Up to 50 kilos of potatoes, or spuds, as they say in Austria, can be harvested per season in a single potato pyramid. And what's more, a potato pyramid is a real gem for the garden. Below you will find out how to build the boxes and plant your potato pyramid step by step.
How do you plant a potato pyramid correctly?
To plant a potato pyramid, place the potatoes in the soil-filled tiers, leaving a planting distance of about 30 cm between each potato. Multiple levels allow for higher harvests in a small space.
Build the potato pyramid step by step
Potato pyramids can have two, three, four or even more levels. The more levels, the prettier it looks and the more potatoes can of course grow in it.
Potato pyramids consist of square boxes that get smaller towards the top. What you need to build your own:
- Four strips each of the same width but different lengths (the levels should differ by 10 to 30cm in width to create the pyramid effect), e.g. 4 strips 120cm long, 4 strips 90cm long, 4 strips 65cm long and 4 strips 50cm Length
- Nails and hammer or screws (€12.00 on Amazon) and drill
- good garden soil and compost (potatoes are heavy feeders!)
- Potatoes
1. Building the boxes
Nail or screw the strips of the same length together to form a square.
2. Choose the perfect location
Potatoes grow best in the sun. Therefore, choose a location that is as sunny as possible for your potato pyramid.
3. Fill potato pyramid
Fill the bottom level with soil and compact it by stomping on it (kids really enjoy this part).
Then diagonally place the second box on the bottom level and fill this with earth, which you then trample down. Then the next level diagonally to the one below, fill it with earth and compact it. Do this with all remaining layers.
4. Plant potato pyramid
Then distribute the potatoes. It is important that you maintain a planting distance of around 30cm between each potato. The advantage of the pyramid, however, is that this distance obviously only applies to the potatoes on the same level. This means that significantly more potatoes can be planted in a small space and harvested later.
