How to increase the yield of potatoes: growing in a barrel. Growing potatoes in a barrel How to grow potatoes in a barrel

"Extreme" methods of growing potatoes in bags, barrels, boxes, etc. known to our gardeners not so long ago.

But, many have long noticed how tubers that accidentally fell into any container germinated and also brought a small “harvest”.

Let's deal with this method of growing a vegetable, consider its main advantages and subtleties.

Preparing potatoes for planting in a barrel

Even in small quantities, subject to the necessary moisture and the support of the nutrient medium, potatoes are able to produce good fruits. This is the basis for the methods of planting potatoes in various containers.

The barrel can be anything: wood, plastic, wicker, iron, etc. the main thing is that it be at least 30 cm in height, the roots receive required amount moisture and air, and the soil was quite loose.

Immediately after finding the desired capacity, do not rush and start planting seedlings. First you need to clean the barrel - remove debris, wash, and then drill a large hole in the bottom (or many small ones) - to organize drainage.

For potatoes, this is extremely important, because root system This plant is quite small, but the load on it will be just huge. The features of this growing technology imply that there should be quite a lot of soil, and then a lot of tubers.

To keep humidity and nitrogen levels under control, we need to:

Make a hole closer to the bottom, and insert a hose with holes there at a distance of about 20 cm from each other;
Bring out the open end of the hose that will be used to water the seedlings.

As an option, you can make a hole in the barrel and connect a compressor to it, which will saturate the soil with oxygen, and the “drip irrigation” that we did will evenly moisten the earth.

Planting potatoes in a barrel: technology and plantation care

We need nutrient soil that will contain the same amount of compost and garden soil. It is important to control that pests do not appear in the barrel, since our space is practically closed.

In order to "secure" the earth, it is necessary:

Steam or carefully pierce the soil;
Before planting, in the fall, pickle it with strong chemicals;
In autumn, while the land is “preparing” for planting, ammonium nitrate, ash, potassium and superphosphate must be added to it;
If the earth is sandy, then magnesium sulfate and dolomite flour will also need to be added to it.

Now the barrel can be put in its “whole” place, and its bottom can be covered with a layer of soil of 10-15 cm. Gently pressing, germinated potatoes or tubers should be placed in the ground for planting. From above, all this is covered with 10 cm of soil.

After the sprouts germinate by 2-3 cm, they will again need to be covered with earth. This procedure will need to be repeated until the barrel is filled with a meter. It is not necessary to make a soil layer above - it may not be enough to form good tubers.

At all these stages, the soil needs active watering - it is impossible to allow drying out, since it is dangerous for potatoes in such a small and closed container.

How to build a barrel for planting potatoes

There are many different options for creating such a barrel for planting potatoes, which is guaranteed to please good result from the work done. The simplest of them:

Making a "hot barrel" from a conventional container (the method is described in detail above);
Wicker or wooden structure. It can be an ordinary basket with a height of 30 cm, or a wooden box with drilled holes for ventilation;
A container made from old tires that line up in a "pyramid";
Metal mesh wrapped with straw.

Top dressing potatoes in a barrel

In a barrel, the nutritional properties of the earth will be quickly depleted. Therefore, the earth must be systematically fed and fertilized with mineral and organic substances.

What can be used:

Advantages of growing

The benefits of growing potatoes in a barrel are obvious to anyone experienced gardener. Here are just a few of them:

Due to the even distribution of moisture and good warm-up, tubers can be started much earlier than when growing vegetables using conventional technology;
Due to the peculiarities of soil processing, there is no need for weeding and hilling the first shoots;
The bushes will not be afraid of pests that are in the deep layers of the earth, and they will also practically not be subject to diseases.

Moreover, having prepared the soil for planting potatoes in a barrel, it can be reused. Only after harvesting will it be necessary to sow the barrel with green manure and apply fertilizer.

Alternative ways

It happens that the necessary container for planting a vegetable is not at hand. Then alternative methods can be used. Everything you need to find on the territory free place, and dig a hole about 40 cm deep there. Compost is laid out on its bottom with a layer of 7-11 cm.

