We have not grown potatoes in our small garden in the past simply because they are cheap and we want to reserve limited growing space for the more expensive crops at the grocery store. But after planting them for the first time, we were totally hooked. The taste of homegrown potatoes is simply unmatched.
Even if you don't have a lot of space, you can usually find room for growing potatoes in grow bags, pots, and other containers. Potatoes can be planted as early as 3 weeks before the last frost, but this is done after the last frost.
I start by preparing our potting mix. The base of the potting mix is the soil in our garden, and some use potting mix. To add nutrients, beneficial microbes and plant growth hormones to the soil, I mixed our secret weapon - vermicompost in a worm box. Vermicomposting also includes some red wiggling compost worms.
If you don't have vermicompost, you can add compost.
The resulting mixture is very high in organics and contains a lot of moisture. Potatoes grow best in well-drained soil, so I added a small amount of grit to improve drainage. I didn't measure the different ingredients, but I was looking for a mixture that would hold together when squeezed but break easily.
Then we only need to sow the seeds into the planting bags, and continue to observe and fertilize them to grow up slowly.
