Potato Tower: 3ft sacks 50lbs no digging

To begin, select your seed potatoes. Let them sit in a bright, cool spot for a week or two until small sprouts, or "chits," form. For a 50lb sack, you will need about 4-5 seed potatoes. If they are large, cut them into pieces, ensuring each piece has at least two "eyes" or sprouts. Let the cut pieces cure for a day to form a dry skin, which prevents rot.

Choose the final location for your 3ft sack before you add any soil, as a full 50lb sack will be extremely heavy to move. Ensure the spot receives at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily. Start by rolling down the top edges of the sack until it's about one foot tall. This makes the initial stages more manageable and keeps the structure stable.

Create a soil mixture of equal parts compost and high-quality potting soil. This combination provides both nutrients and the loose structure potatoes need to form tubers. Fill the bottom of your rolled-down sack with about 6 inches of this soil mix. Place 4 to 5 of your chitted potato pieces on top of the soil, with the sprouts pointing upwards. Space them out evenly, keeping them away from the very edge of the sack. Cover the potato pieces with another 4-5 inches of your soil mixture and water them in well.

Once the green potato plants grow to about 8 inches tall, it's time for the first "hilling." Unroll the sack a few inches and add more of your soil mix, burying the stems until only the top few inches of leaves are showing. This process encourages the plant to grow more stems underground, and it's along these buried stems that new potatoes will form. Repeat this process every time the plants grow another 8 inches. Continue adding soil and unrolling the sack until the soil level is a few inches from the top of the fully extended 3ft sack.

Consistent watering is critical for a 50lb sack. The soil can dry out much faster than garden soil. Check the moisture level daily by inserting a finger two inches deep. If it feels dry, water thoroughly until you see a small amount of water seeping from the bottom drainage holes. Avoid letting the sack dry out completely, as this can lead to a smaller harvest of cracked potatoes.

Harvesting is the simplest part of this no-dig method. Wait until the foliage turns yellow and dies back, which typically happens 10 to 12 weeks after the last hilling. At this point, stop watering and let the sack dry out for about a week. Then, simply tip the entire 50lb sack over onto a tarp or a clear patch of ground. Rummage through the loose soil to collect your potatoes.