You can also plant huge potatoes in the hole. It is laid out on its bottom, and sprinkled on top with a similar layer of compost. Then, after the appearance of the first sprout with a height of 2 cm, it must be sprinkled with the 2nd cm of compost. The process is repeated until the hole is filled to the top.

Such simple manipulations can bring a generous reward - a hole completely filled with the best potatoes. From one such impromptu "barrel" you can collect at least a bucket of tubers.

The bag is another tool that can be used if there is no barrel on hand. Without serious hassle, it allows you to get an early harvest of potatoes. What needs to be done:

Take a bag of flour or potatoes, clean it of dust, dirt and debris;
Bring the container into heat for a while, let it lie down;
Completely cover it with soil and manure, tie;
Put the bag on its side, make cuts in the form of crosses on it;
Plant potato seeds or tubers in these incisions;
After warming, take the seedlings outside.

Such potatoes do not need watering, but it is important to ensure that there is moisture in the soil. If it dries out, it is worth slightly moistening the soil. The advantage of this method is that you do not have to deal with wild plants, pests and diseases.

According to one version, this method appeared by chance, when the tuber accidentally got into compost pit. Gradually, the summer resident sprinkled the plant with new batches of compost, and in the fall, unexpectedly for himself, he gathered a good harvest. Over time, the technology has improved. Now planting potatoes in a barrel is not something exotic. First of all, the method will be of interest to owners of small plots where it is not possible to allocate an area for potatoes.

Benefits of growing potatoes in a barrel:

saving space, the potato plantation is located in any convenient place;
plants do not need to be hilled and weeded, they hardly suffer from diseases and pests;
tubers rot less;
minimum labor costs in comparison with the traditional method;
irrigation requires 3-4 times less water;
due to good warming up of the soil, potatoes in a barrel ripen earlier;
subject to technology, the yield of the variety does not decrease.

Disadvantage: requires the preparation of high-quality soil and a sufficient number of containers for growing, because of this it is not used in large quantities.

How to grow potatoes in a barrel

1. Preparation of the barrel. For vertical cultivation of potatoes instead of metal barrels you can use any plastic or wooden containers of a suitable volume (from 7 liters and more than 30 cm high). In some cases, wicker structures lined with straw are used, and even old car tires.

Barrels are different

Tires fit too

First, the bottom of the barrel (another container) is removed so that excess moisture freely comes out without leading to rotting of the root system. It is advisable to make the container collapsible into at least two parts, so that it is easier to harvest. If the barrel was used for other purposes, to protect against pathogenic microorganisms, the inner walls should be cleaned with soda and boiling water and wiped dry. The outer walls of dark containers are best repainted in bright hues, then they attract less sunlight.

Further, holes of 1 cm in diameter are made in the walls every 10-15 cm for normal ventilation of the soil. In tall barrels, it is additionally possible to vertically insert a perforated hose (tube) plugged on one side with notches every 20 cm. Bring the open end out and periodically connect it to the pump (compressor) for 3-5 minutes to saturate the soil with oxygen.

2. Landing. Potatoes in a barrel require more nutrients, than in open field. The ideal option there will be soil consisting in equal proportions of compost (or rotted humus) and ordinary garden soil. It is better to prepare the soil in the fall. The earth should be pre-weeded, steamed or treated with chemicals so that pests and weeds do not get inside the tank, where it is difficult to fight them.

When landing, the barrel is installed at the selected location. At the bottom pour 10-15 cm of a mixture of compost and earth. Then, sprouted potatoes are laid out along the diameter of the circle at a distance of 20 cm from each other and 10 cm of soil are poured on top.

After the appearance of sprouts 2-3 cm long, they must be sprinkled with 10 cm of new soil. The procedure is repeated several times until the height of the nutrient layer reaches 1 meter (preferably if the size of the barrel allows). Otherwise, the root system will be poorly formed, which will lead to a decrease in yield.

