How to Grow Potatoes in Bags or Containers
Priya Hollis · Sep 14, 2026 · 5 min read
Quick answer
No vegetable bed needed. A large bag, a few seed potatoes, and regular watering will give you a harvest in a few months.
Potatoes are one of the most rewarding container crops. Tipping out a bag and finding the potatoes inside is a moment that never gets old.
Containers also avoid many soil-borne problems and make harvesting easy.
1 What you need
- ✓A potato grow bag or container of at least 30 to 40 litres, with drainage holes
- ✓Certified seed potatoes — not supermarket potatoes, which may carry disease
- ✓Multipurpose compost, ideally mixed with some garden soil or well-rotted manure
- ✓A sunny spot
2 Chitting and planting
A few weeks before planting, stand seed potatoes in egg boxes in a cool, bright room so they grow short, sturdy shoots. This is called chitting. Plant in spring once the risk of hard frost is passing: put about 15 cm of compost in the bag, set three to five potatoes on top with shoots pointing up, and cover with another 10 cm.
3 Earthing up
As the shoots grow, keep adding compost so only the top few centimetres of leaves show, until the bag is nearly full. This encourages more potatoes and stops them being exposed to light, which turns them green and makes them unsafe to eat.
4 Watering and feeding
Containers dry out quickly. Water regularly, especially once the plants flower, which is when potatoes are swelling. A liquid tomato feed every couple of weeks helps.
5 Harvesting
Early varieties are usually ready around 10 to 12 weeks after planting, often when the flowers open. Maincrop varieties take longer; wait until the foliage turns yellow and dies back. Tip the bag onto a tarp and sort through the compost for potatoes.
This is general gardening information. Results depend on your climate, soil, and conditions. Follow label directions for any fertiliser or treatment, and check whether plants are toxic to pets or children before bringing them home.