Growing your own food is not essential for many Americans today, given the availability of supermarkets and wholesale clubs. However, having a home garden can be beneficial. It may help lower grocery costs and provide nutrient-rich foods. Gardening can also offer exercise and a way to enjoy the outdoors. But not everyone has a yard or sufficient outdoor space for planting. Container gardening is an option, although it often requires spending money on pots.
James Prigioni, a gardener, wanted to test if he could use an Amazon shipping box as a planter for potatoes. He took a typical single-walled box, lined it with dried leaves to keep moisture in, added about four to five inches of his homemade soil, and placed three dark red seed potatoes inside. After covering them with more soil, he added fertilizer and watered the box. He also planted two white seed potatoes in a smaller Amazon box using the same method. Two weeks later, he noticed potato plants emerging, and ten days after that, the boxes were full of lush greenery.
Prigioni described a method called “hilling,” which involves adding soil around the base of tall potato plants. This technique can lead to more potatoes forming and keeps them from being exposed to sunlight. Hilling also supports the plants as they grow. He added mulch to help keep the plants cool during the hot summer days. After the hilling process, he mainly focused on watering. Both potato types produced flowers, signaling that tubers were developing. He observed some pest problems with the red potato leaves, but they were not serious enough to require treatment, while the white potatoes remained healthy. Prigioni noted that selecting plant varieties can significantly impact gardening success.
To harvest potatoes, the plants must begin to die back. Prigioni checked the boxes during this stage. He expressed satisfaction with how well the boxes performed, particularly since they were single-walled. The smaller box remained intact, while the larger box had a minor split in one corner, which did not hinder the plants’ growth. He found it advantageous to use something free like boxes for planting. When he examined the larger box, he was surprised by the quantity of red potatoes, which resulted in several dozen potatoes of varying sizes. The smaller box also produced a good yield from just two potatoes.
Many people believe they don’t have enough space for gardening, which is why Prigioni placed these boxes on his patio. He emphasized that many individuals likely have similar spaces available. Prigioni remarked that he would think differently about cardboard boxes after this experience, recognizing their potential uses in gardening.
Viewers of Prigioni’s experiment enjoyed it and shared their experiences of growing potatoes in similar ways. Some mentioned they had success with potatoes in various boxes, including those from Amazon. Others shared how they utilized limited space, like balconies or decks, to create container gardens.
What are your thoughts on using cardboard boxes for planting?
Sources:
Source: Upworthy, by Annie Reneau