I'm a backyard gardener with limited space. Being able to incorporate vertical gardening methods is important in my yard. So when I got the chance to get a free, second-hand garbage can, I decided to use it to grow potatoes. Potatoes are easier to grow than most grains and are nutritious when cooked appropriately and with the skins left on.

The garbage can sits where there used to be a small tree. Taking out the tree opened up a lot of light but not a whole lot of dirt space. The garbage can concentrates heat (due to its being black) and, although modified to provide drainage, works to retain moisture in an otherwise dry and undeveloped area of the garden.

I opted to pre-sprout or "chit" my potatoes, which means I let cut them up and let them sit out for several days before I planted them. Each seed potato chunk had at least one really good shoot started when I planted them.  This is supposed to help the plants really get growing better when they are first starting out.

I decided four plants was the maximum the container could handle and planted four Ozette seed potato sprouts in just a few inches of dirt. The theory at work is that the plants grow up inside the garbage can, which makes it easy to heap up dirt around them. Potatoes are produced by the plant in the space between the starting seed potato and the leaves at the dirt's surface. You want to leave about four inches of plant uncovered sticking up at the top.

I put a few more Ozette starts in a raised bed, along with a half dozen Yellow Finn starts as well. So, overall, I started a dozen potato plants, eight in the ground in a raised bed and four in a garbage can.

So about six weeks later, around Memorial Day, all my potato plants are growing vigorously and happily. The garbage can plants are out of control! I've got potato plants that are up to the rim of the garbage can and I'm nearly done hilling those up as much as possible unless I create a vertical extension for on top of the can. These plants are four to five times as tall as the plants out in the raised bed.

And the Yellow Finns in the raised bed are doing really well too. I fitted a big, thick plank down the middle of the bed.  It's one of those funky recycled things you come up with when gardening.  They've been heaped up a few times and two of those plants are starting to show signs the buds for their first flowers. My dad gifted me with more dirt as he'd run out of extra soil for hilling up his potatoes too, so everything can be hilled up a few more inches. The plants will all be eight weeks old the day I leave and go on my 10 day trip to the Midwest, when they'll just be on their own growing. At least I have a housemate who can water them for me.

• Growing potatoes need to be protected from light and heat. In addition to hilling up your potatoes with dirt, you can also grow potatoes in compost or heaped straw.  If you don't have a spare garbage can, you can also use a pile of old tires, or make a tower shape using chicken wire or mesh.
  
• New potatoes can be harvested starting when the potato plants blossom. Gently dig into the hills with your fingers and you should find some young potatoes.
• The secrets of successful potato storage are darkness and cold. After a few days of curing to toughen up their skins, potatoes need to be stored in a cool, dark place that's dry with good ventilation.