Kitchen Garden Forum

I want to try growing potatoes in pots, but I'm a bit confused. The recommendation is to put 3 seed potatoes in each pot or growing bag, but that means the distance between tubers is much less than if they were in open ground. Why is this? It seems to me that each bag should only have one tuber inside to give the same amount of room as in open ground.

The cynic in me suggests it is a measure to use up a packet of seed potatoes without bankrupting the compost & containers budget or carpeting the entire garden in potato containers

On the other hand they are supplied with a growing medium as opposed to enriched soil and have to be on a watering scheme.
Careful watering at the correct time has morevaffect on yield than any other factor.

BG, I have been growing potatoes in pots for a few years now, simply because I can start them in the greenhouse, then move them out, probably before the ground on the allotment is fit enough to 'sow' them there.
So, yes, I always use three potatoes per pot or bag, but give them much richer soil and more attention by regular watering and feeding as they grow, so that the end result is a higher yield than you would expect from their close planting. Start them off by putting just a few inches of soil into the pot and plant the potatoes there. When the first green shows, cover this up and continue like this until the pot is full to the top. Every so often I mix in Chempak potato fertiliser.
For soil I use shop-bought potting compost with some horse manure mixed in.
When the potatoes are finished, I use the same soil for all my autumn planting of bulbs, overwintering violas etc.
I planted the first pots a few days ago with Cara and Desiree.