How Did My Potatoes in a Trash Bag Do? Laughs Deeply!

The concept works. You can grow potatoes in a 30 gallon trash bag. As the potato stalks grow, you add soil and raise the sides of the bag. I had good green stalk growth and one bag worked well, for total stalk growth. Potatoes are a different story.

I did plant two bags. One bag I made a mistake and used cut green grass instead of compost or soil or even dried brown grass. This mistake was for material to add to the bag to cover 1/2 the green growth of the stalks. What ended up happening was the decaying green grass clippings and the hot sun, created a nice oven effect and I actually cooked my green potato stalks and killed the plants.

So, I said the green growth and concept works. I obviously need to work on this. Here is the picture of the potatoes I got from the bag that grew extremely nice potato stalks. Time to laugh!

Potato Green Growth in a Trash Bag: Gary Pilarchik

Above is how the Summer progressed with green potato stalks growing and I raised the bag and tended to it as designed.

Growing Potatoes in a Trash Bag: Gary Pilarchik

The above bag is loaded with composted and material. It is September and the stalks died away as intended. Over the summer as the potato stalks grew, I keep  adding material to cover 1/2 of the new growth. The strategy is to keep covering the stalks to create more potatoes. Each inch of buried potato stalk will root out baby potatoes. Good theory.

Tearing Open a Potato Grow Bag: Gary Pilarchik

I tore the bag of potatoes open or at least what I though would be potatoes. You can see some of the potatoes I found!

My Hand to Give Perspective to Potatoes: Gary Pilarchik

Well, (laughs) that is, above, my production of potatoes in a trash bag grow bag. So, back to work next year. That is the beauty of gardening. I'm not sure what I did wrong but I will spend the Winter learning about growing potatoes. Well at least there is some great composted leaves for next year.

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