The 2013 potato production was much greater in Smart Pots. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
I tried some new pots to grow potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) this year and the results have been astounding. I switched from Gardman plastic potato tubs to 15-gallon Smart Pots, and boy, was that ever smart.
Last year, I got a handful of fingerlings from the Gardman tubs. This year, I got many more, using the same brand of organic seed potatoes I’ve used before.
About 10 ounces of potatoes were harvested in two Gardman Potato Tubs in 2012. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
The real surprise was the 3-½ pounds of Adirondack Blue potatoes. These are purple through and through and, despite their name, have their origin in South America and are considered an heirloom. I’ve already eaten one and yum is a good description.
“Smart Pots are made of polypropylene, specially for us to our specs. It is BPA free and lead free,” said Charles Jackson, vice president of High Caliper Growing Inc., the Oklahoma City company that makes the pots. The cloth is specially designed to control moisture and heat.
I credit my garden-writer colleague C.L. Fornari at Whole Life Gardening [1] for telling me about Smart Pots after seeing my pitiful potato post from last year.
Smart Pots also come in black. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
Besides changing the pots, I read more about growing potatoes. As a result, the plants received:
• Mid-day shade. This keeps the leaves from getting sunburned and the plants a bit cooler.
• Regular applications of Espoma Holly-Tone, a natural, acidic fertilizer. Potatoes prefer it more acidic than the alkaline soil Indiana has to offer.
• Water as needed.
Even without pesticides, I had very, very little leaf damage from potato beetles or other critters. The potatoes are firm and unblemished.
I’m done with the fingerlings, but next year, I’ll plant Adirondack Blue and Yukon Gold potatoes in my two pots. Visit smartpots.com to find area retailers that carry them.
If you saw last week’s column about Quebec City, you noticed that Smart Pots are planted with vegetables, edible flowers, herbs and fruit trees throughout the main entryway at the province’s Parliament Building.
Long-term users have said the pots last three to five years or more and that perennial plants, trees and shrubs can be left outdoors in the Smart Pots, even in winter.
These pots would be a boon for urban gardeners with little or no yard, heavily rooted or compacted soil and too little sun because of big trees.
Dozens of varieties of food crops, including vegetables, fruits and herbs, grow in Smart Pots in the main entryway to Quebec's Parliament Building. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp