A large wooden bowl full of colorful potatoes. Some are purple, red, yellow with pink spots, and plain yellow. They are separated by color.

How to Plant and Grow Potatoes in Containers, Pots, or Grow Bags

April 5, 2025 /

Potatoes are easy to grow, incredibly fun to unearth come harvest time, and the rich homegrown flavor is unbeatable! So come learn how to grow your own potatoes in containers, pots or grow bags – perfect for small gardens, patio gardens, or larger spaces alike. We’ve been using this method for nearly a decade with excellent results!

This post covers everything you need to know about growing potatoes in containers: how to prepare seed potatoes for planting, the best soil to use, hilling and other ongoing care, and tips for harvest and storage. We’ll also explore various types of potatoes to grow and container options. At the end of this post, check out the video of planting potatoes in grow bags too!

Note: This post was originally published in March 2019.

Grow bags are spilling out with lush leafy greens as the containers are being used to grow potatoes.

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The Best Containers to Grow Potatoes

You can grow potatoes in a wide variety of containers: in a large pot, 5-gallon bucket, plastic tub, grow bags, used coffee sacks, half wine barrel planter, a cylinder made of wire fencing, or even trash cans!

The size of the container dictates how many potatoes you can plant and grow. For the best results, choose a container that is at least 15 to 24 inches tall (which allows space for gradual hilling) and has at least 10 to 15 gallon soil capacity. Seed potatoes need to be spaced about 4 to 5 inches apart, so the wider the container, the more you can plant.

Potatoes require excellent drainage and do not tolerate soggy soil (they will rot) so ensure your chosen container has ample drainage holes.

We personally love to grow potatoes in 15 to 20 gallon fabric grow bags because of their ideal drainage, mobility, ability to control the soil condition and moisture, and easy harvest.

Five fabric grow bags being used to grow potatoes in containers. Their greens are growing upwards and vary in shades of green. — Growing potatoes in grow bags in our driveway

Potato Varieties and Characteristics

There are dozens of different potato varieties to choose from, which can vary in size, shape, color, texture, flavor, best use (e.g. frying, mashing or baking), storage life, and time to harvest. The variety description should outline all of these attributes. Potatoes are also broken down into three categories: early, late, or mid-season varieties.

Early, Late, and Mid-Season Potatoes

Early season potatoes or “new potatoes” reach maturity within 75 to 90 days. These could be ready to harvest in early summer, depending on when you plant them. Early potatoes are least likely get blight, as they’re usually harvested before disease can take hold. However, they don’t last as long in storage. Popular early potatoes include Yukon Gold, Caribe and Red Norland, but there are many more.
Mid-season potatoes, also referred to as “second early” are just a tad longer than earliest types. These ones will be ready to harvest in about 95 to 110 days. Red Pontiac and Kennebec are staple mid-season potatoes. Yukon Gold is sometimes considered a mid-season variety too.
Late-season potatoes, also called “main crop potatoes” are generally ready to harvest within 120-135 days, closer to the middle or end of summer. While they take longer to grow, the late-season type are known to last longer in storage as well. These are said to be best for baking, mashing, and roasting. The earlier varieties are more crisp and tender for pan-frying. German Butterball, Kennebec, Russet Burbank, and Butte are well-known late-season varieties.

Aaron and Deanna are each holding a wooden bowl full of freshly harvest potatoes after growing them in containers.

Ideal Sun and Temperature for Potatoes

Potatoes are considered a cool-season crop, ideal for the spring or fall garden. Potatoes grow best when temperatures are 50 to 80°F. They can withstand brief periods of higher heat, but will become stressed and stunted if the soil routinely stays over 55°F at night.

Potatoes are also sensitive to frost and freezing; the exposed greens will easily wilt with frost damage. It’s easy to protect potatoes from temperature extremes using either shade cloth or frost cloth as needed.

