Potato Mounding | Growing Bigger Potatoes with Angeline Verdant

Hey Cultivator,

Today we’re talking about Potato Mounding, one of the simplest and most effective techniques for growing stronger potato plants and boosting your harvest. Whether you grow potatoes in containers, grow bags, raised beds, or traditional soil rows, mounding helps protect the stems, encourage new tubers, and keep your plants thriving all season long.

Let’s break down what Potato Mounding is, when to do it, and why it makes such a big difference in the size and quality of your harvest.

🌱 What Is Potato Mounding

Potato Mounding is the process of adding extra soil or compost around the base of your potato plants as they grow. This covers the lower stems, protects forming tubers from sunlight, and encourages the plant to produce more potatoes along the buried stem.

Think of it as giving your potatoes a gentle soil “boost” to help them produce more food for you.

🌿 Why Potato Mounding Matters

Potato plants naturally produce tubers along the buried sections of their stems. When you mound soil around the plant, you:

• Encourage more tuber formation

• Prevent sun exposure, which turns potatoes green

• Support tall stems to prevent bending or snapping

• Conserve moisture in warm weather

• Reduce weed competition at the base

Without mounding, plants may produce fewer tubers and become more vulnerable to sun damage and dryness.

🌱 When to Start Potato Mounding

Begin Potato Mounding when your potato plants reach six to eight inches tall. At this stage, the stems are strong, and small tubers begin forming underground.

Here’s the timeline:

• First mound at six to eight inches tall

• Continue adding soil every one to two weeks

• Stop mounding once plants begin flowering

Flowering signals that tubers are sizing up, so there is no need to add more soil afterward.

🌿 How to Mound Potatoes

You can mound potatoes in any growing setup. Here’s how:

In garden soil

Use a mix of compost and loose soil to gently pull earth around the base of each plant, covering the lower leaves but leaving the top growth exposed.

In raised beds

Scoop soil from the path or add fresh compost to create a soft, nutrient-rich mound around the stem.

In grow bags or containers

This method is incredibly easy. Just add more soil mix directly into the container as the plant grows. Keep the soil loose and airy.

In towers or stacked pots

Add soil in layers as plants climb. This encourages tubers to form higher up the stem.

Be gentle while mounding so you do not disturb developing tubers underneath.

🌱 What Soil to Use for Mounding

Use a light, fluffy mix so the plant can easily grow through it. My go-to blend:

• Compost

• Coconut coir

• Perlite

• A small handful of worm castings

Avoid heavy clay or compacted soil — potatoes grow best in loose, breathable earth.

🌿 Water and Sun After Mounding

After each mound, water lightly to help the soil settle around the stem.

Potatoes prefer:

• Six to eight hours of sunlight

• Even moisture but not soggy conditions

Mulch after your final mound to help keep moisture consistent.

🌸 When to Stop Mounding

Once your plants begin forming flower buds, stop adding soil. At this point, the plant shifts energy into sizing up the tubers underground.

Keep the soil mulched and hydrated while the potatoes finish growing.

🌾 Harvesting After Potato Mounding

Depending on the variety, potatoes mature within sixty to one hundred days.

Harvest when:

• Leaves yellow and fall over

• The soil is dry

• Tubers feel firm and well-formed

Gently loosen the soil with your hands or a garden fork and lift the potatoes carefully to avoid cuts or bruises.

🌱 Keep Growing with Me

To explore my favorite indoor systems and companion planting tools, visit:
👉🏾 https://avgardening.com/gardyn

For printable guides, behind-the-scenes videos, and seasonal planting tips, join the Cultivators community on Patreon:
👉🏾 https://www.patreon.com/c/AngelineVerdant

To discover which potato varieties grow best in your climate, check the USDA zone map:
👉🏾 https://avgardening.com/usda-hardiness-zones-guide

🌞 Final Thoughts

Potato Mounding is one of the easiest ways to grow a larger, healthier harvest. A few minutes of care every week helps your potato plants build layers of tubers and stay strong throughout the season.

With loose soil, bright light, and the right timing, you will enjoy baskets of fresh potatoes from your garden.

Stay Green Always
— Angeline Verdant