If you’ve always wanted to grow potatoes but don’t have a lot of space or want to avoid the tedious task of digging them up come harvest time, you’re in luck. Potato grow bags are the best way to grow potatoes and other vegetables, too.
Potato grow bags allow you to grow potatoes on your back porch or patio. When it’s time to harvest, they make it easy so you can enjoy your potatoes without spending hours digging through the ground.
Let’s take a closer look at why potato grow bags are so useful and a few of the best products out there.
Table of Contents
The Benefits of Growing Potatoes in Grow Bags
If you want to grow potatoes, using a growing bag is a smart way to go. Here are some of the main benefits:
You don’t need a lot of space. If you live in an apartment or only have a small patio or porch, a grow bag is the perfect gardening solution. They don’t take up much space and are portable and easy to move.
They’re easy to store. At the end of the growing season, most potato grow bags can be emptied, washed, and stored until you need them again. They fold down easily and compactly so you can quickly tuck them out of the way.
They let you see the roots. Most potato grow bags have a window or a flap that you can open up to visualize the roots. This feature is very helpful, especially when it comes to potatoes, because you can easily see when they’re ready to harvest.
Harvesting is easy. You don’t have to dig or sift through the dirt when harvesting potatoes from a grow bag. You can either reach in the window and pull the potatoes out or just dump out the entire bag for easy access.
They’re portable. If you move to another apartment or house, you can take your grow bags with you. This is a huge advantage over traditional gardens or raised beds, both of which you would have to leave behind.
What Size Grow Bag is Best for Potatoes?
Grow bags come in a wide range of sizes. For potatoes, 10-gallons is ideal, though you could go as small as seven gallons.
Remember that the size of the bag will affect your yield, but you don’t want to go too big because then you start to lose some of the benefits of using a grow bag in the first place.
The Best Grow Bags for Growing Great Potatoes
If you’re ready to start using a grow bag to grow your own potatoes at home, here are six of the best potato grow bags out there.
| Pictures | Potato Grow Bags | Capacity | Material |
|---|---|---|---|
 | ANPHSIN Garden Potato Grow Bags | 10 Gallon | Plastic |
 | Delxo Potato SidesVelcro Window Vegetable Grow Bags | 7 Gallon | Fabric |
 | Homyhoo Potato Grow Bags with Flap | 10 Gallon | Fabric |
 | HYRIXDIRECT Portable Potato Growing Bag | 10 Gallon | Polyethylene |
 | Tvird Potato Grow Bags | 10 Gallon | Fabric |
 | Suntee Heavy Duty Thickened Growing Bags | 7, 10 Gallon | Fabric, Polyethylene |
Best Potato Grow Bag Reviews
1. ANPHSIN Garden Potato Grow Bags
ANPHSIN potato bags feature vents on the sides and bottom to improve aeration and drainage. These things are both really important to support strong root growth.
The flap on the side of the bag lets you see the roots and gives you an easy way to harvest your potatoes when they’re ready. Plus, if you happen to overwater, just leave the flap open to encourage it to evaporate quickly. It might just save your crops!
These grow bags are made of durable material that will last, and the strong handles make moving the bag easy. The premium PE plastic is light-resistant, which means it won’t damage as easily in the harsh sunlight.
You can use these bags for multiple seasons, and they fold up compactly so they’re easy to store without taking up a lot of space. You get four 10-gallon bags, which is enough to grow your potatoes and other veggies, like carrots, onions, and even tomatoes.
2. Delxo Potato SidesVelcro Window Vegetable Grow Bags
These potato grow bags from Delxo are made of 300G thick, non-woven fabric that’s environmentally friendly and extremely durable. They feature a window on the side where you can easily see and harvest your potatoes when they’re ready.
Another great thing about these bags is that they’re semi-permeable, which means that they let water drain and allow air to pass through, keeping the soil healthy for your potatoes and other vegetables.
The fabric is also ideal for keeping the soil at the right temperature, so you don’t have to worry about unseasonable cold and hot days during the growing season.
You get five 7-gallon bags with this set, so you have more than enough space to plant potatoes and anything else you want to grow. They are backed by a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. If you’re not happy, just get in touch and Delxo will refund your money.
3. Homyhoo Potato Grow Bags with Flap
These premium grow bags from Homyhoo use a breathable double-layer non-woven fabric that’s heavy and durable, but still allows for good ventilation and drainage. The material lasts a long time, and it’s biodegradable and environmentally safe.
A large harvest window lets you check on your potatoes as they mature and harvest them when the time comes. You get four bags in this set, and each holds 10 gallons, so you can grow a lot of potatoes or other vegetables, like onions or radishes.
Although these bags are large, the strong handles make it easy to move them from one place to another, whether they need more or less light or you just need easier access to water them.
At the end of the season, these bags fold up nicely and don’t take up a lot of space in storage. You get two black bags and two gray, and they’re covered with a one-year warranty.
4. HYRIXDIRECT Portable Potato Growing Bag
If you only need a grow bag or two and want something suitable for any budget, check out these vegetable grow bags from HYRIXDIRECT. You get two with each purchase, and they hold up to 10 gallons of dirt apiece.
These bags use a durable waterproof material and feature drainage holes on the sides and bottom to prevent overwatering. The handles make it easy to move anywhere, and the access flap is perfect for observing the roots and harvesting when the time comes.
You can use these bags again and again, season after season. Just wash them at the end of the growing season and fold them for easy storage. These bags are perfect for someone who doesn’t have a lot of space but wants to have a go at growing their own vegetables.
5. Tvird Potato Grow Bags
Tvird grow bags use a high-quality breathable non-woven fabric that’s permeable but extremely durable. The shape and design of this bag promote drainage and give the roots plenty of space to grow.
Each bag has a see-through window where you can peel open the flap and take a look at how your potatoes and other plants are growing. This window is also very useful when it’s time to harvest. Just stick your hands in and collect your potatoes, no digging required.
These bags have large, durable handles for easy movement, and they collapse and fold for easy storage. While they should last you several seasons, they’re biodegradable, so you don’t have to worry when it’s time to discard them.
Tvird grow bags are available in sets of two, four, or six, so you can get however many you need to meet your gardening needs.
6. Suntee Heavy Duty Thickened Growing Bags
Suntee grow bags hold up to 10-gallons and are made of durable polyethylene so they last multiple growing seasons. You get three bags in all, so you can grow potatoes and anything else you want, including onions, tomatoes, and carrots.
These bags have multiple air holes to support plant growth by helping to prevent overwatering and improving aeration and air circulation. Each one holds between four and six plants. At the end of the season, empty them, wash them out, then store them away for next year.
The velcro window makes it easy to assess the roots of your vegetables and to harvest potatoes and other things, like carrots and onions, when they’re ready to be picked. This way of harvesting potatoes is so simple, you don’t even need a shovel.
Planting and Caring Potatoes in a Growing Bag
Caring for potatoes in a grow bag isn’t that much different than caring for them in the ground. Believe it or not, it’s actually a little easier. Here’s what you need to know.
When to Plant Potatoes?
Generally, when you should plant potatoes depends on where you live. No set time or date tells you it’s a good time to plant potatoes. Instead, you have to pay attention to the soil.
While potatoes are sometimes considered a cold-weather crop, they do not tolerate freezing temperatures. To avoid frost, plan to plant your potatoes about a week or two after the last spring frost.
Some people plant earlier when the soil is still cold. While it’s still possible to get a good harvest from an earlier planting, the potatoes won’t do anything until the soil reaches 50 degrees, so planting early isn’t necessary.
Now, what about if you’re using a grow bag? After all, if you’re using a grow bag, you have more control over the temperature and growing conditions since you are filling the bag with soil and compost instead of waiting for mother nature to warm up the ground.
Even though you’re using a grow bag, you should still plant your potatoes at the same time as you would if you were growing them in the ground. This way, the growing conditions are the same, and you can plan your harvest a little better.
