DIY Potato Crate/ How to Easily Grow Potatoes
Materials Needed:
(4) 2 x 4 x 24″ (10) 1 x 4 x 36″ (10) 1 x 4 x 18″
The materials are for assembling a single potato crate using 2 x 4’s for the legs and 1 x 4’s for the sides. You don't want to use any treated wood for this since it will be so close to how the potatoes are growing. No chemicals contaminating anything, so I just use pine. That mean that will definitely not hold up outside in the weather as long, but I'm okay with that since the price was so reasonable to build.
Create the 4 legs of the crate by cutting a single 2 x 4 into (4) 24″ long pieces. Next, cut 10 pieces of the 1 x 4 into 36″ lengths, and 10 more at 18″ long.
These will be the front, back, and side walls to your crate. Once you have all of the pieces cut, it is time to assemble!
Putting the crate together is quite easy, and came together quickly. I used a nail gun to quickly attach all of the boards, and then went back and screwed in each board with 2″ wood screws for extra strength.
Screws alone will work just fine, the nail gun simply made quick work of initial assembly.
I didn't use any glue.
Begin with by attaching a 1 x 4 x 36″ piece to each side of a 2 x 4. Repeat the process for the other side. Next, connect the front and back pieces with a 1 x 4 x 18″ piece on each side.
Continue attaching the 1 x 4’s around the frame, spacing the boards evenly, around 1.5 ". To make this easy, use a scrap 2 x 4 in between boards to provide even spacing.
Work your way up the four legs of the crate, attaching each board as you go. As you get to the top, space the last board to be flush with the top for a clean look.
DIY from Old World Garden Farms
Now all that’s left is to plant!
I just used potatoes that had sprouted in my pantry! Now, you could use seed potatoes too and plant them into the ground, instead of a crate but I love this way because it saves space, and the potatoes really do look so pretty growing. I think this would even be pretty sitting on a deck or a balcony.
Cut each potato so that there is at least one "eye" on each. Then plant with the eye facing the sky. Within two weeks you should see the potatoes sprouting green shoots!