Potatoes are easy to grow in the ground or in grow bags like Smart Pots. What we plant is called a seed potato. It looks like a regular potato, with eyes and everything. These seed potatoes can be cut into smaller pieces. Each piece should have two or three eyes or growth points.
Buy seed potatoes that are certified disease free. Avoid planting potatoes purchased in the produce section of the grocery because they are frequently treated with growth retardants.
I’ve grown potatoes in Smart Pots with success several times. Any container with drainage will work, but you want it about 15 to 18 inches wide and deep, or a 15-gallon Smart Pot.
Add a 3- or 4-inch layer of soil. Place the seed potato piece on top of the soil about 4 to 6 inches apart and cover with 2 or 3 inches of soil. After potato leaves break through the soil and get about 3 inches tall, add another 3-to 4-inch layer of soil.
Potatoes prefer a slightly acid soil, so about a month after planting, I add an acidic fertilizer around the base of the plants. Something like Espoma Holly-tone works well. Make sure to keep the pot of potatoes moist.
A while back, I did a comparison of growing potatoes in two different cloth-like pots.
The University of Illinois Extension has a first-rate publication on growing potatoes a couple of different ways, including straw potatoes.