When you should plant depends on the type of potato you’re planning to grow. First and second early potatoes and early maincrop potatoes should be planted by the end of May. Maincrop potatoes have to be in the ground (or grow bag) by mid-May, and second crop potatoes by the end of August.
How to Plant Potatoes in Grow Bags: Step by Step
1. Add four inches combined of soil and compost to the grow bag.
2. Place about three or four seed potatoes into the soil with any eyes or sprouts facing up. Keep at least five inches between each one.
3. Cover the seed potatoes with soil and water thoroughly. Don’t fill the bag with soil! Just cover the potato and any sprouts or eyes that you can see.
4. After about a week or so, you should start to see sprouts poking out of the top layer of soil. When you do, cover them with a few more inches of soil.
5. Continue the process of waiting for the sprouts to poke out of the soil and covering them with more soil until the bag is full.
6. Water the soil, keeping the soil moist but not wet.
7. Watch the plant. When the green leaves above the soil begin to flower then die back, the potatoes are ready to harvest.
Caring Potatoes in a Growing Bag
Caring for potatoes in a growing bag is very similar to caring for potatoes in the ground. Here’s what you need to know:
+ Potatoes need consistent amounts of moisture and don’t like it when it’s too wet or too dry. Water daily after the tubers start to grow, especially in the hot summer months when the soil in the grow bag is more likely to dry out quickly.
+ Potatoes can tolerate temperatures as low as 25 degrees, but they do not like to freeze. The plants won’t survive if the temp drops below 45, so keep an eye on the forecast. Bring the potato bags in for the night if a late-season frost is expected.
+ Potatoes need about six to eight hours of sunlight every day.
+ Many pests might attack potatoes and many ways to deal with them, including:
- Aphids – Ladybugs love to feast on aphids, or you can rinse them away with a quick spray of the hose.
- Colorado potato beetles – Getting rid of these bugs is tricky and infestations are often hard to stop. Neem oil is sometimes effective.
- Flea beetles – Cover the surface with mulch and cover the grow bag.
- Wireworms – Introduce beneficial bugs and be sure to harvest on time to avoid wireworms ruining your crop.
+ There are some potato diseases to look out for, too, including:
- Bacterial ring rot – Look for wilting stems and leaves as signs of this disease. Bacterial ring rot is next to impossible to treat. The best thing you can do is remove crop debris after harvesting to prepare for next year.
- Common scab – This bacterial disease causes raised cork-like lesions on the potato skin. It’s difficult to manage, but a lower soil pH can help prevent it.
- Early blight -Early blight is a fungal infection that kills the leaves of the plant and the potatoes to form brown, scabby lesions. Preventative fungicides can be beneficial.
- Late blight – This form of blight is caused by a pathogen in the soil. It can cause dry brown lesions on the leaves and is difficult to control. Sometimes, it responds to fungicide.
- Soft rot – Soft rot is another bacterial disease. It causes the leaves to get soft and limp, eventually turning black and wilting. Soft rot cannot be cured, so preventative measures are the only way to avoid it.
Harvesting Potatoes in a Grow Bag
Harvesting potatoes from a grow back is easy. There are two ways to do it.
The first is to open the viewing window on the side of the bag and use your hands to dig around inside and pull out the potatoes. This method is effective and easy. Plus, it gives you a good way to contain the mess a little bit.
An even easier way to harvest potatoes from a bag, especially if you don’t care too much about making a mess, is to just dump out the bag. Make sure you do so on a pad or sheet to help you collect the soil.
Once you have everything out of the bag, collect the potatoes. Then, wash out the bag, let it dry, and tuck it away for next year.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many reasons why you should try growing potatoes in a grow bag. The process is very simple and they’re a great way to grow a garden in a limited space.
One of the best things about a potato grow bag is how easy they make it is to care for your potatoes. If the temperature unexpectedly drops, you can bring them inside for the night. It’s easier to prevent and protect against pests since you use new soil every year, and you can make sure you put the bag in a spot where it gets all the sunlight it needs.
Add to that how easy grow bags make it to maintain the right amount of moisture and harvest your potatoes at the end of the growing season, and there’s no reason not to try it!
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