What kind of box to make for planting potatoes. Growing potatoes in boxes. Video review of growing potatoes in boxes

Potatoes are a common product for our country. This plant is universal in nature - it is used not only as a food and feed crop, but also as a technical one. As for the nutritional advantage of the crop, it lies in the high calorie content of potatoes.

Description of culture

Potatoes are a perennial plant that is preferred to be grown as an annual plant.

The plant is characterized by a fibrous root system, which penetrates into the soil to a relatively shallow depth (most of the rhizome remains in the arable layer).

The potato tuber, which is consumed as food, is a slightly modified stem with eyes. At first glance, the position of the eyes may seem chaotic, but in fact they are located in a spiral.

Ripe tubers have several layers:

peel that reliably protects the root crop from drying out and negative environmental influences;
parenchyma with a high starch content;
educational fabric.

In addition to the above, inside the potato there are vascular bundles that directly connect to the eyes. There are a large number of varieties of this crop, which differ not only in color and shape, but also in their taste characteristics.

The potato bush is distinguished by an erect stem, the height of which can vary from 30 to 150 cm. The inflorescences of the plant can have different colors, but are more often white. Flowers consist of 5-6 petals. Flowering begins a little more than a month after the first shoots. Potatoes are self-pollinating. The harvest (directly depending on the climatic characteristics of the planting region) begins to be harvested from mid-August. Planting into the soil takes place in May.

Planting potatoes in beds

Many of those who have a summer house prefer to plant potatoes in beds. This planting method will be appreciated by any lazy gardener. The fact is that planting potatoes in ridges allows you to grow root crops with minimal effort, because such cultivation of potatoes allows you to avoid loosening the soil and hilling. The method of growing potatoes in beds allows you to get an excellent harvest even on poor soils.

Other benefits include:

convenience of watering;
saving space in the garden;
significant increase in yield.

Narrow beds

The width of potato beds can vary, but more often potatoes are cultivated in narrow beds. Before placing planting material in the ground, the future potato bed must be thoroughly cleared of weeds. The better the weeds are removed, the less effort will subsequently be required for weeding.

The placement of beds should be planned in advance. Then they will not change, which will allow you not to dig up the space between the rows in the fall.

Important! Narrow potato beds take up a third of the garden space.

The main features of the narrow ridges in which planting will be carried out are as follows:

size: length - about 10 m, width - 45 centimeters; Such dimensions allow for a two-row method of planting potatoes;
if you follow the order of watering and fertilizing, the crop will give a higher and more abundant harvest;
in the southern regions, a narrow bed allows you to get two full-fledged harvests in one season.

Box beds

Another way to plant potatoes in beds is to use boxes.

This technology allows you to reliably protect the plant from cold and sudden temperature changes.

In order to make such a box, you will need:

boards;
nails;
dye.

Advice. Slate should not be used as a base for boxes. Its production uses asbestos, which negatively affects the soil.

Since a stationary box for planting potatoes is made for more than one year, the wood requires additional treatment with paint or varnish. If this is not done, organic natural material will quickly rot. Alternatively, you can singe the boards with a blowtorch or whiten them with lime.

The length of the boxes is usually about 6 m, the width is 1 m, and the height is about half a meter. The distance between the boxes should not be less than 60 cm. The box bed is filled traditionally: with sand, peat, compost and sawdust.

The sprouted tubers are placed in a box in two rows, observing a checkerboard pattern. Then they are covered with earth with a small amount of ash. Then mulch (hay, sawdust or peat) is laid. Arcs are installed over the bed, over which the film is stretched. When growing in a box, potatoes require abundant watering (about twice a week). Additional fertilizer is not needed - everything necessary to get a high yield is contained in the mulch.

Warm beds

In harsh climates, so that the potatoes begin to turn white with their flowers in a timely manner and have time to ripen in a short summer, the crop is planted in warm beds. You can plant tubers as follows: place a tablespoon of vermicompost and wood ash in each hole, and the cells themselves are arranged in a checkerboard pattern.

On a note. In case of morning frosts, beds with potatoes, when planting which a warm version of the bed was used, should additionally be insulated with freshly cut grass or straw. Freshly cut grass without seeds can also be used.

In this case, humus, hay, spruce needles and tree bark can be used for mulching.

Vertical types of beds

For those who value the most economical options for growing potatoes, a vertical planting scheme is optimal. She suggests that the potato head is placed in old barrels, bags or cans for planting. The method is best suited for use in small garden plots whose soil is not very fertile.

