How do I grow root vegetables in pots/grow-bags?

Question

We have a flat (apartment) with no garden, but would love to grow root vegetables such as potatoes and carrots. Is it possible to grow these in a pot, container or grow-bag, or do they need too much depth for this?

If it is possible, what containers would be recommended? I assume deep pots - but would those get enough drainage?

Answer 1

Yes, you can grow these in a container.

Here is one technique for growing potatoes in a limited area; you just plant the new crop over the old once you've harvested it.

In general the concerns are:

1. enough soil depth (for potatoes, a foot, for home-grown carrots, you may be able to get away with 8"), and
2. decent drainage, to avoid root rot/fungus.
3. sufficient light and watering.

Containers even give you the advantage of containing a blight or fungus infestation if one erupts.

Answer 2

I've not tried growing potatoes in grow bags but I was reading this article that claims it's doable

Here's the gist of the article:

1. Prepare the Seed Potatoes
   About a week before planting, place seed potatoes in a warm spot. When the sprouts that form are about 1/4" to 1/2" long, the potatoes are almost ready to plant. Cut large seed potatoes into chunks about 2" wide. Each piece should have at least two sprouts. After cutting the seed potatoes, let them sit at room temperature for two or three days.

2. Prepare the Bag
   Use a pair of scissors to cut several drainage holes in the bottom of a 30-gallon black plastic trash bag. Roll down the sides of the bag and fill about one-third of the way up with potting soil. Place the bag in an area of the garden that receives full sun.

3. Plant the Potatoes
   Dust the seed potatoes with agricultural sulfur to protect against fungal diseases. Plant the seed potatoes by burying them, eyes pointed up, about 2" deep in the soil. Water well.

4. Add More Soil
   When the potato plants get about 6" to 8" tall, it is time to add more soil and straw to the bag. Add enough soil so that just the top few leaves poke through the dirt. As the potato plants grow, continue to unroll the bag and add more soil. Keep the potatoes well watered but not soggy.

5. Harvest the Potatoes
   One clue that the potatoes are almost ready to harvest is that the leaves will yellow and the foliage will die back. At this point stop watering and leave the potatoes alone for two or three weeks so that their skins toughen up. To harvest, slit open the side of the bag to release the potatoes.

Answer 3

Tips for the lazy gardener has some info on growing vegetables in burlap sacks.

Urban Agriculture has another way of doing things using wading pools.

Both obviously require drainage. But if you get creative, you could get two wading pools and move your sacks between them when it becomes too wet.

Answer 4

I have successfully grown carrots, beetroot and radishes in sacks that were about 18" deep.

My garden is South facing but in North of UK so not hot often.You can buy the bags from garden centers,potato bags are fine. I used compost and grew the veg from seed. The veg does not grow as big as it would in the ground but was still nice. The sacks do need watering quite often if there is no rain

Answer 5

I'm guessing you've found answers to your question already. But if you haven't, here are my two cents.

Pots, containers, and grow bags will work for what you want to do. But when it comes to access to plants and drainage, a fabric grow bag is your best bet. Considering that you intend to grow items like potatoes and carrots, which are both root plants, a grow bag with an access flap will work wonders for you compared to other bags that don't have access flaps.

You can access the yield without having to remove the whole product in the bag, especially if you think they'll still do well. For instance, if you have two carrot plants growing in a large grow bag with an access flap and you check and find out one is ripe for harvest, but the other is not, will you take both?

A container doesn't offer this kind of benefit, although you might be able to deduce how well the yield will be by simply looking at the leaves. You can get a three-layer shelf with enough spacing to accommodate the bags, containers, and pots as you wish.

Looking at your options from a cost-effective perspective, I'll go with the grow bags, honestly. The cost of a pack of five 7-gal grow bags will be slightly on par with one container's price. Then you'll also need to deal with storing the pots for later use. Unlike bags, pots cannot be folded, although they may be stackable, how much space do they take up, really?

It all boils down to preferences.