I never thought I’d be able to grow potatoes without a backyard, but here I am, pulling fresh spuds out of a laundry basket right on my balcony. Sounds odd? I thought so too — until I tried it. It’s one of the most fun and surprisingly productive gardening hacks I’ve done, and I’m excited to share how you can do it too.
Why I Used a Laundry Basket
Honestly, I stumbled upon this idea while trying to declutter. I had an old plastic laundry basket lying around, and I thought, “What if I use this to grow something?” The holes in the basket seemed perfect for drainage and airflow — two things potatoes love. Plus, it was light enough for me to move around to catch the sun.
Here’s What I Used:
- 1 tall plastic laundry basket with holes
- A few seed potatoes I bought from the garden center
- Good potting soil
- Some straw (you can also use shredded newspaper)
- A sunny corner of my balcony
- A watering can
How I Did It
Step 1: Lining the Basket
I started by lining the inside of the basket with newspaper to keep the soil from spilling out through the holes. You can also use landscape fabric if you have it. I made sure to leave the bottom open for proper drainage.
Step 2: Soil and Potatoes
I added about 4 inches of potting soil to the bottom, then placed 3 seed potatoes with the eyes facing up. I covered them with another 4 inches of soil and gave them a gentle watering.
Step 3: The Hilling Process
As the plants grew — and they did so fast! — I kept adding more soil and straw to cover part of the stems. I learned that this “hilling” encourages more potatoes to grow along the stem. I repeated this step every time the plants reached around 6–8 inches tall until the basket was almost full.
Step 4: Water and Sun
I made sure to water the basket regularly, keeping the soil moist but never soggy. The drainage holes helped with that. I placed the basket where it could get at least 6 hours of sunlight daily. I even rotated it now and then to make sure all sides got even light.
Step 5: The Harvest
After about 10–12 weeks, the leaves started turning yellow and drying out — that was my sign! I tipped the basket over onto a tarp, and digging through the soil felt like a treasure hunt. I found loads of small to medium-sized potatoes, clean and ready to cook. It was such a satisfying moment!
What I Learned
- Don’t throw away old laundry baskets — they’re great for container gardening.
- Potatoes are surprisingly low-maintenance once you get them going.
- Hilling is essential if you want a bigger harvest.
- It’s a great conversation starter when visitors see it on the balcony!
If you’ve got limited space but want to try growing your own food, this method is a total game changer. I didn’t expect much at first, but now I’m planning to grow sweet potatoes and even onions next. Give it a try — you’ll love the feeling of harvesting something you grew yourself.