Correct fit

3. Care and feeding. From the moment the tubers are planted, potatoes should be constantly added, controlling the humidity. Drying out of the soil is unacceptable. A minimum of 3-4 waterings per season is required.

When sprouts of 10-12 cm appear (after the last sprinkling with earth), the bushes are fed with nitrogen and potash fertilizers. Top dressing is diluted according to the instructions on the label and applied in liquid form at the rate of 1 liter per bush. Early varieties feed 1 time, late - 2. It is important not to overdo it with nitrogen fertilizers, too high a concentration of nitrogen leads to the accumulation of nitrates in the tubers, which negatively affects the quality of the crop. Phosphorus can be added at the end of flowering.

Weeding and processing potatoes in a barrel with chemicals is necessary only when pests appear. Often this is not required. Vertical cultivation is considered an environmentally friendly method.

4. Harvest. 8-9 weeks after the last top dressing, the tops will turn yellow and begin to dry out. The potatoes are ripe. To collect potatoes, it is enough to turn over and disassemble the barrel. Yield - up to one bag with square meter earth.
The soil can be reused, sown with green manure in the fall, then organic and mineral additives can be added.

ABOUT useful properties potato is now known throughout the world. In many countries, this vegetable is the basis of the diet. Accordingly, many breeders around the world are fighting to increase crop yields. Appear not only different varieties, but also unusual ways of growing. One of which was the cultivation of potatoes in a barrel. The technology is distinguished by its simplicity and high efficiency, therefore it is becoming increasingly popular among gardeners. How to get excellent harvest barrel potatoes and what are the advantages of this method?

The history of such a fruit as a potato begins more than 4000 years ago. Initially, it was a wild crop, which was noticed in Peru. The Spaniards first brought potatoes to the European part of the world. Many considered a foreign vegetable dangerous. But there were those who immediately saw the benefits of potatoes and even considered them healing. It took a century for tubers to be appreciated and loved first by Europeans, and then by the whole world.

Today there is no garden where potatoes are grown. Since the 17th century, the vegetable has been internationally recognized as a crop capable of feeding many people. In most cases, gardeners plant potatoes traditional way. But in order to increase productivity, they are increasingly used innovative technologies . Cultivation in boxes, bags, straw and barrels is gradually replacing cultivation in beds.

Technology of growing potatoes in a barrel

By planting a popular vegetable in this way, the gardener gets a greater yield than with traditional cultivation. From meter to meter you can collect more than one bag of tubers. And you don’t need to do anything supernatural or complicated. But before landing, you will have to carry out preparatory work.

Preparatory stage

For disembarkation, it is required to prepare a barrel with a volume of at least seven liters. But in order for the potato not to boil on the roots, we pre-paint it in White color. After we remove the bottom in order to unhindered exit of excess moisture. To ensure oxygen access to the root system of future plantings in the walls of the barrel, we make holes 1 cm in size. Such air intakes should be located throughout the tank at a distance 10–20 cm from each other. So, when the barrel is ready, you can proceed to the main stage.

planting potatoes

What you need to do to get a good harvest:

If the sprouts are not covered with earth, then they will germinate completely and only the stem part, and not the tubers, will continue to develop. It is allowed to grow potatoes in a barrel on three floors at once. This method is used in the case when it is not possible to periodically top up the ground.

Caring for potatoes in a barrel

A crop planted in this way is much easier to care for. For the season the plant is needed Water generously 3-4 times. If the weather is dry, it is worth irrigating the vegetation more often. And by mid-July, all the nutrients from the soil have already gone to the formation of potato tubers, so during this period the earth will need additional feeding.

For the best result, it is recommended to introduce a mixture of the preparation "EM-1" and woody soil as an additional top dressing 2-3 times a week. Also, as a top dressing, you can use complex nutritional formulations, infusions of ash or organic fertilizers.

