Growing Potatoes in Bags

Crop

Potatoes in bags are popular with beginners because they are tidy, productive and easy to harvest on patios. They need no digging and the crop can be tipped out when ready. Choose certified seed potatoes, a roomy bag or large tub, and a sunny place where you can water reliably.

How to do it

Start with a bag or large tub with drainage holes. Add about 30 cm of peat-free multipurpose compost, place seed potatoes spaced apart on the surface, then cover with compost. Water lightly and keep the bag in a bright position. As shoots grow, add more compost around the stems, known as earthing up, until the container is nearly full. Keep the compost evenly moist throughout the season, particularly once flowering begins, but do not leave it sodden. Harvest small new potatoes by gently feeling near the side, or wait until foliage dies back and tip the whole bag onto a sheet to collect the crop.

Best plants

First early and second early seed potatoes are especially well suited to bags because they provide delicious new potatoes in a relatively short season. Maincrop potatoes can also work in very large containers but take more room and time. For an unusual winter project, autumn-planted seed potatoes can produce Christmas new potatoes under frost-free cover, with careful watering and ventilation.

Tips

Use fresh compost and clean bags or tubs each year to reduce carry-over problems. Protect emerging shoots from late frosts by covering them temporarily or moving a small bag under cover. Do not eat green potatoes or green parts of tubers. Harvest promptly once foliage has died back, then compost healthy old foliage away from the growing area.

Growing Potatoes in Bags: frequently asked questions

How do I get started with growing potatoes in bags?

Start with a bag or large tub with drainage holes.

What are the best plants for growing potatoes in bags?

First early and second early seed potatoes are especially well suited to bags because they provide delicious new potatoes in a relatively short season.

What are some tips for growing potatoes in bags?

Use fresh compost and clean bags or tubs each year to reduce carry-over problems.

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General guidance for UK gardeners. Match plant choices to your light and shelter. Page updated 19 Sep 2026.