Potatoes in a Barrel

This is a clean peeled New Potato. I rubbed the skins off with my fingers.
New in more ways than one. I grew this potato from seed. The seeds that form in the fruit on the vine, the little fruit that looks like a tiny green tomato. It is therefore genetically unique. It took 3 years to get this eating size potato. The first year 2007, only marble size tubers formed before the vines died back. I saved the largest and grew them in the garden summer of 2008. That time I got some nice roundish very smooth russet colored potatoes. Most of them are in storage, but a few in the barrel were left to sprout last fall in the barrel in the greenhouse. Today as I looked at this vine, I wondered if there might be tubers forming. Sure enough, this fine shiny potato is the first harvested from the plant you see below. It is a new variety. I dug it today On February 11th in Northern Minnesota. Didn't even have to dig really, I felt it with my finger tips and slipped it out of the peat soil under the vine. You see the plant here in a 50 gallon barrel.
Ok, but it's not cheating. It's just taking advantage of a good situation. High humidity and just right temperatures for growing. Inside a greenhouse that is. Not much else to do outdoors this time of year.

What is this then?

A sweet Potato? Wow eeeee
A whole barrel of them. I just regret I didn't take a photo of all the vines.

As you can see the tubers aren't all so large. The heat in the summer really helps the plants put on vines. the next time I will leave the vines on into the winter and let the tubers all mature as the one above.



Hey, I discovered a great way to grow potatoes and Sweet potatoes. I think you can do it, too.
Garlic did great in the barrel last year. I have some garlic started again this year along with the potatoes. We'll see how they develop..

Maybe this will work for you. Using a light peat and compost soil keeps it relatively light, but full of vines and spuds you won't want to move it. So set your barrel in a sunny location where it will really warm up quick and plant as early as you can. good luck and happy eating.