Planting 'Taters!

This is my first attempt at growing potatoes.  I'm excited and ever so hopeful!

First, I read up quite a bit on the good old internet...  I found some great ideas for ways to grow them on Pinterest :

This information for using this method can be found here:
http://urbanfarmerseward.posterous.com/potato-towers-and-living-fence-posts

Another great idea was to build a potato box from wood.  But I didn't have any excess wood lying around. Besides I want to give it a trial run for a season before I invest this much into it.

The information on this box can be found here:
http://tipnut.com/grow-potatoes/

Another great idea a gardener had was to grow their potatoes in hay lined laundry baskets.

The link to the directions for this method can be found here:
http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/5215/growing-potatoes-in-a-laundry-basket

You could even grow them in burlap bags or even trash bags if you're so inclined!

 Directions for each can be found here:   http://www.sustainableeats.com/2009/04/19/planting-potatoes/ and here: http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-grow-potatoes-in-a-trash-bag/index.html

Here is a link to the valuable method of the famous Ruth Stout.  She pretty much just tossed her seed potatoes on some fertile ground, covered them with straw and just let nature do it's thing!  But, since my land space is already all committed, this isn't a method I'm able to try myself yet.
http://www.ehow.com/how_7204254_ruth-stout-method-growing-potatoes.html

I reviewed all these methods and after seeing another facebook friend share pictures on the method of using a plastic trash can to go vertical I finally decided this was the answer.  The can can be placed on my driveway and will get full sun.  Here's how I did it:

First, buy a trash can!  :)

Drill some holes for drainage

I tried to keep the holes all spaced out evenly.  Went up also just along the edge as well.

done!

Wash out your trash can

I decided to lift mine up off the ground a bit by placing it on bricks.  Our driveway just gets SOO hot come summertime

Ready for planting

I added some old decaying hay that I put in a shady spot last fall.  It was filled with earthworms and all kinds of great dirty goodness!  I put about 4" of this in the bottom.

The stars of the show.  Store bought seed potatoes.  If these do well, next year I'll spring for some fancier varieties :)

Place them on your straw with the growing 'eyes' facing upward.  This is a bit crowded..we'll see how it goes.

Then I added about 2" of Moo Manure from the store.

Then another 2-3" of potting soil mix.

Ready, Set, GROW!