Place your potato container in a location that receives full sun. Yet if you live in a climate with very hot summers, consider a location with a little late afternoon shade. Also avoid the hottest spots of your garden, like near a south-facing wall or other source of radiant heat.

When to Plant Potatoes

Plant potatoes outside in early spring once the soil temperature has reached at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a basic soil thermometer to monitor, and measure about 6 inches deep.
Refer to your growing zone. You can plant potatoes as early as two to four weeks before your last frost date in spring.
It’s best to chit (pre-sprout) potatoes a few weeks prior to planting. See instructions below.
For climates with very hot summers, it’s key to plant potatoes as early as possible. Planting fast-maturing early season potato varieties in spring is good way to beat the heat! Or, plant early potatoes in late summer for a fall harvest; they can mature quickly before the first frost hits.
In our temperate climate (cool coastal CA zone 9), we are able to plant potatoes at various times throughout the year.

A planting calendar for zone 9 which shows when to start seeds indoors, plant seeds outside, and transplant outside for a number of different vegetables. The zones first and last frost date time is also shown. — If you aren’t sure about your zone, frost dates, and planting times, refer to our Homestead and Chill planting calendars. They show when to start seeds or plant seedlings outdoors for dozens of vegetables, and every USDA growing zone.

Starting with Seed Potatoes

You can either buy potatoes that are specifically sold as seed, or try sprouting store-bought potatoes to grow. Each seed potato that you plant will grow a cluster of 3 to 8 new potatoes!

Generally, you’ll have the most guaranteed success with seed potatoes. They’re grown specifically for this task, and are usually certified to be disease-free. They often times even come slightly pre-sprouted for you! You will also have more options to find and grow unique varieties that way.

Some places we’ve bought seed potatoes from over the years include High Mowing Seeds, Seeds Now, Peaceful Valley, Territorial Seed, Johnny’s, and Irish Eyes. We also sometimes see them at our local garden center or nursery. Note that most places will sell out of seed potatoes by spring! It’s best to order them in the winter if possible, or you may be left with slim pickings.

Growing from Grocery Store Potatoes

If you opt to try to grow from store-bought potatoes, here are a few tips: One, most definitely choose organic. Non-organic produce can be treated with chemicals that inhibit sprouting. I’d also suggest buying your potatoes well in advance (like months) before you want to plant them. This will give them plenty of time to soften up and sprout, also referred to as “chitting” – explained below.

A hand holds up a sprouting seed potato. It is wrinkly, small, and slightly purple. The sprouts sticking out the top are purple and green, fuzzy, and lit up by the sun in the background.

How to Pre-Sprout (Chit) Seed Potatoes Before Planting

Chitting is the process of encouraging your potatoes to sprout before planting. By sprouting them in advance, it gives the potatoes a head start and will result in a more robust harvest. The chitting process can take 4 to 6 weeks. If you buy seed potatoes from an online seed company, they may come sprouted and ready to plant right away.

To chit potatoes, first put them in a warm, dark location for a week or two. Around 70 degrees is a good target. This helps them break dormancy – waking them up to allow for sprouting.
After that time, move them into a slightly cooler area with bright ambient light (but not directly in the sun). We set ours on a shelf in a spare room across from a large window.
When you move them out into the light, take a look at each spud. Determine which side of the potato has the most eyes. The eyes are the little indentation or nubs along the otherwise smooth potato skin. Those eyes are where potential sprouts will emerge from! The portion of the potato with the most concentrated number of eyes is called the “rose end”. Place the seed potato in a position with the rose end facing up, exposed to light.
By following these steps, the potatoes should begin to sprout shortly.

Five paper bags are flattened on top of a large tray. On top of each paper bag is a little pile of different type of seed potato. They are all sprouting. Some are small and more green, some are large a purple.

Dividing Seed Potatoes

Large seed potatoes can be cut into smaller portions to create more seed pieces if desired. This isn’t necessary (or recommended) when the potatoes are fairly small, or if you have plenty of seed.

When cutting up a seed potato, ensure that each new piece will still have at least one or two promising eyes once divided (explained above).
Using a clean knife, cut the larger seed potato in half – or more, depending on size and number of eyes.
It is important to do this at least several days prior to planting outside. A week or more is even better. The fresh cut sides need time to dry and scab over before being planted. Otherwise, they can easily rot!

A large seed potato that is sprouting at two ends, with a knife positioned in the middle of it, showing that it could be cut in half to make two pieces of seed potato. — This is where I could have cut this seed in half (if needed) – and let it properly dry and scab over for a few days before planting.

Potato Soil Preferences

One of the best things about growing potatoes in containers is that you can easily control and adjust the quality, composition, and pH of the soil – which is key to success!

Fill your potato container with soil that is rich in organic matter, loose, and well-draining, such as potting soil amended with compost.
Potatoes grow best in acidic soil, and thrive in a pH range of 4.8 to 5.5. Therefore, we like to use a potting soil that is specifically made for acid-loving plants. You can also amend soil with horticulture sulfur to lower the pH and make it more acidic. However, sulfur is generally slow-release so it can take months for the soil to adjust its pH – plan in advance!
Avoid high nitrogen fertilizers. Potatoes grow large green tops but smaller tubers when too much nitrogen is present.
To help keep the soil from becoming too compact, straw is often layered between the soil while growing potatoes, explored more in the ongoing care/hilling section below.

A bag of soil that says "Acid Planting Mix" is leaned up on a garden cart, that has two large tan fabric grow bags on the top of it. Those bags are being filled with that soil soon. The cart is positioned on a patio area with plants in the background.

How to Plant Seed Potatoes in a Container

To plant potatoes in a container, start by adding 4 to 6 inches of rich, fluffy, acidified soil and compost to the bottom of the pot. Don’t fill the container completely yet! You’ll add more soil and/or straw later as the potatoes grow.
Next, place pre-sprouted potatoes on top the soil, spaced about 4 to 5 inches apart. We usually plant about 5-6 large seed potatoes or 7-10 smaller seed potatoes per 15 to 20 gallon grow bag. I try to set them with the sprouted eyes facing up.
Finally, cover the potatoes with 3 to 4 inches of soil on top, and water thoroughly after planting.

Two fabric grow bags partially full of soil sitting on a metal garden cart. — Getting ready to plant potatoes in two grow bags. Since they start less than half-full of soil, we often roll down the sides of taller grow bags at first (so the greens get more sun), and eventual unroll it to fill completely as the potatoes grow.

Seed potatoes facing with their sprouts pointing upwards on a bed of soil. — The smaller the potatoes, the more you can plant in one container.

A number of seed potatoes are sitting face up on soil inside of a grow bag. A hand is holding a seed potato before it is placed in the soil.

Watering Potatoes

Potatoes like to be evenly and consistently moist, but never soggy. When overwatered or grown in heavy soil, they easily rot. Yet a lack of water leads to undersized and less prolific potatoes. Therefore, water deeply and routinely but allow the soil to partially dry out (but not completely) between watering.

To make things easy, we like to use auto drip irrigation for our potato grow bags to provide consistent even moisture. Learn how to set up drip irrigation for containers here.

A 1/4 inch dripline section formed into a circle to irrigate a round fabric grow bag with drip irrigation. — Potato greens just starting to emerge from the initial layer of soil and compost – before they need hilling. We raise the drip irrigation rings as we add soil/straw on top later.

Burying or Hilling Potatoes

In-ground potatoes are usually hilled (buried) as they grow to encourage more potato formation, and you can do the same when growing potatoes in containers, pots, or grow bags! By covering the leafy green tops as they get taller, more potato tubers will grow off of the buried stems.

Once the green tops reach at least 6 to 9 inches tall, bury the majority of the exposed plant with more soil and compost, but still leave a couple inches of the greens exposed on top. Repeat this process every few weeks as the foliage continues to grow taller, until your container is full and you cannot add more soil.