The main thing in using this method of planting potatoes is the correct filling of the container. Fill the barrel with nutrient soil and supplement it with fertilizers. You can also put the remains of rotten boards and compost into the barrel. And small branches or grass laid under a barrel on initial stage, able accelerate the growth of potato tops. With proper observance of all recommendations for planting and care, gardeners will receive a formed powerful tubular system, which will be the key to a good harvest.

Advantages of the method

As always, the method of growing potatoes in a barrel has its opponents and adherents. When using technology from different gardeners with various conditions and the results were not the same. Despite this, such cultivation of potatoes has its own undeniable advantages:

For those who don't have a barrel

A similar technology can be applied without the use of a container. A hole of 40 cm is dug on the site. But a dense layer of compost (8–10 cm) is laid at the bottom. As planting material is chosen huge potato tuber. It is laid in a pit and sprinkled with a compost layer of the same volume. The sprout that appears (3 cm) is again sprinkled with a layer of 2 cm. This continues until it is fully ripe. As a reward for the labors, the dug hole is completely filled with fresh tubers. You can collect a whole bucket of potatoes from one nest.

Using alternative way growing potatoes in a barrel, gardeners successfully increase yields and save resources (money, time and own strength).

High ridges or under straw, not so long ago became widely known to domestic gardeners. But if you think about it, many own site observed how a tuber that got into a container with compost gave not only friendly shoots, but also tubers. In a well-warmed, nutritious and necessarily humid environment culture produces a crop even in a limited amount.

In fact, barrels and other similar containers are based on this principle, which may not be metal, plastic or wooden. The main condition is that the barrel be higher than 30 cm, moisture and oxygen are supplied to the roots in abundance, and the soil is loose and nutritious.

Preparing to plant potatoes

When a suitable container is found, do not rush to land. Before the potatoes are immersed in the ground, it is important to remove the bottom from the barrel or drill a sufficiently large number of drainage holes in it. Not bad if a similar perforation appears on the side walls on a high capacity.

This technique will help to get rid of excess moisture, and oxygen to penetrate to the roots of plants. In the case of potatoes, this is doubly important, since the root system is not so large, and the load on it is enormous.

The technology of growing potatoes in a barrel implies that the amount of planting material, and then the tubers formed in the container, is quite large. So that the gardener can control the delivery of moisture and oxygen:

a perforated hose plugged at the bottom is inserted vertically into a high barrel or plastic pipe with cuts at a distance of up to 20 cm from each other.
the open end, through which, after planting is completed, it will be possible to water and feed the potato plantation, they are taken outside.

If you connect a compressor or pump to the hole, the soil in the barrel can be easily saturated with oxygen. And the root system drip irrigation will help to evenly moisten the soil under the potatoes.

Planting potatoes in a barrel and caring for a plantation

Potatoes in a barrel cannot do without a safe nutrient soil mixture. For this crop, a soil consisting of equal parts of ready-made or rotted humus and ordinary garden soil is suitable.

Since it is necessary to grow plants in a practically closed small volume, it is important that pests that are dangerous for potatoes do not appear in the barrel along with the soil. Therefore, soil to neutralize insects and their larvae:

pre-calcined or steamed;
even in the fall, before planting, they are pickled with chemicals.

In the fall, when the soil for growing potatoes in a barrel is just being prepared, a mixture of ammonium nitrate or urea, double superphosphate, potassium compounds and ash is added to it. In sandy soils that are deficient in magnesium, its sulfate is added, as well as dolomite flour. Then the barrel is installed in the place intended for it and soil is poured on the bottom with a layer of 10 to 15 cm. Seed sprouted tubers or pieces with hatched eyes are laid out on the ground, pressing a little, and potatoes are covered with ten centimeters of soil mixture on top.

When the sprouts rise 2–3 cm above the ground level, they must be sprinkled again with the soil mixture. If the plant is not allowed to form full-fledged foliage, the potato directs all its efforts to the development of the root system with new stolons, on which tubers will subsequently appear. The process of adding earth is repeated until the barrel is filled with a meter. Above do the soil layer is not worth it. Until the end of the season, plants may not have enough strength to form high-quality tubers, since all potential will be wasted on the formation of the root system.

