MISSING_TRANSLATION (TOPBAR.IMPERSONATE_ACT_AS)
Reconnect to nature
  • item.textFree returns
  • item.textQuick delivery
  • item.textEstablished 1933
Tips and inspiration

Team up with a potato

Potatoes are good for so much, from roasting in the oven to a simple potato salad. There are many different types of potatoes, but I have chosen a fresh potato variety Maribel Eko and an autumn potato Asterix, in order to be able to enjoy potatoes for a longer period of the year.

Read more

Get the ingredients
To start growing your potatoes, you need a Nelson Potato grow pot, gloves, soil, a small shovel and potatoes of your liking.

Step 1: Before planting
Growing potatoes in a growing pot is easy and makes it simple to harvest. If you choose different sorts of potatoes, which I will do, I recommend not planting different sorts in the same pot. Instead, make sure each sort gets its own pot. The reason is simple, each sort of potato will be ready for harvest different times of the season.

Step 2: Prepare the pot
Start your preparations by sorting out the drainage in the bottom of the potato pot. I put small rocks, and minor gravel in the bottom of the pot. Pinecones works too!

Step 3: Planting the potatoes
Fill the pot with soil on top of the drainage, but leave about 10 cm to the edge of the pot. The reason is that you continuously will fill the bucket with soil as the potato plant grow. When you have filled the bucket with soil, plant your potatoes about 10 centimeters down into the soil.

Step 4: To think about
I will plant two potatoes in one pot and three in the other. The reason is that I use two different sorts of potato. A fresh potato sort that will be ready to harvest during the summer, and a seed potato ready for harvest in the autumn. The fresh potato sort is a bit smaller, than the autumn sort, which 3 potatoes will fit in one. The autumn sort is bigger which is why two will suffice.
Try your way out, but I generally recommend between 2 - 4 potatoes in one pot depending on the sort.

Step 5: Placement of the pot
Cultivating potatoes in a Nelson Grow pot is practical if you’re living in an apartment like me. I will put the growing pot in a corner near a window at first, because that’s where I have space at the moment. Since Nelson’s pot allows me to follow the growth of my potatoes by lifting the inner pot from the outer one, it is easy to follow the growth of my potatoes.

Step 6: When sprouts come
As the sprouts starts to come up, place the pot in a more sunny spot. Ideally with 6 hours of sunlight a day. Regulary top up with soil until within a few centimers of the pot’s top. I don’t mean you’re suppose to bury the plants, so make sure to keep at least one or two leafs above the soil when you top up.

Learn our best tips and tricks for thriving potatoes

Growing potatoes in a Nelson potato bucket is easy and comes with a lot of perks. Read our best advice on how to give your potatoes the right opportunity to thrive.

1. Water or rain
If you water the soil too little it will dry out. If you water too much the potatoes will swim and eventually rot. Even though potatoes need a lot of water, make to water regularly if there it’s not raining. A good old summer rain always does the trick.

2. Place the bucket warm
When the first sprouts can be seen, place your potato bucket in a warm place with a reasonable amount of sun. We wouldn’t recommend too much sun though, since potatoes need a lot of water and might dry out. Yet the sun is essential for the sprouts.

3. Check on your friend
When using a Nelson potato bucket, lift the inner pot from the outer pot to carefully see the progression. From being put down in the soil to harvest it takes about 2 months. That’s a general timeline for you.

4. Add more soil and build “hills”
Because new potatoes form on lateral stems above the seed potato, it’s sometimes necessary to ""hill"" the vines. When the sprouts have reached a height of about 10-15 cm cover the stems with new soil so only half of the sprout sticks up. Stop “hilling” when the vines flower. This way, more potatoes will be produced.

5. Potatoes are like vampires
Vampires like darkness. So do potatoes. In fact, they will turn green if exposed to light. And a green potato can cause sickness if consumed. Therefore it is absolutely essential to keep your little potato-vampire-friend covered with soil until harvest.

6. Stop watering before harvest
A few weeks before you plan to harvest you can stop watering them. The flower and stem can die by itself or you can take it away for a period of time before the harvest (about two weeks). This way, the potato is allowed to fully mature in the soil by absorbing the last nutrition from the stem.

How to harvest potatoes from a potato grow pot

Emma’s been waiting patiently to harvest her potato friends – just like you have! Now, it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labour. Emma will guide you through the process of harvesting potatoes from your potato grow pot:

1. Make sure your plants are mature
Eager to harvest? We get it! Just make sure your potato plants have reached maturity. It typically happens around 10-12 weeks after planting and is usually indicated by the yellowing and dying back of the foliage. Preferably, harvest on a dry day, as moisture will lead to rotten potatoes. Let’s avoid that at all costs!

2. Get ready with the right tools
To harvest your potatoes, you’ll need gardening gloves, and somewhere to collect the harvested potatoes – like a container or basket. Always make sure your tools are clean and in good condition before getting started!

3. Loosen – and lift!
Carefully loosen the soil around the base of your potato grow pot. This helps prevent damage during the harvesting process! Work your hands into the soil a few centimetres away from the base of the bucket, and then gently lift it upwards. As the soil is loosened, carefully lift the entire potato bucket out of the soil. Make sure to keep it level! This way, your potato buddies will be easier to access.

4. Start picking potatoes
Finally, let’s pick up those potatoes! Start by brushing off excess soil from the potato plants. Avoid damaging your potato friends by using gentle hands or a soft brush. As they have delicate skin, carefully pick out the potatoes one by one. Start from the edges and work your way towards the centre of the bucket.

5. Take care of your harvest
Start by separating damaged or diseased potatoes from healthy ones. The healthy potatoes should be stored in a cool, dark, and well-ventilated place for a few hours. This lets them dry slightly, which helps improve their storage life.

Direct sunlight can cause them to turn green and become inedible, so make sure to avoid it. Once your potatoes are dry, you can start cooking! Boil, roast, mash or bake them – and feel proud once you enjoy your home-grown meal.