How to Make a Potato Box

Short on garden space? Then a potato tower or potato box may be just what you need and we can show you just how to build a grow tower. We currently have a smaller yard that we have worked hard to create an attractive edible landscape. Growing potatoes in the ground doesn’t exactly conform to the small tidy asethetic we have going on. I had taken a class on intensive gardening and recalled there was such a thing as a potato tower. You can google potato boxes, potato towers, grow towers, and grow bags to get a visual on options. All of these items are ways to grow potatoes in a small spaces, however, some are more aesthetically pleasing than others.

The basic idea of a potato box is you start at a bottom level and plant potatoes. Then as the potatoes grow you add a level of wood, fill in with dirt, leave a few leaves poking out the top, and continue on up. Growing potatoes in this method should yield potatoes all along the buried stems. The drawback to this method is you usually have to screw in each level as you go, buy tons of dirt, and it ends up looking like a plain wooden box. Don’t even get me started on the aesthetics of grow bags… While, we can’t help you with the dirt (it will take a lot), we did design a box with slide in slats, that matched the porch and trellises we have around the yard. Using untreated wood (we aren’t huge fans of tons of chemicals around food we plan to eat), conduit, and some bolts, we made two potato towers that should last a few years.

Growing potatoes in a potato box is an ingenious and space-saving way to cultivate a good harvest of spuds even if you only have a small garden. The basic idea behind a potato box is that you start at the bottom with a layer of soil and seed potatoes. As the plants grow, you keep adding boxes or frames on top, filling them with soil. This allows the plants to keep producing potatoes along the entire buried stem.

A potato box can yield a surprisingly large quantity of potatoes in a compact vertical space They are great for urban gardening or anywhere you are limited on ground space. Building your own is a relatively simple weekend woodworking project using common materials

Materials Needed to Build a Potato Box

You don’t need much to make a basic vertical potato planter box

2-3 eight foot 1″x6″ boards
2-3 eight foot 2″x2″ boards
Wood screws or nails
Drill with various drill bits (if using screws)
Saw – hand saw, miter saw, etc.
Tape measure and pencil
Sandpaper (optional)
Wood glue (optional)

Cedar, pine or other rot-resistant woods are ideal. Avoid treated lumber. Make sure boards are straight and not warped.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps to build your own customizable DIY potato growing box:

1. Cut the Boards to Size

Cut two 2″x2″x8′ boards into:

4 pieces 33″ long (corner posts)
8-10 pieces 21″ long (end frames)

Cut two 1″x6″x8′ boards into:

Enough 24″ long slats for the sides

2. Assemble the End Frames

Attach 21″ end boards to legs with screws or nails to create two end frame pieces. Attach cross-boards about 4″ up from bottom. Predrill holes if using screws.

3. Add Side Slats

Attach 24″ 1×6 slats vertically to the end frames using nails or screws. Leave 1-2″ gaps between slats for ventilation.

4. Add Bottom (Optional)

For a solid bottom, attach a 24″x24″ board or hardware cloth screen. Or leave open.

5. Include Drainage and Ventilation

Drill several 1″ holes in bottom for drainage. Drill more along the sides if desired.

6. Sand and Finish (Optional)

Lightly sand any rough edges. Paint or stain for decoration and wood protection. Let dry fully before using.

7. Stack Boxes As Plants Grow

Once built, start potatoes in bottom box. As plants grow taller, add another box section, fill with soil, and continue stacking.

That’s all there is to it! With basic woodworking skills and common materials, you can construct a customized potato tower for compact vertical spud production.

Potato Growing Tips

Follow these tips for a successful potato harvest from your DIY potato box:

Fill bottom box with 8-12 inches of planting mix or compost.
Plant seed potatoes every 6 inches in a grid pattern with the sprout up.
Cover potatoes with 4 inches of soil. Water thoroughly after planting.
When plants are 8 inches tall, add another box, filling with soil to just below the leaves.
Repeat by adding more boxes and soil as plants grow taller.
Water when soil dries out, but avoid overwatering.
Harvest potatoes when vines start dying back in summer or fall.
Store cured potatoes in a cool, dark place for winter use.

