Growing spuds at home can be a lot of fun especially if you are a potato lover!
"The simple maths is, with one potato you can grow ten more. That's an amazing return on effort. Follow our steps to set up a mini potato farm at your place."
Brian and Kaylene
One of the problems with growing spuds in the ground is that they tend to spread and if you get a disease, your soil can be ruined for several years. By using a potato planting bag instead you can keep them in a relatively small space and not take over your whole yard.
Potato Growing Bags Options
No doubt you would have seen various options for potato growing in pots ranging from the heavy duty fabric ones we sell, to the thinner plastic bag type and even car tyres stacked up. A quick word of warning on using car tyres. Unfortunately whilst it seems like a good idea, they end up leeching heavy metals into the soil which get absorbed by the plants and then into your stomach!
So it's important to only grow in bags that are going to be foodsafe.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "The potato bags are well made and sturdy. I looked at other potato bags but they do not compare. The fabric is of good quality and the product arrived with clear instructions. I look forward to harvesting my potatoes"
Rita Mlinaric Stratford, VIC
Customers have been sending in photos of their mini potato farms.
Where to buy Potato Grow Bags
The big difference with our bags is essentially the thickness of the fabric used and the way the bags are made. We use a foodsafe extra thick geofelt fabric that is not only super strong but also UV stable. It is made to last for several years so you can reuse the same bag year after year. The stitching is UV stable and even double stitched because there is no point in having a strong fabric if the stitching is going to fail first. It's part of our no junk policy because we don't want to sell products that create more unnecessary landfill.
We stand by this with our easy returns and full refund not just for faulty items but for any reason at all!
You are welcome to purchase through this product page or via a phone order on 1800 222 800
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Great quality. Have planted three bags with seed potatoes. I really like the construction of these bags. Well stitched together."
Margaret Wyeth Capalaba, Queensland
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I’ve been shopping around for awhile took a gamble of ordering it online. Glad I did plus now know about this company I get all the cool videos and gardening tips which has been very helpful .., So thanks guys highly recommend your products!!"
Whitney Hillen Carlton River, Tasmania
Potato Planter Bag Sizes
Our potato grow bags come in 2 easy sizes.
Small Potato Grow Bag 350mm wide and 450mm tall
Plant 2-3 pieces of potato in each and expect to later harvest around 20-30 potatoes from the bag.
Large Potato Grow Bag 550mm wide and 400mm tall
Plant 5-6 pieces of potato in each and expect to later harvest around 50 potatoes from the bag.
It is a good idea to get a few bags and start a new bag every few weeks so you always have some ready to harvest.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "These are great, big enough and sturdy too, not just cheap fabric but strong and they stand up even when only half full. Flaps are a cool idea too."
Scott Branden
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A good old fashioned Aussie company who genuinely treat every customer with a wonderful personalised service. Any queries or assistance they are able to offer it all. Well done Aussie Gardener keep up the great work!"
Chrissy Kelly - Leederville WA
Why do potato grow bags have a side flap?
This clever feature is so you can harvest some smaller potatoes during the growing season. It takes about 90-120 days to grow potatoes in their complete cycle, but you can start harvesting through the side flap from about 60 days on. Our large potato bag has a flap on 2 sides to make it easy to reach in. Other brands will only have one flap which means you can't get access to the potatoes on the other side until the crop has finished.
The Velcro style flap allows you to easily seal the hole back up so the soil doesn't spill out.
When is the right time to be planting potatoes in Australia?
Potato leaves don't like frost, so their growing cycle needs to be completed before frosts hit in your local area. They also don't like super hot weather either.
As a general guide if you live in a
- Temperate Zone (eg Sydney, Adelaide, Perth,) you can sow potatoes from the end of July through to February.
- Cool Zone (eg. Melbourne, Tasmania, Canberra and mountainous regions) you can sow potatoes from August till December
- Subtropical Zone (Brisbane, Gold Coast) you can sow potatoes from March till August. The rest of the year is a bit too hot for potato growing, but you could swap to Sweet Potato as they like the heat.
- Tropical Zone (way up north, Cairns, Darwin) you can sow potatoes from March to July only and in the other months sow sweet potatoes. Actually you can grow Sweet Potato all year long you lucky sun lovers!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Very superior planter design and material. The little hatch is a good idea for easy harvesting instead of digging out from the top. Excellent service as my vege planters arrived super quick. Thank you Brian and Kaylene"
Rohini Iyer - Young NSW
How to grow potatoes in a bag
-
Fill with potting mix to 1/3rd of the bag only
-
Plant seed potatoes (see below) or ones from your cupboard that have started shooting. Bury beneath the soil
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Water in and wait till the plants reach about 12cm tall, then add more potting mix till only the top 2 leaves of each plant are showing. Aim to keep the soil damp but not always wet. Wait for them to grow another 12cm (approximately) and fill with 10cm of soil. Repeat the 'wait and fill' till you reach the top of the bag. This is called hilling and stops the spuds from going green when exposed to sunlight.