All this time, the soil is actively watered, preventing drying out, which is very likely and dangerous for planting potatoes in a small container.

Top dressing of potatoes when grown in a barrel

Potatoes, especially in a barrel, where the nutritional properties of the soil are quickly depleted, are in dire need of mineral and organic fertilizers.

As a fertilizer for potatoes when planting use:

manure, traditionally applied for seed;
complex for this culture;
a mixture of three parts of pure lowland peat and;
three- or four-day infusions of green manure.

When the sprouts rise by 10–12 cm, the plants should be fed with potash and nitrogen fertilizers. When growing potatoes in a barrel, it is easier to use fertilizer in liquid form at the rate of 1-2 liters per bush.

If potatoes are fed with urea, then dolomite or lime flour is used to neutralize the inevitable acidification of the soil. Best Results from fertilization should be expected only with sufficient watering.

Early varieties are fed once, and late-ripening potatoes require two top dressings. It is impossible to abuse nitrogen fertilizers when planting potatoes in barrels, since excess nitrogen can accumulate in tubers in the form of nitrates, which negatively affect crop quality, scab resistance and storage capacity. If another nitrogen-containing agent is used as a top dressing for potatoes, it is better to combine it with potash fertilizers for potatoes when planting in barrels.

At the end of flowering, plants can be fed with fertilizers containing phosphorus. This substance promotes the outflow of nutrients from the tops to the tubers.

Advantages of growing potatoes in barrels

Compliance with the rules of planting, watering and feeding will provide the gardener with a generous harvest of large healthy tubers.

They, thanks to better heating and a uniform supply of moisture, will be ready for harvesting much earlier than using traditional technology.
In addition, planting potatoes in barrels eliminates the need for regular weeding and hilling seedlings.
Bushes are not damaged by soil pests, and you should not be afraid of many cultural diseases.

Once prepared soil can be used repeatedly. When the potato crop is harvested, the barrel is sown with green manure, and in the fall organic matter and mineral supplements are added.

Different ways of planting potatoes - video

Do you have a small garden? Learn the original method of growing potatoes in a barrel. Having learned some of the features of planting, you can get at least 30 kg from 8–10 potatoes. At the same time, you will save yourself from tedious physical labor: loosening, hilling, weeding and even digging. To harvest, you just need to turn the barrel over and collect the tubers.

Planting potatoes in a barrel is an alternative method of growing this crop. This method has worked well for small summer cottages. On small area it is possible to grow the crop of tubers necessary for the family, and use the vacated land for growing other vegetable crops.

Productivity

Summer residents-experimenters, when mastering new methods of planting vegetables, always evaluate their productivity. Vegetable growers give statistics:

barrel with a capacity of 200 liters;
8 seed potatoes;
adding soil 6–7 times per season;
top dressing;
regular watering;
harvest 3 buckets.

Pros and cons of the method

You can talk about the advantages of the method for a long time. The first advantage over conventional planting in the ground is accelerated maturation. The crop will ripen a month earlier than with traditional planting in the holes. The ripening period is reduced due to the early warming up of the soil in landing capacity and the possibility of an earlier landing.

The second plus is space saving. The third is the lack of traditional care methods: weeding, hilling, loosening. The main advantage - appeared free time, which can be spent not on hard physical labor, but on pleasant summer rest. Another useful point - the soil can be used several times, you can restore it with the help of autumn planting green manure.

This method has a drawback - the earth dries quickly, regular watering is required. It is difficult for summer residents who rarely visit the dacha to control soil moisture, which can adversely affect the volume of the crop.

Suitable varieties

Delicious potatoes will grow if a good variety is chosen. Summer residents tested varieties for planting in barrels:

Timo.
Zhukovsky early.
Cardinal.
Lyra.

For getting early harvest It is worth choosing early, large-fruited varieties.

Tools

Tools are required to prepare the container for planting. First of all, you need to have a drill and drill bits for metal. It is worth buying a metal drill of the largest size (10-13 mm).

