I know it’s a little late to talk about planting potatoes at this time of year (where we are in Vancouver, BC), but it’s good to know anyways either for next season’s preparations or for planting NOW. If you plant now, you’ll still get potatoes, just a few less and some smaller ones by the end of the season (September). I think it’s still worth a try!
- Seed Potatoes are safest to plant (disease free!), other organic local ones are also possible
- In-ground requires you to ‘Hill-up’ the soil around covering most of the plant for more tubers
- Try growing in an old garbage can, portable and moveable. Simple Instructions Here!
- When the potato plant tops die (brown), dump contents onto a tarp or blanket to reap the harvest!
If you’re an avid food grower, you’ll find that many people will come to you and say, ‘I don’t have garden space, what can I grow on my balcony?’
Here’s a great resource from West Coast Seeds online on the best choices for containers! Access it here, with the 30 plants to choose from!
- Use the right growing medium ratios – e.g., Compost (nutrients) and Sand, Perlite or Vermiculite for drainage
- Growing container at least 4 inches deep with drainage
- Select plants according to Sunlight Exposure (can move pots around too)
“Soil for growing veggies in containers needs to be very fertile. Many store-bought potting soils will suffice, but you should mix some balanced organic fertilizer into the soil at planting time, and provide a liquid fish or kelp based fertilizer at regular intervals throughout the season – every three weeks should suffice.
One final piece of advice is to avoid over crowding your containers. If you’re sowing mesclun seeds, use only a scant pinch of seeds. Over crowded plants will not have access to the light and nutrients they need for steady growth, so they’ll end up leggy or stunted. Whenever you’re growing the plant on to full maturity (like with fruiting plants or for full sized leafy heads), grow one plant per pot.”
