Want to learn how to grow potatoes in your house? If so, you've come to the right place. With the proper care, potatoes can grow well indoors. Plant seed potatoes that have sprouted in a deep pot with slightly acidic soil (pH of 4.8-6.0). Give 8–10 hours a day of bright light. It often needs watering and feeding once a month. When young plants reach 8 inches in height, they are ready to be hilled.
To grow potatoes indoors, you'll need potato seeds and a container that can hold at least 2.5 gallons. Leave your potatoes in the light so they can sprout and get cold. Then, put them in your container on top of a few inches of soil with their eyes facing up. Add some more dirt and water the plant. Every few days, check the soil's moisture. When the plants get bigger, add more soil and hill them up. When the plants turn yellow, the potatoes are ready to be picked.
Keep reading to the end because this guide will walk you through how to grow potatoes indoors in less than 5 minutes. This article will also talk about how to grow potatoes, how to take care of them, and how to avoid pests and diseases.
How To Grow Potatoes Indoors
Planting and growing potatoes indoors is a straightforward activity anyone can engage in. However, to ease the process, it is advised that you get potato seeds. And sprouted seeds are the best option.
Here is How to Grow Potatoes Indoors:
1. Pick A Variety You Like
The potato variety is the first thing to consider if you want to grow potatoes. Even though most potato varieties can be grown successfully indoors without any problems, some potato varieties will do better and thus give you a better crop.
Types or Varieties of Potato
Here are the 6 best varieties of potatoes that we have chosen for you:
#1. Petite Potatoes:
The name of these potatoes tells you what kind of potatoes they are. In spite of their small size, they contain a significant amount of potassium and vitamin C. One great thing about this variety of potatoes is that they have no cholesterol.
#2. Purple/Blue Potatoes:
Purple and blue potatoes are more commonly grown in gardens, but they can do even better when grown indoors.
#3. Fingerling:
As their name suggests, these varieties of potatoes are finger-like in their physical appearance. And just like the Petite potato, they are cholesterol-free and very rich in vitamin B6 and sodium. In addition to fat.
#4. White Potato:
This variety of potato is also called "all-purpose potatoes. It is called "white potato" because it produces a light, white, thin, and smooth potato crop.
#5. Russet:
The Russet is the most consumed potato variety in the United States, Europe, and Africa. It is the world's largest potato crop and is very productive. It is commonly used for home fries and domestic baking.
#6. Red Potato
The red potato gets its name from its color, which is red. It is rich in vitamin C and is also cholesterol free.
2. Get Your Potato Seeds Ready
Research has shown that using potatoes that have already started to germinate or sprout is the easiest and quickest way to plant potatoes indoors.
This means that at least one of their eyes, and preferably more, will have a sprout coming out of it. For the potato to be able to make more potatoes, it needs to have sprouted.
When Potatoes Are Not Sprouted
If your potato seeds have not yet sprouted or started germinating, and if this is the case with you, then you can chit them yourself. Chitting is the process of maintaining potatoes in the best possible condition for sprouting.
How To Chit Potatoes
Here are the five steps to chit your un-sprouted potatoes.
Step 1: To chit your potatoes, locate the eye of the potato that appears to be the most promising, such as one that has begun to sprout.
Step 2: Place each potato cut side in a container, such as an egg carton.
Step 3: Place them near a window with natural light and monitor their growth over the next several days or weeks.
Step 4: After your potatoes sprout, cut them into small enough pieces to plant. Plant your potatoes whole if they are small, around two inches or less in diameter. If not, they will have to be removed.
Step 5: Cut each potato into two-inch slices, making sure that each piece has at least one or two eyes with sprouts. Allow your sliced pieces to remain at room temperature for two to three days to recover.
Here is a simplified version of the video tutorial by Epic Garden to help you learn how to properly chit potatoes for maximum yield when planting indoors:
3. Get a Good Container
Potatoes are one of the easiest cultivated crops since they can grow in almost any area or container. When growing potatoes inside, you'll want to be sure you have the ideal container for optimal growing circumstances.
To plant your potatoes indoors, you can use a plastic bucket, a gardening pot, or even a bag of fertilizer. To maximize potato output, ensure your container has at least a 2.5-gallon capacity.
Anything smaller will result in extraordinarily tiny or very few potatoes. Choose a container that is at least several inches tall since your potatoes will expand, and you will need to add extra soil as they develop.
Because potatoes do not grow well in moist conditions, your container should be able to drain effectively. Make a few holes in the bottom of your container if it doesn't already have them.
4. Plant the potatoes.
Okay, now that your potatoes are ready and you've chosen your containers, it's time to start planting your potatoes! To begin, fill your container with three to four inches of loose, gritty potting soil.
