb heat and help growth. I’ve used black plastic trash bags and it worked well. When I thought they were about ready I felt around for the bumps & cut a slit on the bag and took the ones I wanted & used doct tape to close the opening.

      Reply
  10. Pauline says

    April 27, 2020 at 10:47 am

    Thank you. So I can use see through rubble bags?
    Kind regards

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      April 27, 2020 at 11:41 am

      Ah sorry I didn’t realise you were asking about clear bags. I don’t think clear plastic is a good idea, because you need to keep the growing potatoes away from the light. If they are exposed to light they will turn green and be inedible. So if you can find anything that isn’t clear to hold them that would be best.

      Reply
  11. Ian Sanderson says

    June 4, 2020 at 2:46 pm

    Tried this year with advice from some big name nurseries to fill the bags from the start and plant sets half way down.
    What a disaster, just havested after 12 weeks ‘Royal Kidneys’ and there is practically no crop
    Gutted

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      June 5, 2020 at 1:32 pm

      Oh that’s a real shame – how disappointing! I’ve never tried filling up the bags from the start, and based on your experience I think I’ll stick to the usual method. Hope this doesn’t put you off having another go though.

      Reply
  12. Maggie says

    June 8, 2020 at 7:30 pm

    I live in Spain, I only have a small east/south/west balcony so a lot of sun nearly all day.
    I have a strong supermarket bag, would that do ? Could stand it on a tray to catch any excess water. It’s June now so maybe too late for this year.

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      June 10, 2020 at 3:30 pm

      I think a supermarket bag would be OK as long as it isn’t see-through (if the growing potatoes are exposed to the light they turn green and inedible) – make sure you poke some drainage holes in the bottom. You can still plant seed potatoes if you’ve got some, don’t wait too long to do it though!

      Reply
  13. louise says

    August 23, 2020 at 4:29 pm

    Hi, decided to try and grow potatoes for Christmas. It’s only been three weeks and I have already had to earth up to the top, the shoots were coming up quickly! Does that sound ok? Or will they be ready much earlier than Christmas?? Thanks

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      August 25, 2020 at 9:43 am

      I think you’ll be fine – if your potatoes are ready a bit too early (they’re ready when they have flowered and the foliage starts to die back), you can dig them up, re-bury them in soil and put them in a frost-free place until you’re ready to eat them. It’s not a great idea to leave them in the ground, as they’ll be vulnerable to damage from frost, slugs and general wet conditions. You can also dig them up and store them in the fridge, or in a bag in the shed or garage, but you’ll lose some of the lovely flavour and texture this way. Hope you get a bumper harvest!

      Reply
  14. Louise says

    August 25, 2020 at 9:51 am

    Thank you! Sounds like great advice 🙂

    Reply
  15. Pauline Brown says

    March 17, 2021 at 5:45 pm

    Thanks for the terrific info on growing potatoes in bags. I’m going to try it and will give you an update.

    Reply
  16. Iain Gray says

    April 8, 2021 at 3:07 pm

    Thank you for your informative post about growing potatoes in bags. I have my seed potatoes (Charlotte and Golden Wonder) and some grow bags.
    What is your thoughts on organic potato fertiliser? Should I add some to the compost to increase my crop?

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      April 23, 2021 at 10:00 am

      I don’t think it would do any harm to add some organic fertiliser, but I have to admit I’ve never done this when growing in bags as I’ve always assumed the nutrients in the new compost will be enough for the plants. I always add manure to the soil when I plant potatoes in the ground, and that definitely helps the plants to grow stronger. If you have some fertiliser I’d say go for it.

      Reply
  17. Jme says

    May 29, 2021 at 3:29 am

    First Timer here.
    I planted 3 seed potatoes as a first layer, I filled the bag 1/4 full of compost. Then I had trouble finding compost. Two weeks went by this way. Mostly rainy , cooler days. The green leaves grew all the way past the top of bag.
    Today I found compost and filled my potato bag all the way to the top. Some of the green leaves are now buried, and some are still sticking above. ( The green leaves were about 12 inches above the soil before I filled w/ compost)
    Will I get a bad crop by not filling gradually as the leaves grew?
    Thank You

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      June 1, 2021 at 10:46 am

      Ideally you should fill gradually, but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t. Your plants should still have time to produce more potato-producing stems on the newly buried part of the plant – particularly as it was only a couple of weeks between planting and adding more compost.

      Reply
  18. Webster says

    June 3, 2021 at 10:56 am

    Thank you so much for the great information i have learnt from your site will try all the information i have acquired .

    Reply
  19. marilyn says

    June 13, 2021 at 9:43 am

    Never grown potatoes before, but have a variety called pink fir apple growing in a potato bag. They are now at the top of the bag with lots of green leaves & can see a few flowers starting to form. The compost is very moist at the top, but I’m wondering when I should stop watering altogether?

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      June 14, 2021 at 6:13 pm

      When your plants finish flowering and the leaves start to turn yellow, stop watering. The crop of potatoes will be maturing at this point, not growing, so they don’t need any more nutrients or water. Holding back on the water at this stage will also minimise the risk of your lovely crop rotting in the ground.

      Reply
  20. Norma Letham says

    July 29, 2021 at 7:49 am

    Hia I’m growing Charlotte and Pink Fir Apple varieties in pots in a sheltered area in purpose bought sacks and have allowed longer for growth as my plants were slow to grow on initially. I have harvested one sack of Charlottes after the flowers were finished which gave a very disappointing yield so have decided to leave the rest of my crop until the the leafy stems die back. Is there any thing else I can do to improve my yield?

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      July 29, 2021 at 9:12 am

      If your Pink Fir plants haven’t flowered yet, make sure they don’t dry out, but at this stage I don’t think there’s much else you can do. Too much heat, or not enough light/fertiliser/water are the main causes of low yield, if you’ve had issues with any of these that could be the cause.

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Catherine. Welcome to Growing Family, a top UK home & garden blog sharing ideas, inspiration and tips for making the most of busy family life, indoors and out.
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