The necessary conditions

You need to choose the right place to place the landing tank. sunny places unsuitable. The earth will overheat, and potatoes will not grow in hot soil. Many gardeners make the mistake of installing a barrel on the south side of the house.

How to build a barrel?

Good results are obtained when using metal barrels. If the container was in use, then only for the purpose of storing food. The optimal volume is 200 liters. The height of the barrel must be at least 60 cm. plastic barrels can also be used. Wooden barrels are not suitable for growing potatoes.

In order for the potatoes to breathe during growth, holes must be made in the barrel. For this we have a drill and a drill. There should be a lot of holes. It is recommended to place them at a distance of 20 cm from each other. Holes should be evenly distributed around the entire perimeter.

The bottom of the container must also be prepared. There are two options:

knock out the bottom;
drill a lot of holes, leaving a distance of no more than 3 cm between them.

This bottom preparation procedure is important - through holes excess moisture will flow outward, which will exclude the processes of decay.

Soil preparation

The planting mixture must be nutritious, therefore it is prepared from humus, compost and garden soil (1: 1: 1). It will be necessary to treat the soil from pest larvae and infections. If the soil is harvested in the fall, the soil can be treated with a chemical preparation, with spring training it is better to warm it up or treat it with a solution of potassium permanganate or Fitosporin.

Fertilizers needed:

double superphosphate;
ash;
ammonium nitrate.

Dolomite flour and magnesium sulfate are added to sandy soil. All ingredients are well mixed. The amount of fertilizer in the soil of a certain volume is added exactly according to the instructions.

Step by step cultivation technology

To grow potatoes in a barrel, you need to follow the technology, going through stage by stage:

Choose suitable grade potatoes.
We take out the tubers from the cellar 2 weeks before planting, germinate them in a dark room.
We process potatoes before planting with any modern preparation that combines the properties of an insecticide and a fungicide.
We prepare the soil.
Pour 15 cm of soil into a container.
We lay out the tubers with sprouts up, leaving a distance between them of at least 20 cm.
We fill the potatoes with earth with a layer of 10 cm.
Watering.
When sprouts 7–10 cm long appear, we cover them with earth, repeat this procedure 6–7 times.
When the soil level rises by 1 meter, we fertilize the potatoes.
Then begins the usual growth of tops and the active formation of tubers.
At the end of the growing season, the soil from the barrel is poured out and harvested.

top dressing

Nutrients are actively consumed, top dressing helps restore soil fertility, use:

herbal infusions;
ash infusion;
complex mineral fertilizers for potatoes;
during flowering superphosphate.

Urea and ammonium nitrate should not be used as top dressing, it is enough to add them to the soil when planting. Excess nitrogen adversely affects the quality of tubers. More useful is the introduction of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers into the soil.

Necessary care

The main care will be watering. The soil in the container should not dry out, but the water in it should not stagnate. Watering is required when the topsoil dries out. All other work on caring for potatoes in a barrel is reduced to:

to prepare the soil mixture before planting;
pouring it into a container as the tops grow;
during the season, potatoes need to be fed at least 3 times with balanced fertilizers.

Dry tops indicate that it's time to harvest the potatoes and that's it. seasonal work on its cultivation ended.

Harvesting

Harvest is easy. As soon as the tops dry, the barrel can be laid on its side and the earth along with the tubers can be raked out. The whole harvesting procedure comes down to collecting potatoes and cleaning them from the ground. Most interesting point- evaluation of the yield of the method. Some gardeners manage to collect a whole bag of potatoes from one barrel.

Diseases and pests

There is no need to fight pests and diseases if the soil and tubers are treated for pests and diseases before planting. Even if they go heavy rains, potatoes are not threatened by phytophthora. The barrel can be covered from rain with a polyethylene cape.

Comparison with planting in bags and boxes

The principle of planting potatoes in boxes and bags is almost the same as planting them in a barrel. The soil must be prepared in the same way, you can take ordinary garden soil and treat it with Bionex.