# How to Plant Potatoes In a Potato Tower



## dbattenfield (Apr 5, 2011)

Do you plant the potatoe eye pieces only ONE time on the bottom layer of your tower and keep adding only soil to the tower each time this original plant gets taller - OR do you add more potato eye pieces each time you add a soil layer to your tower? This was never clearly stated. in the instructions. How can the original plant live and be buried so deeply in the tower if you plant seed piece only once. 
Also, when you harvest the potatoes from the bottom of the tower layers, what keeps the soil on the inside of the tower from caving in along with the plants?


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## Tee (Mar 26, 2009)

Hello - You only plant the seed potato pieces one time then add soil around the plant as it grows. I apologize if the instructions were unclear. I will continually post on the potato tower as it grows throughout the season.

Basically, you wait until the plant is eight to twelve inches tall and then add a new row of boards all the way around and fill with soil. The majority of the leaves will be left uncovered. As it continues to grow you just repeat the process. Although the stems and roots are buried the leaves are still above ground where it can receive sunlight. As long as the potato plant has exposed leaves, water and soil it will live. Actually the more you cover the stems the more potatoes you will get (to a point) as the plant will continue to produce potatoes along the stem if it's covered with soil. If the stem is exposed to sunlight it will stop producing tubers at the soil line.

When harvesting the potatoes take off only one board at a time if you are worried about it caving in. Usually even if you take off all four a little soil may spill out, but it doesn't come down like an avalanche or anything.

I hope that helped to clear it up a bit. If you have any more questions please let me know!


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## Donna1 (Apr 12, 2011)

Can you place a board on the bottom of the tower and have it placed in a location, like a deck of cement patio? Is there enough soil in your tower to allow the plant to grow properly? 
I am thinking of growing on a deck and then have the boards I am removing to harvest the potatoes face the the yard so when removing bottom boards, if there is some soil that come out, it will not be on the deck.


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## Tee (Mar 26, 2009)

Hi Donna - Technically, yes, you could do that. I don't think it would be a good idea to have a tower like this on a deck. The soil is not really contained so to speak, so every time it rains or your water it soil will seep out and get on your deck.

Also, this tower will be in place for four to five months and with the damp soil it could cause the deck boards to prematurely rot and decay.

I think a better option for growing potatoes on a deck is using a Potato Grow Bag, like this one from Gardener's Supply - Potato Grow Bag. You could even put it on a plant caddy that has wheels to make it mobile.

Thanks for your question, Donna, and I hope this helps!


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## Angela1 (Jun 5, 2012)

Hi. I noticed that my seed potatoes are not sprouting. I pulled one out and it was moldy. What should I do? Maybe throw in the towel. Also I am in Arizona do you think it is just too hot to grow potatoes? Any help would be great. Thanks.


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## Christine3 (Mar 29, 2014)

instead of using soil could i use hay/straw when the potatos start to root?


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