A potato tower is an excellent solution. Ranging from two to four feet high, these simple vertical gardens are constructed of a cylinder of metal fencing lined with straw and filled with soil. Simple to build, they also produce a high yield.
The Prep
Potatoes like a lot of sun and water, so find four to five square feet in your garden or yard where they can get an ample supply of both.
You will need:
? One piece of steel wire fencing or chicken wire, 4 1/2 feet long and 3 1/2 feet high.
? Three rebar stakes, about 4 feet long
? One 3.5-foot length of 4-inch perforated PVC drainage pipe with cap
? Zip ties (optional)
? Two bales of straw (Straw only; not hay)
? A large bag of aged compost or chicken manure fertilizer
? At least 40 high-quality seed potatoes, available in any gardening supply shop
? Needle-nose pliers
? Metal shovel
? Heavy steel mallet
The Build
Pull your fencing into a circle and tie the end together with a couple inches of overlap, using zip ties or by twisting the wires, to form a cylinder about 18 inches in diameter. This is the frame of your potato tower.
Place the tower frame in your chosen location, then anchor it by weaving the rebar stakes through the mesh and pounding them about six inches into the ground. Place your PVC pipe in the center of the frame.
Now start filling your frame. Using a pitchfork or your hands, line the frame at the bottom with a ring of straw four to six inches wide and six to eight inches high. In a wheelbarrow or large bin, mix garden soil with either aged compost or aged chicken manure fertilizer. Mix about three parts soil to one part fertilizer, then fill in your straw ring with a layer of this mix.
The Planting
Now you're ready to plant your first layer of seed potatoes. A good seed potato should have at least two sprouts (called "chits") growing out in one direction. Plant your potatoes around the edges of your tower four to six inches apart with the chits pointing outward toward the wire cylinder. You can also put a couple in the middle as long as your spacing is consistent.
After planting, create another, similar ring of straw, fill it with soil and fertilizer and plant another round of potatoes. Repeat until your tower is about filled to within four inches from the top. Then put a thick layer of straw on the top around the pipe.
Soak your tower with water. Fill the pipe to create a reservoir and cap it to prevent mosquitoes. Potatoes love water and you can never give them too much.
Caring for Your Potatoes
If they?re exposed to the light for more than a day or two, potatoes will turn green and become bitter and poisonous?really poisonous. So be sure there are no gaps in the sides of your tower that will allow light to reach your spuds.
Though they are a hearty crop, potatoes grown in cool, damp climates can be subject to blight, a fungus that shows up as black patches on the leaves. Prevent blight by spraying your tower thoroughly with a potato fungicide, available at most gardening stores. If you do notice signs of blight, cut off all the affected tops and dispose of them well away from your garden.
Reap the Rewards
Potato towers not only save space in your garden and yard, but also make for easier harvesting, and often bring bigger yields than traditional methods?six to 12 potatoes for each seed potato.
After they've flowered, you can harvest potatoes from your tower at any point up to the first frost of the year. When you're ready to make your final harvest, usually in late summer or early fall, just clip your zip ties or undo your wires. Those wonderful tubers will come tumbling right out.
From there, simply reuse the straw for your compost and mix the leftover soil back into your garden. Be sure to save your materials for easy construction of next year's tower.
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