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Cultivating potatoes in grow bags!



Potato is a plant cultivated almost all year round and matures about 3-4 months after sowing. As a crop, it is a very exhausting one for soil and requires fertile and foamy ground. For this reason, it is proposed to cultivate potatoes in grow bags, a convinient method  of cultivation, especially at the level of domestic production which is at the same time an ecological one.



Potato crops in grow bags are suitable not only for those who have limited space or live in urban areas, but they are also ideal for those who want to maximize their returns in a controlled environment. Cultivating potatoes in grow bags reduces the time it takes for weed management, the exposure to pests and fungi, as well as the damage that can be caused by agricultural tools. In addition, this method facilitates the harvesting of potatoes out of the ground, simply by lifting the compact soil ball out of the grow bag or by opening it to collect them. The stages of potatoes cultivation in grow bags are as follows:

• Buy grow bags from agricultural supply stores and even garbage bags. Their height should be at least 45-50 cm.
• Ensure good drainage by making holes to the bags in case they do not exist.
• Place 2-3 cm of fine gravel at the botom of the bags to improve drainage.
• Add 1:1 drops of soil and compost to the height of 20 cm.
• Obtain certified potato seeds found in garden centers and nurseries.
• Before sowing, the potato seeds must remain in a dark place for 3-4 days until new sprouts appear at their surface.
• Place the pregrown potato seeds in the bags with the sprouts pointing upwards. Grow bags usually can host 3-4 potatoes.
• Cover the potato seeds with a layer of soil and compost mixture at a height of 10 -15 cm.
• When young plants grow at a height of 15-20 cm, add another layer of soil and compost mixture covering about half to three quarters of the plants. Repeat the process as the plants grow and at the same time make sure the soil has the moisture it needs.
• About 3-3.5 months after sowing we collect our potatoes by carefully emptying the bag.
• If you sow 1 kg of potato seeds, the yield will range between 10-20 kg.

Potatoes when stored must be completely dry and clean, especially from the ground. That's why we leave them at the fields for some time to dry out well once harvested. Then, we move them to a shady place or a shed and we spread them to dry completely. Potatoes are stored in piles up to 1 meter tall by providing good ventilation to them, while for not greening when heated, they are covered with several light-blocking sacks.