How to Grow Sweet Potatoes in a DIY Potato Tower | Homesteading Made Simple!

In this video, we’re digging deep—literally and figuratively—into the art of building and using a DIY potato tower. Whether you’re growing food on a tiny backyard patch or on a full-blown homestead, this vertical gardening hack is one of the easiest ways to grow sweet potatoes without sacrificing space, energy, or your sanity.

🥔 What is a Potato Tower?
A potato tower is a space-saving, vertical gardening structure made from chicken wire or similar materials, filled with compost and organic manure. It’s perfect for growing sweet potatoes upward instead of outward—saving space, reducing pests, and improving harvest yield.

🌿 Why Grow Sweet Potatoes This Way?
✅ Pros:
Maximize Vertical Space – Great for small homesteads or balconies
Easy Harvest – No backbreaking digging—just lift and grab!
Improved Drainage – Say goodbye to soggy roots
Soil Aeration & Health – Vigorous root systems improve soil over time
Nutrient-Dense Food – Rich in fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins A & C

❌ Cons:
Needs consistent moisture (but don’t drown your tower!)
Vulnerable to pests like aphids and sweet potato weevils
Requires full sun (at least 6–8 hours daily)
Some fungal diseases like powdery mildew can creep in without good air flow
But hey, even tomatoes get cranky sometimes.

🛠️ How to Build a Sweet Potato Tower (Even If You’ve Never Built Anything in Your Life)
You’ll need:
Chicken wire or mesh
A clay pot (to anchor the bottom)
Compost + dried cow manure (or your go-to organic soil booster)
Sweet potato cuttings (rooted in water first)

Steps:
Roll mesh into a cylinder and secure it with wire.
Anchor it into a clay pot for stability.
Layer it with rich compost and organic manure.
Plant rooted cuttings and let the tower do its thing.
It's budget-friendly, beginner-approved, and—bonus—your neighbors will think you're a garden wizard.

🌞 Light & Love: Sunlight and Care Tips
Give your tower 6–8 hours of sun daily.
Water consistently but don’t overdo it—sweet potatoes are chill, not swamp creatures.
Use companion herbs like mint or basil to repel pests naturally.

🚫 Common Pests & Fixes
Aphids / Whiteflies: Spray them down with neem oil or introduce ladybugs.
Fungal Issues: Avoid overwatering and give your plants room to breathe.
Crop Rotation: Don’t plant in the same spot year after year—change it up.

🧑‍🌾 Other Ways to Grow Potatoes (But Why Would You?)
Traditional in-ground planting (great if you enjoy squatting and sweating)
Raised beds (a classic but takes more space)
Grow bags (portable but smaller yield)
Straw bales (cool but niche)
Hilled rows (requires constant maintenance)

The potato tower beats them all on space efficiency, drainage, ease of harvest, and cost-effectiveness.

💬 Final Thoughts
Building a potato tower is one of those small homesteading wins that pays off big—nutritionally, spatially, and spiritually (nothing like growing your own dinner).

It’s perfect for:
Busy gardeners
Space-limited homesteaders
Off-grid enthusiasts
Or anyone who wants to flex those self-sufficient muscles

📢 Subscribe & Grow With Us!
At Ancestry Lands, we believe land is more than dirt—it’s your legacy. We’re on a mission to help everyday families build generational wealth through land ownership, self-sufficiency, and a wealth mindset.

🎯 Whether you’re a first-time gardener or a seasoned homesteader, we share tips, tools, and land ownership opportunities designed to put power back in your hands.

👉 Subscribe to the channel, follow us for more hands-on guides, and grab your copy of our book “Getting Dollars from Dirt: A Beginner’s Guide to Vacant Land Investing.”

Let’s grow food, freedom, and a future—together. 🌱

#PotatoTower #SweetPotatoes #HomesteadHacks #DIYGardening #VerticalGardening #GrowYourOwnFood #Homesteading #OffGridLiving #FoodSecurity #SelfSufficiency #AncestryLands #LandOwnership #WealthMindset #GettingDollarsFromDirt #UrbanFarming #GardeningTips #FoodIndependence

Phil Davis
Ancestry Lands Founder | Nurse | Land Investor | Content Creator
📘 Author of “Getting Dollars from Dirt”
🎥 YouTube | @AncestryLands
📍Follow for land deals, family wealth tips, and homesteading hacks
🌍 www.AncestryLands.com |

"Because land is not just where we live—it's what we leave behind."