This spring I decided to try using potato grow bags. I planted seed potatoes in two bags and in one raised bed. I was late getting them planted, as we had been out of town. By the time they went into the soil, many of the seed potatoes had already sprouted. Following the instructions on the bag, as the heights of the plants increased, I added more soil to the bag until the soil level was close to the top. I placed the bags in front of my raised beds so the bags would get enough sun.
Now about this same time we were also having a bathroom remodel done. I had asked the contractor to cut the left-over countertop material into five-foot lengths about eight inches wide as I hoped to use them for plant shelves down the road.
When he delivered the new countertop and the extra shelves, he asked me where I wanted the shelves. Not having any idea when I would actually get to that project, I just wanted them out of the way. So, I asked him to put them between my two raised beds. It's a space about twenty-one inches wide and he slid them in resting against the side of one of the beds. It still left me room to move between the beds.
About a week or so later, I was tending to plants in the bed, cutting things back. I stood up with my arms full of clippings and started to carry them out of the area. I couldn't see my feet because of what I was carrying. Sure enough, I tripped over the ends of the shelves and went airborne. My shoulder came down on the potato plants growing in the grow bag. I was able to roll off it and then on to the bark. Saved by the Potato! The bag and plants broke my fall enough to save me from serious harm.
The picture of the shelves and my raised beds was taken after I had fallen and my husband had pushed the shelves farther in and evened up the edges. This solved the safety issue until we got the shelves put up.
As far as the potatoes went, I got more from my potato grow bags than the raised beds. But none of the harvest was very prolific. In addition to getting them in the ground late, we had a very warm spring and they just didn't get enough water. But I enjoyed every bite of those potatoes and didn't mind that the harvest was small. After all those potatoes had already served me well. My husband and I were also able to get those plant shelves set up and moved many of my succulents out there and off my crowded patio.