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DIY – Build a Potato Box

DIY

DIY - Build a Potato Grow Box

Learn how to build a potato grow box and grow up to one hundred pounds of potatoes in just four square feet – an easy project for beginners!

 

DIY - Build a Potato Grow Box

Potatoes are one of the best plants to grow, especially because they are so stinkin’ easy!   While they might seem like the kind of plant you need a huge garden for, they really aren’t that picky at all. Potato tubers are quite easily grown in almost any yard with the right “space”.

Because I live in town and my backyard isn’t as large as I’d really love it to be, I’m a big fan of growing things in small spaces. 

DIY – Build a Potato Grow Box

Learning how to build a potato growing box can put you ahead of the game with your potatoes. Each potato grow box can yield up to 100 lbs of potatoes in just 4 small, square feet. By planting your potatoes in layers in a small (yet tall) box, you are basically building them to grow like a high rise.

Wait until they are fully mature to harvest them (early fall) or, unscrew the board(s) off the bottom and harvest the mature potatoes early. 

Materials:

  • 2 – 2x4x12 
  • 4 – 1x6x12 Deck Boards (thin)
  • 1 box of 3″ outdoor deck screws (should come with the drill bit) ~ $10 at Lowe’s or Home Depot
  • inexpensive garden hose ($7 – $10)
  • garden hose end cap (~ $2.50)
  • 3/4″ rebar or scrap rebar

If you buy your wood at the Home Depot or Lowe’s, they will cut it for you at no charge. Make sure you avoid pressure treated wood.

Directions: 

Wood for a DIY Potato Box

Cut the 1x6x12 Deck Boards to make 24 boards, 23.5″ in length

Cut the 2x4x12 Boards to make 8 boards, 33″ in length

 

Build a Potato Box

Attach the 2×4’s together to make support posts. Arrange them so that the side of one 2×4 overlaps the other, making an “L” shape. If you have wood clamps, that will help – but it is not necessary.

Use your deck screws to attach the pieces together – 4 screws should be enough. Repeat that step 3 more times until you have 4 support posts.

Build a Potato Box

Attach your side pieces to the posts, making sure the butt joint is lined up as best as possible. Use 2 wood deck screws on each side of the board when attaching to the post.

DIY - Build a Potato Box

Repeat this several times, until the boards are 5 high on the back of the box, and 2 high on the front.

Build a Potato Box

DIY - Build a Potato Box

On one of the side pieces, drill a hole 12″ from the side and 2″ from the bottom. It should be large enough to fit a hose. 

 

Build a Potato Box

Moving onto the garden hose. Starting at the discharge end of the hose, drill 1/16 holes randomly on all sides of the hose, going up 32″.  Don’t drill the holes any closer than 1″ of each other.

Drag the potato box to the location you will likely place it. Set it down and make sure the smaller sides (with 2 boards) are facing the sun.  

Build a Potato Box

Place a piece of scrap rebar into the ground in the center of the potato box. Take the discharge end of the hose and run it through the hole through the base of the box. Only pull through as much hose as you need. Place the discharge end cap on the end of the hose.

Secure the top and bottom of the hose to the rebar with zip ties or duct tape. Add some dirt to your potato box. The dirt should be even with the 2nd highest board.

Planting Potatoes

Place your seed potatoes in the box – with the sprout/eye facing up. Make sure the potatoes are 4-5″ apart. Cover with 1″ of soil.  Then completely saturate the soil by turning on the water (attach the hose to your potato hose!)

Once saturated, water your potato box every 2-3 days.  When the vines have started to sprout and poke out, then add additional boards to your box, fill with more dirt (up to the top of that board) and plant another layer of potatoes. Continue this until you have planted upwards the entire height of the box.

Your potatoes will grow upwards and flower as time progresses. Once the flowers die off, in early fall, you can harvest your potatoes by removing the bottom boards.

Always store your potatoes in a cool, dry area away from sunlight.

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Shared by Sheryl

Comments

  1. Robert says

    April 18, 2022 at 6:10 pm

    I remember planting potatoes as a kid had room then live in city now not much space trying out you potato box. Sounds like a great idea my wife thinks I’m crazy 😂, But I have confidence.

    Reply
    • Sheryl says

      April 23, 2022 at 11:35 am

      I don’t think you’re crazy at all, honestly… I think it’s genius. With the price of food these days (and the fact that you don’t even know where it comes from most of the time) I think it’s a genius way to use space given your conditions. I live in the city now too… when I was a kid, I lived in the country with miles and miles of farmland. Right now, Phoenix is so cramped and houses are literally 12″ from each other (I might be exaggerating but it certainly feels like that!) so growing a garden is much more challenging but it can be done!

      Reply

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  1. Spring Seed Starting Schedule for 5a - Cia Prior says:
    February 22, 2022 at 3:24 pm

    […] There are some really cool DIY’s for growing potatoes in pots. […]

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Hi, I'm Sheryl!

Hi there, I'm Sheryl!

Rebooted Mom was created out of my own journey to live and think differently about the food I eat. I share everything from gardening to DIY, recipes, and sustainable living.

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