When hilling potatoes, we usually add more of the acid planting soil mixed with compost. Sometimes, we add a light layer of straw too. Straw helps keep everything nice and fluffy, the way potatoes like it! If you live an area with rainy summers, I definitely suggest layering in straw with soil and/or compost to help promote drainage.

Potato greens growing out of a layer of straw in three fabric grow bag containers. — Grow bag potatoes after being hilled a couple times with straw and soil. As you can see, the sides of the grow bags are still rolled down, and the greens are still young. We’ll soon unroll the sides of the bags so we can continue to add more soil on top as they grow.

Fertilizing Potatoes

Potatoes are modestly heavy feeders, so don’t skimp on the compost! The fresh soil and compost added during the hilling process will continue to provide fresh nutrients as they grow. We also water our potatoes once or twice with a dilute seaweed extract or aerated compost tea halfway through the growing season.

If you’re using fresh quality potting soil, additional fertilizer likely isn’t needed. However, if you re-use the same containers and soil to grow potatoes again, amend the soil with a balanced all-purpose organic fertilizer before planting more. As I mentioned, a high-nitrogen fertilizer isn’t recommended for potatoes.

A cluster of potatoes in varying sizes attached to the main plant with greens growing out of the top.

When to Harvest Potatoes

The exact time to harvest potatoes depends on the variety and growing conditions. After several months of growth, the potato greens will start to die back, turning yellow and then dry brown. This is a sign that it is close to harvest time! While the greens are withering away, the potato tubers are drawing in the last bits of energy and nutrition from them.

Once the greens have mostly died back, stop watering your potatoes (ideally 2 to 3 weeks prior to harvest). By cutting water, it helps the potato skins start to toughen and prepare for long-term storage.

Finally, it’s time to gently harvest potatoes about 2 weeks after the greens have completely died back. See tips on how we like to harvest potaotes from containers below.

Fabric grow bags lined up along a wooden fence with horizontal slats. The plants in the bags have died back and turned yellow and brown. — Bye bye greens… Almost harvest time!

How to Harvest Potatoes from Containers

Growing potatoes in containers makes them exceptionally easy to harvest – and incredibly fun too! All you have to do is gently dump the container out and start hunting around for potatoes. We like to empty our potato grow bags into a wheelbarrow, which makes makes it more comfortable on our backs and also easier to dump the soil back into the bags afterwards. This method also reduces accidentally damaging the potatoes, compared to digging them up with a shovel or pitchfork.

It’s best to avoid washing or wetting potatoes prior to storage, though we have before without issue. Just be sure they’re 100% dry again before storing them.

The inside of a wheelbarrow is partially full of soil and golden potatoes which are being sifted out of the soil by two gloved hands after being grown in containers. — Sifting for (Yukon) Gold

Storing Potatoes

It’s best to store potatoes in a cool, dark, well-ventilated, dry space – ideally between 45-55°F. A basement or root cellar is ideal, though a cool pantry or spare closet can work too. Store the potatoes in a breathable container such as a paper bag, mesh bag, or cardboard box.

Most sources say to avoid refrigerating potatoes since colder temperatures can convert their starches to sugar, and therefore negatively impact the texture and taste. However, we don’t have the best cool dry storage options in our home, so we’ve often stored homegrown potatoes in the fridge post-harvest… and they taste just fine! That way, they stay firm and good for months.

And now for the best part: enjoy the best potatoes you have ever tasted! If you have never had the pleasure of tasting homegrown potatoes, I am super excited for you!

Here is a video about all how to plant and grow potatoes:

Check out our YouTube channel for more videos

So, are you ready to go grow some spuds?