-
The leaves will continue to grow above that level, but more importantly the spuds will grow in the soil underneath along the stems you buried and you can access them through the side flap.
-
The full cycle of growing is around 3-4 months at which point the plant will die back. Stop watering and leave it for another 2 weeks to harden up the skins so they store well in the pantry. Then tip all the soil out to collect your harvest of lovely fresh spuds.
Watch our free veggie growing in pots classes. CLICK HERE
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Fantastic purchase. We are growing our vegetables very successfully in these bags. Extremely happy with our purchase."
Elizabeth Eyb - Eli Waters QLD
Key features of the Aussie Gardener Grow Bag
As with all Aussie Gardener products, we have designed this to last really well and be reusable year after year.
- The geofelt fabric and stitching is all UV stable and designed for outdoor use.
- Double stitching along all seams ensure these are built tough for Australian conditions
- Velcro style flap for easy access
- Water freely drains through the geotech felt without any soil leaking out. (good for balconies)
- Strong handles so if you need to move them you can. Potatoes like sunlight.
- 30 day 100% satisfaction money back guarantee for any reason. We are a caring family business that looks after our customers.
- We promise you wont be disappointed with the quality. These are beautifully made to last.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "The potato bag produces so many potatoes in such a small space. Easy to care for and the bag is very strong."
Julie Jewell - Sunbury VIC
Looking for seed potatoes and interesting varieties to try?
Remember you can use sprouting potatoes from your cupboard when growing in a potato bag, or dedicated seed potatoes from certified suppliers.
Agronico supply potato farmers so you know they are going to be top quality stock. One of the tricks they use is to keep them stored in a very advanced cool store so that their seed potatoes can be available nearly all year. (usually you can only get them in Sept-Oct)
Agronico Seed Potatoes for home gardeners
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "These sure are winners. I am over the moon as I have nothing but sand around me and the bags enable me to have my fresh vegies with less effort, and no weeding to do! Yay! Love these Bags, the best invention ever."
Barbara Reid - Mirrabooka WA
Frequently Asked Questions about growing in the Potato Planter Bags
Our potato bags are made of geotech felt which is UV stable. This is the same type of fabric they use under roads and for drainage. Very tough and lasts for a number of years. We use a very thick geofelt so that the water drains away slowly and stops the bags drying out too fast.
The fabric is also foodsafe and doesn't leech chemicals into the soil.
Just to clear up any confusion, although these are called felt, it is not the same as crafting felt which would not last outdoors.
Potatoes aren't too fussy, just a regular potting mix will be fine. We recommending adding an organic fertiliser when you first plant them.
Large Potato Bag = 100L (4 bags of potting mix)
Small Potato Bag = 50L (2 bags of potting mix)
If you have several potato planters to fill, get a load of potting mix from your local soil yard will be cheaper and far less plastic waste.
If you use garden soil, they will be very heavy to move and the handles could break. They are weight tested for potting mix.
No, the great thing about geotech felt is that water can move through it slowly. So any excess water not absorbed by the soil will drain out the bottom but no soil will leak out.
Yes they are ideal for placing on concrete, like a balcony. Water can drain out through the geofelt fabric but there is unlikely to be much runoff as the bags hold 100L of soil which will absorb most of the water applied.
This allows access to the roots where the potatoes grow which means you can harvest small potatoes as they are growing without having to plant to finish its growing cycle.
Potatoes take around 90-120 days for a complete harvest, but you can start taking a peek in the side flaps from the 60 day mark.
The rest of your potatoes will be harvested once the plant has fully died back. It is a good idea to leave it another 2 weeks without watering so the potato skins toughen up and store for longer in your pantry.
Absolutely! The side flaps stay shut with the velcro strips making them perfect for growing over veggies.
Many customers will mix it up with growing potatoes and then use the same bags to grow other veggies like carrots, lettuce, broccoli etc.
Watch our Free Veggie Growing in Pots Classes HERE
Not at this stage, but if you look in the product description above you will find the contact details of a good seed potato grower. Agronico down in Tassie.
You can also use sprouting potatoes from your cupboard as seeds, which is what a lot of people do.
Sometimes those shop potatoes will carry disease which leads to a failed crop. This is why it can be worthwhile to purchase disease free seed potatoes from a reputable supplier.