The container (bag or canister) must be convenient for transportation. In addition, it should be additionally equipped with holes. They are vital for ensuring ventilation of the root system. Holes with a diameter of about 1 cm will be enough. Next, the container needs to be filled with a mixture of humus, soil, and peat. A sprouted or simply planted tuber or part of it with a sufficient number of eyes is placed with the sprouts up during the planting process.

When planting tubers is completed, the plant needs to be watered abundantly. When the potato sprout reaches a height of 7 cm, soil is added to the level of the last leaves. The procedure should be continued until the volume of the planting container is sufficient. The described procedure completely replaces hilling.

Furrow beds

The method of planting potato crops in double furrow beds is quite interesting. Compost with ash added to it, straw and only then the sprouted tuber should be placed at the bottom.

Often, when planting in such beds, potato tubers are used, which are cut in half or into several parts. In this case, the cutting is done in such a way that there are several eyes on each part of the potato.

Before planting potatoes, the tubers are sprinkled with ash. This not only significantly accelerates the growth of stems and root systems, but also reduces the risk of plant disease from late blight.

Planting in double furrows is done in even rows at a distance of 30 to 35 cm from one another. In this case, a distance of about 20 cm should remain between the seedlings.

Whichever of the listed methods of planting potatoes in beds is chosen, it is strongly recommended to fertilize the plants about a month before harvesting. To do this, use superphosphate and boric acid. For 100 square meters, 6 kg of boric acid and 5 kg of superphosphate diluted in water are usually sufficient. Even if the potatoes were planted on fertile soils, the fertilization procedure can increase the yield by at least 10%, while simultaneously promoting the successful outflow of starch into the tubers from the tops.

When choosing a bed method of planting potatoes, you can forever forget about the walk-behind tractor and the need to plow the area for planting.

The traditional vegetable crop for our region - potatoes - is grown by the majority of amateur gardeners. Not everyone is satisfied with standard care, high labor costs and often disappointing results. Some experiment with soil or planting to achieve greater yields per square meter of soil. Not all research turns out to be successful, but some of them actually bring very good results. One such innovation is growing potatoes in boxes.

Method technology

What is new about this method? Planting material is not planted in the soil directly on the site. For a new method of growing, some kind of container is used. Anything durable made of plastic or wood will do for the experiment. It could be an old barrel, a canister, a spacious box, etc. The main condition is to get rid of the bottom of the container, leaving only the side walls, this is done so that moisture does not accumulate in the container, otherwise the potatoes will begin to rot. For the necessary air access, holes are provided in the walls of the structure.

Everyone knows that potato tubers form on roots that grow quickly in the ground. To make the root system more branched, potatoes are hilled several times during the growing process. It is known from practice that the more soil can be turned in, the root system can emerge more widely, and accordingly more tubers will be formed. The result is that you have an excellent harvest under other similar conditions.

Growing potatoes in boxes is based precisely on this feature: to obtain the most developed root system possible. However, as with any method, this also has its own characteristics - this is the choice of location for the structure and the formation of a fertile environment for planting vegetables.

Ordinary soil on your site will not be suitable for use, even if you regularly enrich and fertilize it, because what we have is not a ridge, but a closed space. You will have to prepare the soil yourself. Gardeners who have successfully tested this method recommend using peat as a base because of its porous structure, excellent moisture absorption, good heating by sunlight, and ability to retain moisture during dry periods. In peat, plants are less susceptible to various diseases, which is important when setting tubers. To enrich the mixture, we add sand to the peat for better heating of the layer; it will be about 1/4 of the total volume of soil obtained.

Next, add chalk or lime flour: if the peat is wet, then 70 grams will be enough for every 10 kg; if dry, increase the dose to 75-80 g. If getting peat is problematic for you, you can use a mixture of compost and soil from the site, enriching her ashes. It is recommended to cover potatoes with ash during any planting method in order to protect them from diseases and pests. On the use of manure in the mixture, the opinions of gardeners are mixed: some advise adding it, as when growing other vegetables, while others categorically advise against it because of the possible presence of plant pests or their larvae in it. Interestingly, both of them received excellent results, so we leave the addition of this component at your discretion.

A place in the sun or partial shade is best for placing the box. It is better not to use shaded areas, because... Potatoes there are successfully affected by late blight, which we do not strive for at all.

Box structure

As we have already mentioned, seedlings can be placed in any box without a bottom. But it will be much more effective to build a special box. Let's consider the stages of its construction.