With a simple homemade potato box, you can grow mounds of potatoes in very little space. Try mixing in organically enriched soil or compost. Explore growing different potato varieties. Get creative with designing a customized potato tower to match your space and desired yield.

Potato Box Design and Size Options

While a basic 24″ x 24″ x 30″ box is a good starting point, feel free to customize the dimensions to best suit your needs. Here are some options:

Make it wider or longer for increased yield. Aim for 10-15 gallon capacity.
Add more height for additional planting room. Up to 3-4 feet works well.
Make a double-wide box with a center divider if space allows.
Align two narrow boxes side-by-side to maximize small areas.
Create tiered pyramid boxes for a visually appealing design.
Incorporate a trellis panel on one side for vertical growing space.
Use opaque plastic bins or barrels for a cleaner look. Just add drainage holes.

Almost any type of container, tower or bin with drainage will work. Metal cages or chimney flues are other unique alternatives. Scale it to fit your space and desired potato harvest.

Helpful Tips for Success

Follow these tips to ensure your DIY potato box provides an abundant harvest:

Use compost-enriched soil for better drainage and nutrition.
Plant in full sun. Potatoes thrive on 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day.
Consistent moisture is important, especially as flowers and tubers start forming.
Monitor for pests like potato beetles, aphids and slugs. Remove by hand or use organic sprays.
Hill up soil/mulch around stems to protect developing tubers from sun exposure.
Rotate each year and avoid planting potatoes in the same box soil two years in a row.

With a simple homebuilt potato box, you can grow pounds of potatoes in just a couple square feet. Learning how to construct one is an easy and fun weekend project using basic skills and materials. Customize dimensions and designs to best fit your gardening space and desired harvest.

how to make a potato box

1 – 2″ x 4″ x 144″
1 – 2″ x 4″ x 96″
5 – 2″ x 6″ x 96″
2 – 3/4″ x 120″ Conduit
16 – 5″ Hex Lag Bolts
2.5″ Wood Screws
1/2″ Drill Bit
Drill
Hammer (may be optional)
Nail set/Hole Punch (may also be optional)

4 – 2″ x 4″ x 33″ (From the 144″ board)
2 – 2″ x 4″ x 24″
2 – 2″ x 4″ x 21″
10 – 2″ x 6″ x 24″
10 – 2″ x 6″ x 21″
8 – 3/4″ x 30″ Conduit

Construction of a potato box is rather straightforward – you’re just going to build a box several times over! But first, we need a frame….

Lay two of your 33″ boards side-by-side with approximately 14″ between. Use one of your freshly cut 2″ x 4″ x 21″ as a guide (3.5″ + 14″ + 3.5″ = 21″) to make this step a breeze. Once evenly spaced, place one of the 2″ x 4″ x 21″s on top of one end the 33″ lumber and securely fasten with screws. Your finished product should look something like a big U:

Repeat this same process using your two remaining 33″ sections and single remaining 2″ x 4″ x 21″.

Next, connect your two frames using the 2″ x 4″ x 24″ sections you’ve already cut. The 24″ board should fully overlap the existing frame. Once fastened with screws, the resulting frame should be 24″ square around the bottom.

This is by far the hardest part of this project. This is where you put in the work ahead of time to make management of your potato boxes easy. This is where you wonder why you chose this route in the first place. This is where the desire for an awesome look and feel comes together and you realize it was worth all the effort.

Why is this step so tough? In order to use conduit as a bracing mechanism, you’ll first need to drill a through-and-through hole at the top and bottom of each piece of conduit. Prior to drilling, mark your conduit 3/4″ from each end (and make sure your marks are in alignment!).

Once you’ve drilled your 16 (gasp!) holes, it’s time to attach them to your potato box frame. Using you 5″ hex lag bolts, begin screwing the conduit to the frame at the BOTTOM of the frame just above the bottom of the U. As you do this, use one of your 2″ x 6″ boards as a spacer. Repeat at the top of the conduit, then repeat for all remaining conduit pieces around the frame.

Make sure not to over tighten the conduit at this step. You need to be able to slide the 2″ x 6″ boards in and out easily. If you did over tighten, back the lag bolts out just a bit and you should be good to go. Test sliding boards in and out of each side to ensure proper installation.