What is your favorite way to prepare potatoes? I am a sucker for pan-fried, or mashed with garden chives on top. One of our favorite potato recipes is this Roasted Two-Bite Garlic & Herb Smashed Potatoes, perfect for the smaller-than-average spuds. Or, try our drool-worthy, creamy vegan Potato Leek Soup recipe. We love to freeze portions as a way to preserve homegrown potatoes too!

I hope you enjoyed this post, and found it helpful! Please feel free to ask questions in the comments below.

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DeannaCat's signature, signed "Keep on Growing"

Deanna Talerico

Deanna Talerico (aka DeannaCat) is a garden educator and writer with over 15 years experience in organic gardening. She is a retired Senior Environmental Health Specialist, and holds a M.A. in Environmental Studies and B.S. in Sustainability and Natural Resources.

111 Comments

Sheri Nugent

June 14, 2019 at 10:33 am Reply

Hi Deanna –

I am totally doing this. I had great fun choosing and ordering my seed potatoes from Seeds Now. I ordered the containers from Amazon, and once they arrive I’m a potato farmer! I remember my grandparents growing potatoes in their garden – they were amazing. Your post brought back that memory – and motivated me to give it a try myself.

Excited!

Sheri
- DeannaCat
  
  June 15, 2019 at 6:14 am Reply
  
  What sweet memories! You have perfect timing too! Seeds Now JUST got some seed back in stock (we just ordered more last week too!) but a lot of other places are still sold out. Enjoy!
  - Melissa
    
    June 23, 2019 at 2:13 am Reply
    
    Hi Deanna!
    With cutting the potatoes to make more seeds and leaving them aside, how do you go about the ones that grow mould?
    
    & what are your thoughts on growing potato’s from a container that has a door on the bottom that lets you pick the potato’s continuously without needing to constantly replant them?
    
    P.s Your blog and instagram is the highlight of my day! I look forward to it every morning ❤️😍
    - DeannaCat
      
      June 23, 2019 at 7:54 am Reply
      
      Hey there! I wouldn’t plant any seed pieces that have mold, unless you can cut away that part, and then let them scab over and dry again – leaving a good healthy piece for planting. If you are talking about those potato grow things that open at the bottom, I don’t believe they’re made for continual harvest? At least that wasn’t my impression. I think you open the door and all the soil falls out, when the time is right, sort of how we’d dump over our bags. They won’t continue to grow after a certain point, so it will never be “perpetual harvest”. When they’re ready, they’re ready.
    - Stacy
      
      August 11, 2019 at 9:18 pm Reply
      
      Great info and the questions (and answers) in the comments are great 👍🏼
Adrienne

June 12, 2019 at 8:54 am Reply

Hi Deanna!

I absolutely love your blog posts and have followed you on Instagram for a while!

Could you please make some posts on planning a garden exclusively with pots? Many of my friends and I are limited to apartment spaces and although I’ve found some success with my patio garden, it was difficult handling companion and pollination plants along with food plants with such limited space. I know this isn’t your experience with your lovely garden, but would appreciate the knowledge you could provide!
- DeannaCat
  
  June 25, 2019 at 2:45 pm Reply
  
  Hey Adrienne, Definitely! I have a big list of posts to write, and “best plants for containers” type of thing is on that list for sure. In terms of companions, you may not be able to stick things all in the same pots without overcrowding, but you could totally pot flowers around other veggies containers! Thank you for the sweet feedback!
Leslie

June 12, 2019 at 7:57 am Reply

Hey Deanna, you’re our go to resource for all things gardening as we’re starting up our small farm in NY. Our potatoes are growing super happily and it’s awesome to see how fast they grow and need to be topped off but one problem is that some of the pots we used are too small because they’re already maxing out. It’s only June and I feel like stopping just because the container is full is going to prevent us from getting the most out of our harvest. Any suggestions?
- DeannaCat
  