If you do end up with a diseased potato crop (badly distorted leaves and potatoes) you will need to discard all the soil into your rubbish bin (not the garden or compost) and then soak the bag in a bleach/water solution overnight and then refill with clean potting mix and start again.
Large bag = 5 pieces of sprouting potato
Small bag = 3 pieces of sprouting potato
If you have a potato with multiple sprouts on it, you can cut it into sections to plant. It doesn't need to be a whole potato. Each piece needs to have an 'eye' which is where it sprouts from.
If you are cutting a potato up, leave it on the counter overnight once cut so that it will dry out a bit before planting.
This depends on your area, the weather and so on.
Try and keep the soil damp but not soaking wet otherwise they will rot.
Stick your finger in the soil and if it's dry, give it a water. If damp already, leave it a few more days.
When you first plant the potatoes, give it a thorough watering and then wait till you see the leaves sprouting above the soil before you water again.
Yes. Please do!
As a company one of our core values is to only sell products that are made to last. We want you to make use of these planter bags over and over. If you don't want to grow potatoes, swap to another vegetable in the same bag and soil. Just add some fertiliser when you plant a new crop.
We have free veggie growing in pots classes you can watch. Click
HERE.
Our potato bags are made of geotech felt which is UV stable. This is the same type of fabric they use under roads and for drainage. Very tough and lasts for a number of years. We use a very thick geofelt so that the water drains away slowly and stops the bags drying out too fast.
The fabric is also foodsafe and doesn't leech chemicals into the soil.
Just to clear up any confusion, although these are called felt, it is not the same as crafting felt which would not last outdoors.
Potatoes aren't too fussy, just a regular potting mix will be fine. We recommending adding an organic fertiliser when you first plant them.
Large Potato Bag = 100L (4 bags of potting mix)
Small Potato Bag = 50L (2 bags of potting mix)
If you have several potato planters to fill, get a load of potting mix from your local soil yard will be cheaper and far less plastic waste.
If you use garden soil, they will be very heavy to move and the handles could break. They are weight tested for potting mix.
No, the great thing about geotech felt is that water can move through it slowly. So any excess water not absorbed by the soil will drain out the bottom but no soil will leak out.
Yes they are ideal for placing on concrete, like a balcony. Water can drain out through the geofelt fabric but there is unlikely to be much runoff as the bags hold 100L of soil which will absorb most of the water applied.
This allows access to the roots where the potatoes grow which means you can harvest small potatoes as they are growing without having to plant to finish its growing cycle.
Potatoes take around 90-120 days for a complete harvest, but you can start taking a peek in the side flaps from the 60 day mark.
The rest of your potatoes will be harvested once the plant has fully died back. It is a good idea to leave it another 2 weeks without watering so the potato skins toughen up and store for longer in your pantry.
Absolutely! The side flaps stay shut with the velcro strips making them perfect for growing over veggies.
Many customers will mix it up with growing potatoes and then use the same bags to grow other veggies like carrots, lettuce, broccoli etc.
Watch our Free Veggie Growing in Pots Classes HERE
Not at this stage, but if you look in the product description above you will find the contact details of a good seed potato grower. Agronico down in Tassie.
You can also use sprouting potatoes from your cupboard as seeds, which is what a lot of people do.
Sometimes those shop potatoes will carry disease which leads to a failed crop. This is why it can be worthwhile to purchase disease free seed potatoes from a reputable supplier.
If you do end up with a diseased potato crop (badly distorted leaves and potatoes) you will need to discard all the soil into your rubbish bin (not the garden or compost) and then soak the bag in a bleach/water solution overnight and then refill with clean potting mix and start again.
Large bag = 5 pieces of sprouting potato
Small bag = 3 pieces of sprouting potato
If you have a potato with multiple sprouts on it, you can cut it into sections to plant. It doesn't need to be a whole potato. Each piece needs to have an 'eye' which is where it sprouts from.
If you are cutting a potato up, leave it on the counter overnight once cut so that it will dry out a bit before planting.
This depends on your area, the weather and so on.
Try and keep the soil damp but not soaking wet otherwise they will rot.
Stick your finger in the soil and if it's dry, give it a water. If damp already, leave it a few more days.
When you first plant the potatoes, give it a thorough watering and then wait till you see the leaves sprouting above the soil before you water again.
Yes. Please do!
As a company one of our core values is to only sell products that are made to last. We want you to make use of these planter bags over and over. If you don't want to grow potatoes, swap to another vegetable in the same bag and soil. Just add some fertiliser when you plant a new crop.
We have free veggie growing in pots classes you can watch. Click
HERE.
