You really can't beat growing your own fruit and vegetables. The advantages are numerous:

1. The taste is generally so much better than those you buy from the supermarket
2. You know exactly where they came from
3. You can be sure they are organic
4. They are considerably cheaper than in the shops
5. You get a great feeling of having produced them yourself

The problem with today's modern living is that many houses have a very small garden which limits the space available for growing fruit and vegetables. Apartments and flats, of course, generally have no garden space at all. The good news is that you don't always need much space to grow your own fruit and vegetables. Furthermore, even if you grow only enough to last a week or so, you still get that satisfaction of having grown them yourself, and will have saved yourself some money.

So how do you grow potatoes in a small space?

You can grow potatoes in containers in small garden, or even on a balcony. You may think that having a small space will restrict the number of plants and therefore the size of the potato crop. Well, don't think about floor or ground space; think vertical!

You will need:

A container, at least 3 feet (1 metre) high, and 2 feet in diameter

Compost

Seed potatoes

Special potato "towers" or potato growing bags may be obtained from garden centres. Note: Seed potatoes are potatoes that have started to sprout. You might be tempted to use potatoes that you bought from the supermarket, but it is not recommended. Such potatoes may be carrying diseases that affect the health and growth of the potato plant. Additionally, some commercially produced potatoes are treated with anti-sprouting chemicals which may prevent the potato from growing properly. Instead, buy your seed potatoes from a reputable garden centre. They are very likely to be certified disease-free, and some may even be organic - something which you cannot guarantee if you use shop-bought potatoes.

You can use any type of compost. Some people even collect autumn leaves from the roadside and use them instead of compost. The advantage of using compost instead of soil is that compost is quite soft and open and doesn't contain stones. Consequently, the potatoes can grow bigger and are less misshapen.

Propagation

Add compost to the bottom of the container to a depth of about 4" (10cm). Place the seed potatoes on top of the compost and cover them with a further 2" (5cm) of compost. In each container, use between 3 and 5 seed potatoes. Water them in well.

Note that some people cut the seed potatoes into smaller pieces, with one sprout per piece. Personally, I select smaller seed potatoes and use them whole as they have less chance of starting to rot than cut ones. After a week or so, green shoots and leaves will have appeared above the compost. When the shoots are about 6" (15cm) tall, cut off the side shoots and add a further 4" (10cm) of compost to the pot. This is called "earthing up" the plants. When the remaining shoots have grown to 6" again, repeat this process. Continue earthing up the potato plants until the compost has reached the top of the container. By doing this, new roots will grow from the now buried main stem. These roots will then develop more tubers than on potato plants grown conventionally. In fact, the plant will grow tubers throughout the entire depth of the container.

While growing, potato plants consume a lot of water and nutrients, so ensure that the plants are well-watered at all times, but not sitting in water.

After about 6 weeks, you will need to add plant food every week to ensure good growth. Some of the specially designed potato towers have flaps in the sides to allow you to feel the potatoes inside to determine their size. They also let you check whether the plants have enough water or not.

Some varieties of potato can be eaten early as "new potatoes", but if you prefer, leave them to grow. At the end of the summer, the potato plants start to turn brown and die back. While this is happening, the plants are passing the nutrients contained in the stems and leaves into the tubers. At the same time, the potato skins are thickening up, which gives them a much better storage life. Harvesting the potatoes is very easy from the compost because it is so easy to dig. If you have the specialist potato towers, you can remove tubers from the roots without disturbing the rest of the plant. Otherwise, simply tip out the contents and separate the potatoes from the roots.

Growing potatoes vertically like this means more potatoes per plant. I have had more than 70 potatoes from one plant using this method.

Storage

If your harvest is very large, you will need to store them. Clean the potatoes and ensure they are dry. Store the potatoes in a cool, dry and dark place. Warmth will cause the potatoes to sprout, and light will make the potatoes turn green. Some people store them buried in boxes of dry sand. Others separate the potatoes using old newspapers. The paper helps to prevent the spread of mould. Check the potatoes from time-to-time to ensure they are not going bad.

Congratulations, you have now grown your own potatoes. Enjoy them.