  June 24, 2019 at 9:19 am Reply
  
  Hey there! Do you mean you need more space to top them off with more soil? If the greens are reaching up way above the top of the pot, I suppose you could try to wrap the pot somehow to extend it taller, and add some straw and more soil up the greens? I mean, some folks grow potatoes in a big wire cage – so you could even try to do something like an extension with chicken wire? Layering it with straw on the inner perimeter to hold more soil in? But if the greens aren’t more than 12 inches above the top of the pot, I may not bother with it. It is always a learning experience! Maybe use larger containers next time. Good luck!
Linda

May 12, 2019 at 9:22 am Reply

Love your website and instagram, you are so inspiring! This is my first year growing potatoes in grow bags. I’m wondering if they are in grow bags if I have to worry as much about companion planting? I have a 4×8′ raised veggie bed and then the grow bags are lined up in a row about 2 ft behind the raised bed. I was going to add some tomotoes /cukes/ zucchini in grow bags too in the perimeter. Do I have to keep them far from the potatoes bc I read they are not good companions? your help is appreciated!! Linda
Annie

April 13, 2019 at 10:23 am Reply

Thank you for the best potato-growing tutorial I’ve ever seen! Just curious, once you harvest the potatoes, what do you do with the leftover soil? Can it be used to plant more potatoes, or should you use it for something else?
- DeannaCat
  
  April 14, 2019 at 5:49 pm Reply
  
  Hey there! Yes we reuse the soil for potatoes. We’ll often use the old soil, but cut in a little fresh compost, and maybe some more acid lovers mix if it has been a couple years.
Courtney

April 9, 2019 at 2:14 pm Reply

Awesome post! I was about to plant my seed potatoes in a raised bed, but (THANKFULLY!) read your post beforehand, and caught the acid mix part. Now they’re going in containers to make sure I have optimal growing conditions.

Can you do a follow up post on harvesting, and sorting seed for the next crop cycle? While I appreciate supporting growers, I’d love to give reseeding, and succession planting a try.

Thanks for all the hard work! Love the blog!
Linda

April 6, 2019 at 5:48 pm Reply

I’m going to try this this year, I think it would be fun to get my son involved! About how many potatoes do you get per seed potato? Or how many potatoes per 15 gallon container? Thanks!
- DeannaCat
  
  April 7, 2019 at 9:50 am Reply
  
  It can vary, but in our experience we get at least 8-15 potatoes per seed planted – several pounds per grow bag
Debra Brod

April 1, 2019 at 4:56 am Reply

Another great article. Ordering my bags today and will try again this summer. Last summer I had some success but didn’t really have a grasp of the process. Thank you for your guidance, as always.
Deb xox
Kate

March 27, 2019 at 11:47 am Reply

Hi Deanna! Thanks for this rad post. I’ve always grown potatoes in the ground but definitely have the pitchfork problem you mentioned so I’m really game to try containers. One question: I have always read that one should avoid planting potatoes in the same place year over year. Do you guys reuse the growing soil for your next crop of potatoes? Give it to your blueberries? Having to re-buy or re-acidify soil year after year has been one thing slowing me down from getting into the container game. Thanks again – I love your blog!
- DeannaCat
  
  March 30, 2019 at 7:10 am Reply
  
  Hi Kate! So we do keep growing them in the same bags. We have never had any issues with disease or pests with our potatoes – which is the purpose for crop rotation. This method is a little more limiting in that regard. We reuse about half or 3/4 the soil, and yes, put some excess around the yard like on the blueberries. We like to add in a little fresh acid lovers and fresh compost each season, so we need to remove a little of the bulk to make room for that stuff. But you could just keep reusing it, and add a little sulfur and other amendments like kelp meal or alfalfa meal. I hope that helps!
Carrisa

March 27, 2019 at 7:14 am Reply

For years I’ve been trying to wrap my head around how to grow potatoes in containers, read numerous “how-to” articles, but none have come close to this – I’ve think you’ve nailed it! Excellent article, so detailed, and not only that, I feel as if I have the confidence to actually grow some great spuds. Cannot wait to give it a whirl with confidence!