We will need scraps of not too wide boards and timber. Such building materials are necessarily present in any summer cottage. Materials about a meter long are suitable. The beam is needed for the stability of the future structure. In principle, you can do without it if you think about how to keep the box with soil and potatoes from falling apart.

The procedure for arranging a box for planting

We knock the boards into a frame, where the height is the width of the board. We fill this enclosure with prepared soil. We place previously sprouted potatoes in it, evenly placing them around the perimeter, for example, 4 rows of 4 tubers each. Sprinkle the seedlings with soil and a small layer of straw. Next, we should water our new “bed” well. To make potatoes germinate faster, it is recommended to cover the box with film. Now we wait for the shoots to appear. As soon as the height of the plants approaches the edge of the enclosure, the time will come to form a new floor of our structure. Using the old principle, we add height to the side, carefully cover the shoots with prepared soil, add another layer of straw and water. If the street is already warm enough, then you don’t have to cover the box anymore, but if you want to get more intensive cultivation, you can cover the structure with agrofibre.

This procedure for building the box will be repeated until you reach the desired height. Usually it is 4-5 tiers. In pursuit of height, try not to overdo it, so that you don’t end up with a hugely long stem with a small number of tubers. The final height will be about 50-60 cm, some farmers grow up to 1 meter. The last floor is installed about a month before harvest, so if you dig up potatoes in mid-to-late August, you should add the last boards in mid-July and do not increase the number of floors in the box.

Try to ensure that the tops develop normally; there is no need to bury them in the ground to the very top.

Growing potatoes in boxes is not left to chance. Our structure needs to be watered and fertilized. We water no more than 2 times a week, fertilize - as with normal cultivation. To do this, you can use a manure solution or other fertilizer that you usually use.

Advantages of the method

The growing of potatoes in boxes we considered has a number of undeniable advantages:

we are raising potato yields to unprecedented heights: some managed to harvest almost a bucket from one bush;
In this way, you can grow young potatoes in a fairly short time and use only your own vegetable for the table;
Every meter of the dacha plot is used with great benefit, while the sown area is reduced and the yield becomes higher;
growing in a limited space saves you from weeding and hilling;
Harvesting is very convenient: just disassemble the box and empty the contents. All potatoes turn out clean, not damaged by a shovel or pitchfork. It is easy to pick out from the ground.

This method will be successful for older gardeners, because the labor costs for it are much less, and in old age, health does not always allow one to achieve the desired result.

Potatoes have become our second bread, but the times when they were grown in hectares are over. Nowadays, most lovers of gardening and gardening have at their disposal the notorious 6 acres or a small plot of land on which they want to grow as many vegetables, fruits and berries as possible. Not only new selections come to the rescue, but also ingenuity, thanks to which unusual ways of growing potatoes have emerged that make labor easier and save space.

You can always find hay or straw in any area. The cut grass is burned, taken to landfills, or simply rots, although it is this grass that can greatly increase potato yields:

No watering required, no need to fertilize. The main thing is to make sure that the potatoes are completely covered with grass. Rotted mulch contains enough nutrients, moisture and heat for normal plant development. Such potato plantings also do not require weeding and hilling, and harvesting is much easier.

Important: do not use grain crops for mulch, otherwise the beds will be full of rodents. Do not arrange such beds in places with a humid microclimate, with close groundwater, otherwise rotting will begin instead of overheating. In order to avoid thickening of the tops, planting material is laid out in a checkerboard pattern.

This method helps reduce labor costs; environmentally friendly “fertilizers” are used instead of chemicals. Weeds, which cause a lot of problems, are used with excellent results. The tubers of the new harvest, according to those who have tried this method, are always smooth, regular in shape, and clean even after heavy rains. They exhibit remarkable resistance to many infections. The presentation is beyond praise.

Video review of potatoes under hay

It's not hay, it's straw

Straw in any quantity is quite accessible to residents of villages and villages. In the fields after harvesting, it is used as bedding for livestock or simply burned. Stocking up on “roughage” for future use in order to grow potatoes on virgin soil, in a very weedy area, or simply not dug up in time is another way.

In the spring, make small depressions by turning the soil so that the grass is facing down.
Place sprouted seed potatoes in the prepared “holes” at a distance of 30 cm from each other.
Make the next row 70 cm from the first.
Carefully cover the rows with straw.
Also lay straw between the rows, making the layer lower.
As the tops grow, add a fresh layer of straw.

