Whats the smallest box for potatoes?

[Midwestnoob]

So I've run across one of those diy videos running around Facebook that shows potatoes growing in what looks like 12 inch container. The concept was 1 container with 4 large sections cut away and placed inside another normal container. So that once the potatoes have grown you could lift the container with missing sides out and easily access the newly grown potatoes.

I've never worked with any potato plants but I love all varieties and was interested in this concept. Can potatoes grow in that small of a container? And if so what varieties? Also I have about a dozen 8 inch containers floating around. Is it possible to grow potatoes in this concept?

 

[Durgan]

Judge how large yourself.

How a Potato Plant Grows
Posted on January 26, 2011 by Durgan
This is new pictures to make viewing easier.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ZFZLX
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?QHBIN 21 August 2009 How a Potato Plant Grows
There is a great deal of information on the Internet about growing potatoes in tires, boxes and indicating that large quantities of new tubers can be produced with high vertical hilling. The view propagated is that potatoes grow from branches all along the main stalk. This is utter nonsense, as the pictures indicate. New tubers are formed around the seed potato and always slightly above it.

My potato growing test box was opened today. The pictures speak for themselves. Clearly there is no advantage in carrying out excessive hilling when growing potatoes. The purpose of hilling is to insure the tubers are covered, since light affects potatoes producing a green appearance, which is an indication of solanine, which is harmful if ingested in large quantities.. For comparison one Pontiac Red was dug in the same row, which was almost identical to the test box potato in appearance.

 

[GardenStateGardner]

People grow potatoes in grow bags.

 

[Durgan]

Potatoes grow anywhere. A perfect potato is food of the Gods.

BUT to grow quality potatoes takes a bit of effort. What to consider? Size of the tubers, no hollow centers, weight of tubers per plant, texture, no extraneous bumps, bug damage.

Weight 4 to 8 pounds per plant. various sizes not too many small ones, texture-moisture content.

My experience has been that quality potatoes are weather dependent to a large degree. Moisture at the appropriate time is of the utmost importance, determined by experience. Suppressing the Colorado Potato Beetle is paramount.

 

[Midwestnoob]

Ok. So I love all potatoes. What potatoes need the Smallest area to grow? Would it be a fingerling potato? Or could I just plant a Yukon and get baby potatoes?

 

[Durgan]

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?BKWAI 11 September 2010 Yukon Gold Test Box Potatoes
Yukon Gold Potatoes were harvested today. A total weight of 23.5 pounds was harvested from the 4 by 4 foot test area. The quality is excellent. Another plant could probably be placed in the center of the area without crowding. The average weight per plant was 5.9 pounds. From my experience anything over 4 pounds is acceptable.

 

[headfullofbees]

Potatoes contain different levels of dry matter, which means that the "perfect potato" changes with your intended use.
I'm growing 7 varieties of potato this year, and will harvest from mid-May until Oct/Nov.