Comments on: How to Build a Potato Tower

By: Jason Brooks

Jason Brooks — Wed, 15 May 2013 21:03:02 +0000

ok, what is the purpose of planting in towers? i could see it saves space but is there any other benefit? also did the spuds in the center of the tower also grow? and do you point the eyes out? i am growing my first ever tater patch, its a 4×10 strip of land that i tilled in sand into the dirt and iv got about 12 plants growing and doing well….did i do something wrong? i take pride in my garden, and increased its size every year, its now 12ft x 64ft, it is growing well i and always stagger my pants every month to a month and a half, so that i many weeks of fresh veggies. but i could really use some help when it comes to saving some space with my watermelons and pumpkins and cucumbers…. the sprawl out and end up taking so much room. is there a tower idea or any other tip you might have for that? sorry for the million questions….

By: elm

elm — Fri, 10 May 2013 22:09:01 +0000

I tried to grow the 4×4 tower too last summer, but didn’t get one potato out of it, I even put a lattice front on it so that I could just remove it and let all the taters spill out on a tarp. But sadly, no one tater came out of that dirt. I never did see the plants flower; we were gone 3 weeks on vacation and I had hoped that they had flowered then, but nope nada tater. Planted the tots back in the raised garden this year, but I’m thinking of putting cages on top now and loading them as the pots grow. Thanks for the suggestions.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:09:53 +0000

I’ve read you could run a PVC pipe with holes drilled randomly, vertically through the center, then simply water from the top of the PVC pipe

By: ndogbunder.com

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By: C.R. Rice

C.R. Rice — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:17:33 +0000

I saw another version where she planted the whole tower right away – maybe 5 layers of potatoes up a 4′ tower. I’ve always grown them by covering the sprouts, but I notice that your towers seem to be sprouting out the sides. What do you suggest? Were you able to cover the sprouts time after time? Or was the outward growth too hard to cover up?

By: sharon

sharon — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 01:20:28 +0000

Have you grown any from ones that sprouted from the grocery store? I have some that sprouted I would love to grow but have read they are sprayed not to grow. They are the organic kind. Although I have never grown potatoes. They are sprouted a good bit should I put them in the fridge a bit to slow down the growth. I would love help!!

By: Climatewiz1

Climatewiz1 — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 15:24:26 +0000

Evelyn: the potatoes grow under the soil…. only the leaves and stems protrude out for sunlight. Same as if you planted them directly in the soil!!!

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 17:49:00 +0000

Your supposed to wait until the potatoes are 6″ high then add 4″ of new compost or straw. So that there is always some green on the top.

I like the idea of using the wire and an outer ring of potatoes growing out sides too. I have tried the tire method and found them heavy and prone to attract field mice that nest inside the rims and eat the new potatoes.

By: Jessica kiefer

Jessica kiefer — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 07:45:19 +0000

My grandmother always stored her potatoes in homemade sacks…..how u say??? Burlap “2.99 a yard” at my local fabric store and I got 8 yards for a dollar at a yard sale…..make a large sack with a drawstring top…..like the old horse feed etc. sacks of the 1950′s….they last forever…..Fill the sack with taters and hang it from the ceiling in your pantry or where ever you can…..I hang mine in our third garage….it’s dark and dry in there…..I store all my staple veggies this way…I grow alot….”I’ve got BOYS!!!” lol Onions and garlic too….I make sacks of all sizes….Now days burlap comes in colors!!! I’m a “natural fiber” liking person so dye near my food makes me shiver….But my mom likes the red burlap. Another way to make the sacks is to go to yard sales and buy old linen doilies or table cloths and sew them together….they are the cutest things!!! AND they hold up great…..Do the drawstring with ribbon…good quality….again, .99 cents a yard here in Mississippi…..I hope this gives u an idea or two….I’ve been growing my potatoes in barrels….I cut a door close to the bottom to harvest easily….I’m going to try the fence method along with my tried success this year….It looks better than my bright blue barrels!!! lol

By: Mavis

Mavis — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 14:24:29 +0000

I did not have great success with this last year. I think it was to lack of keeping the potatoes watered enough though. I am trying it again this year and keeping the towers closer to the house so I can water them more. Good Luck. I hope this works for you.