Under such a “blanket” weeds do not grow, but ideal conditions are created for potatoes.

pros

Much easier to care for and grow.
The soil is cleared of weeds and fertilized.
The soil does not become waterlogged or dry out.

Minuses

The smell of rotting straw attracts rodents.
A thin layer causes the tubers to turn green.
A large amount of straw is required throughout the growing period.

Small potato beds made using this method produce a good harvest in a warm climate with good humidity.

Growing in bags

This method is loved by many not only because it allows you to take up a minimum of soil. Potatoes that have been planted and are quite successfully gaining strength can even be moved from place to place, saving them from waterlogging and providing access to sunlight.

A bucket of fertile soil mixed with peat is poured into the bag.
The tuber is placed on top with its sprouts facing up.
It is lightly sprinkled with earth.
After 2 weeks, when shoots appear, the stems are sprinkled with earth almost to the top.
After another 2 weeks, the soil is refilled.
Continue this way until the potatoes gain color.

Burlap containers are best suited: they allow air, moisture, and shade. But by autumn it will become unsuitable for further use. More often they use durable plastic garbage bags with several holes in them.

pros

The soil is better warmed up and ventilated.
Tubers are formed along the entire length of the stem at the height of the bag, which increases the yield several times.
Maintenance takes less time - no weeding or hilling required.
Potatoes are perfectly protected from pests.
Harvesting requires almost no physical effort.

Minuses

Requires light, fertile soil.
You need to add soil carefully so as not to damage the shoots.
Constant watering will be required.
Not all varieties are suitable for such cultivation.
Often a lack of nutrients leads to the formation of very small nodules.

Gardeners who have tested this method claim that with proper care, one bush produces up to 3 buckets of potatoes, mostly large and medium-sized. If you grow it for a small family, then 5-7 bags will be enough to provide yourself with this root crop for the winter without much hassle.

Boxes or cartons

Instead of bags, many gardeners use boxes with holes to drain excess water and allow normal gas exchange.

This box growing method also produces good yields.

To achieve a “greenhouse effect,” some gardeners knock together boxes from old boards 1–1.2 meters high, raise the soil to a height of 20 cm, warm them in the sun, then place potatoes in the box, cover it with soil, and water it. If potatoes are planted to obtain an extra-early harvest, the box is covered with polyethylene. Further care consists of adding soil, airing, and loosening.

Due to more even and rapid heating of the soil, the growing season is shortened; already in mid-July you can treat yourself to fresh young potatoes.

Potatoes in the garden

There is often a need to give the earth a rest, but leaving couples at the dacha is a luxury. Gardeners make narrow potato beds: after spreading the seeds on the ground, they pass from both sides with a shovel, making “paths” and filling them with potatoes. The second row is made no closer than 3 meters. Maintenance becomes easier, weeding is easier, and minimal hilling is required, because the beds are already high.

The next year, potatoes are planted on the “paths”, covered with soil from the ridges.

Pyramids

Pyramid beds have long been popular. It is believed that they warm up better on all sides, save space, and retain moisture longer.

Having outlined an area of square meters, it is slightly raised by pouring a fertile layer.
Place the potatoes, placing the seeds in the center and in the corners - 5 pieces.
The earth is poured on top in a “mound”.
A depression is made in the center to prevent rainwater from completely rolling off.

Do you like this method of planting potatoes?

YesNo

Such a pyramid only requires weeding; the crop ripens faster. You can make up to 10 pyramidal beds by planting cucumbers or zucchini, peas, and beans at a height of 30 cm, which will not interfere with the potatoes.

Constantly changing the planting site will provide rest to the land and protect the crop from pests.

Experts say that the classic method of cultivating this crop is more effective than all unusual methods of cultivation. However, experiments on small areas not only make it possible to confirm or refute their words, but also to turn ordinary and yet hard work into interesting and exciting scientific research, the result of which will certainly bring joy and benefit.

Video review of growing potatoes in boxes

Potatoes are a very valuable food crop cultivated in different countries of the world. The homeland of potatoes is South America, where many species of wild and cultivated varieties of this plant grow in the foothills and mountainous regions.

It’s hard to believe that there was a time when potatoes served as a purely decorative crop and their delicious and healthy tubers were not used for food. But quite a lot of time has passed since then, the technology for growing potatoes has been thoroughly worked out and scientifically substantiated, many varieties have been bred, from which, in turn, hybrids have been created, but our restless people of gardeners do not want to rest on this: they are trying new methods, experimenting and now you see, a new technology for growing potatoes is ready, showing excellent results.