If you’ve already cut your 2″ x 6″ x 21″ and 2″ x 6″ x 24″ sections, this step is complete! What do you do with them? Keep reading….

Installing Your Potato Tower

If you have a nice level surface all you will need to do is put your tower on the ground, remove all the slats, and fill the bottom with dirt. The frame and conduit make it nice and sturdy without a lot of fuss. Unfortunately for us we live in the mountains; level surfaces are in short supply. In those cases you may need to dig down slightly and make a level surface. Since we had gone to the trouble to make such pretty boxes we used them to screen our HVAC unit. The location meant that the backside of our boxes were slightly covered. I figured, no big deal, as we were going to fill the first level with dirt. In fact I used some of the excavated soil to begin filling the bottom of the boxes.

DIY: How To Make Potato Growing Boxes

FAQ

How to build a box to grow potatoes?

Construction

Cut the two 2-inch by 2-inch by 6-foot studs into four 33-inch pieces. …
Cut the six 2-inch by 2-inch by 8-foot boards into 12 lengths of 21 inches and 12 lengths of 24 inches.
Drill two holes on each end of the 24-inch pieces, about ¾ inch from the edge.

What are the best potatoes for potato boxes?

Yukon gold potatoes are our favorite variety to grow in crates. Their buttery, tender flavor is hard to beat!

How does a potato box work?

The basic idea of a potato box is you start at a bottom level and plant potatoes. Then as the potatoes grow you add a level of wood, fill in with dirt, leave a few leaves poking out the top, and continue on up.

What is the best month to plant potatoes?

Links

Spring Planting:
Plant potatoes 2-4 weeks before the last expected frost in the spring.

In Los Angeles, this typically means planting in late February to early April.

You’ll likely have a harvest in the late summer or early fall.
Fall Planting:
For a late fall/winter harvest, plant potatoes in August or early September.

This allows the potatoes to grow during the cooler months and mature before the hot summer weather.

You’ll likely have a harvest around Christmas time.
Tips for Planting:
Ensure the soil temperature is at least 40°F (4.4°C).

Plant seed potatoes (or seed pieces) with 1-3 buds (“eyes”).

Potatoes like slightly acidic soil (5.8-6.5 pH).

Add fertilizer or composted manure for best results.

Plant potatoes in full sun, as they need at least six to eight hours of sunlight per day.

How do you build a potato box?

Use 2×6 slats to build the square frames for the planter box. Drill pilot holes at both ends of the 24″ long components and insert 2 1/2″ screws into the perpendicular ones. Make sure the corners are square before inserting the screws and check if the edges are flush. Next, you need to build the corner posts for the potato box.

Can you grow potatoes in a potato box?

It doesn’t matter how big or small your garden is; anyone can grow potatoes in a potato box. We have a lot of space, but the chickens need it all, so we grow our potatoes up instead of down to save room. Potato boxes allow you to grow potatoes with minimal space and still produce high yields. Last year, Mike built me some potato boxes.

How do you grow seed potatoes in a box?

Place your seed potatoes in the box – with the sprout/eye facing up. Make sure the potatoes are 4-5″ apart. Cover with 1″ of soil. Then completely saturate the soil by turning on the water (attach the hose to your potato hose!) Once saturated, water your potato box every 2-3 days.

What is a potato growing box?

The idea is ingenious; forcing the potato plant to “stretch” upward as it grows allows more area of the plant to produce potatoes. The potato “growing” box is just that—a series of frames that stack, or grow, as the potato plant grows. I like to look at the frames as resembling the floors of a building.

Can you grow potatoes vertically in a potato box?

Save Square Feet, Grow Vertically in a Potato Box! For a few years we’ve talked about building new potato boxes. Last year I decided to use up some wood from our woodpile and build Amy some new potato boxes. It’s a great alternative to planting in a traditional garden bed.

How many LBS can a potato grow box produce?

Each potato grow box can yield up to 100 lbs of potatoes in just 4 small, square feet. By planting your potatoes in layers in a small (yet tall) box, you are basically building them to grow like a high rise. Wait until they are fully mature to harvest them (early fall) or, unscrew the board (s) off the bottom and harvest the mature potatoes early.