A striking example of such an innovation is in boxes, which have already been tested by many enthusiasts. This technology for growing potatoes has received the highest rating and is recommended for use by everyone.

You can use any container as a box: a wooden or plastic barrel, a large box with meter dimensions, or even a reinforced concrete ring for wells.

First, the container should be freed from the bottom - this will allow excess moisture to escape and open a passage. If the material allows, then the entire surface of the container should be drilled with small holes. They should be placed at a distance of 10-20 cm and the diameter should be kept within 1-1.5 cm. This procedure is necessary in order to ensure air access to the rhizomes, since potatoes are extremely demanding of the air regime of the soil.

If the material does not allow making holes, then a hose is laid in a spiral inside the box, through which holes are made every 20-25 cm. One end of the hose is clogged and sinks to the bottom, the other, arranged in ascending spiral rings, comes to the surface. Through it, using a bicycle pump, you will need to pump air 3 times a week, for 5-10 minutes, which will supply oxygen to the root system of the plants.

Since, when growing potatoes in boxes, it is expected to reap a good harvest, you should take the composition of the soil seriously; the option of simply throwing soil from the garden with a shovel will not work. The bottom of the container, to a thickness of 10 cm, is laid out with urgasy concentrate, prepared independently from food waste.

To prepare the concentrate, you need to collect all food waste, including fish scales, bones and eggshells, and spread it in a thin layer and sprinkle the organo-microbiological preparation Urgas on top, then tie the bag and leave it to ferment for 3-4 days. The result is a highly valuable organic fertilizer.

A soil mixture consisting of the above-described compost, turf soil and ordinary soil, taken in equal proportions, is laid out on the urgasa. The soil layer is 10 cm, and here, in fact, the planting of tubers begins. This technology for growing potatoes assumes that potatoes will be planted every 20 cm, and if the container is round, planting should be done diametrically, if square, in a checkerboard pattern. Having planted the first layer, lay out a coil of air hose, sprinkle it with a layer of soil, water it and plant the layer of potatoes again. This planting can be done in three floors.

If everything is done correctly, then in a small container the formation of powerful root systems will begin, on which many potato tubers will form. You should not forget to maintain optimal water-air balance in the soil and fertilize.

Similar to the technology described above is growing potatoes in bags that can be hung, placed on the balcony and moved. It is recommended to take canvas bags with handles, with a capacity of approximately 40 liters. By growing potatoes in bags, you can get an extra-early harvest of tubers, since the bags can be hidden indoors at night and from frost.

Experiment, try and your reward will be a high yield from a small plot.

People who are seriously interested in gardening and gardening never tire of experimenting in all sorts of, sometimes simply incredible, ways. They are trying to increase fertility and increase plant hardiness.

Growing potatoes in box beds

A certain percentage of such experiments end in complete failure, but some experiments actually bring results. One of these more than successful “folk experiments” was growing potatoes in beds in boxes. Not a popular method in Russia, but an effective one.

The essence of this method is to plant the tubers not directly into the ground in the beds, but into the soil placed in some container. Almost any container will do - a plastic or wooden barrel, a large box, etc. without a bottom.

This article has helped many gardeners stop working hard on their plots and still get a bountiful harvest.

I would never have thought that in order to get the best harvest on my plot in my entire “dacha career”, I just need to stop working on the beds and trust nature. For as long as I can remember, I spent every summer at the dacha. First at my parents' house, and then my husband and I bought our own. From early spring to late autumn, all free time was spent on planting, weeding, tying, pruning, watering, harvesting and, finally, preserving and trying to preserve the harvest until next year. And so in a circle...

Growing potatoes in boxes without a bottom

The selected container will have to be prepared: it is necessary not only to remove the bottom, but also to drill small holes into its entire surface. These manipulations must be carried out to open the passage for earthworms. It is necessary to allow excess moisture to escape and provide air access to the container. Need to know.

In addition, growing potatoes in boxes requires careful soil preparation. Ordinary soil from the nearest garden bed will not work, so you will need to prepare the soil yourself. First of all, it is necessary to place a layer of food waste in the container and only lay the soil on top of it.

Growing potatoes in bags, barrels and boxes

It should consist of compost, ordinary soil and turf, taken in equal proportions. Thus, this method of growing potatoes requires significant preparation. However, its result, that is, the harvest, as experience shows, exceeds all expectations.