Consider adding an acidity source, such as sulfur, if your soil is more alkaline than acidic. This will assist potatoes in feeding more efficiently.
You may lay two or three potatoes on top of the dirt if you have a large container. If you use a smaller container, limit yourself to one potato. You may always experiment with your first batch of potatoes and then adapt your amounts to your containers with the next batch.
Each potato's most productive sprout should be pointing upwards. Add more dirt until there are about two inches of earth on top of the potatoes. Water the soil until it is moist but not dripping wet.
Here’s a great video by Garden Answer that walks you through the simple process of planting potatoes:
5. Taking Care of the Potatoes
Potato care includes:
- Fertilization.
- Keep an eye out for pests and illnesses.
Find an excellent natural light source in your home or put the potato pots in a greenhouse to ensure several hours of light every day.
These nutritious vegetables are called "heavy feeders''. It is strongly advised to use well-rotted manure or compost.
In terms of pests and illnesses, keep a watchful eye out for
- Potato beetles,
- Flea beetles,
- Aphids.
Applying a low-nitrogen organic fertilizer will aid in the fight against these pests.
The indoor potato planting method is straightforward, but your potatoes will require some attention during their life cycle to ensure a good yield and healthy spuds.
Here's a great video showing how to care for potato plants
6. Feeding The Potatoes
Your potato plants will not require regular watering, but the soil must be kept wet or moist to provide a continuous flow of water.
You won't need to water your potatoes again after the initial watering after planting unless you notice the first symptoms of the plant emerging through the dirt. Check the soil moisture and water sparingly if necessary.
Check the soil every two to three days as a general guideline. You may stop watering after the plants start to die off, which indicates that your potatoes have reached full maturity.
You may also apply a small amount of post-planting organic fertilizer to your soil to help it grow. It's typically a good idea to dilute your fertilizer because potatoes don't require a lot of it to grow well..
7. Hilling The Potatoes For Bigger Harvest
As your potatoes develop, you'll need to "hill" them, or build a mound of soil up and around the potato plant's stalk. To avoid sun exposure, the hilling procedure helps keep all of your potatoes well-understood in the soil.
Move four to six inches of earth around each stalk once the plant has grown a few inches. Continue doing this as your plant develops until you have a six-inch-high mound of dirt..
8. Harvest Your Potatoes
You might be interested in learning when to harvest your potatoes. It would be best to harvest your potatoes when your potato plants start to turn yellow.
At that point, they're typically ready to harvest. You can even wait until the plants die entirely to achieve optimum spud development.
Rub your thumb gently across the skin of a potato or two to check for ripeness. It's ready to harvest if it stays in place.
Pull the plant gently from the container and pull off each spud to harvest. Brush away any clinging soil and let them dry in the sun for a few hours before cooking.
How To Know When To Harvest Potatoes
When the tubers of your potatoes are ready to harvest, the potato plant will start to develop flowers, usually around 90-120 days after planting.
During this period in the life of the potato, its foliage will start to die off and turn yellow gradually. However, in some cases, the potatoes can be left in the compost for another two weeks, though this is optional.
Knowing The Tube Size
To find out how big the potato tuber is, gently dig into the compost in the pot where the potato is growing.
To Determine When To Harvest
The average life cycle of potatoes is two to three months. After that, the plants will cease to grow. The leaves will turn yellow and die off.
This is the moment to dig the plants out of the ground and harvest the potatoes beneath the leaves. Allow the potatoes to lie in the sun for a day or two after they have been removed from the ground.
If Harvested In A Cold, Damp Location
Suppose the potato was grown in a cold, damp area, where there is little or no light. What you want to do is to place the harvested potatoes beneath a grow light to dry them.
During this stage, make sure the skins are not touching. This should extract moisture from your crops.
After drying, the potatoes are ready to use or store for later use. Make sure to keep potatoes in a cold, dark place.
Where can you store your potatoes?
Potatoes are stored for a long time in
- Root Cellars
- Pantries
- Basements.
Keep a watch out for rot to ensure it does not affect and spread throughout your harvest.
To prevent rot from developing, store potatoes in a box with layers of straw or sawdust between them.
You have now produced potatoes from seed to harvest. Once the circumstances are right, it's a simple crop to cultivate inside.
You secure your crop by adequately caring for them and remaining vigilant to pests and illness. Hopefully, this knowledge will provide you with all you need to enjoy fresh potatoes from your indoor garden all year round.
How To Preserve Harvested Potatoes
To store or preserve your potatoes, turn the containers out onto a plastic sheet. Take the potatoes out of the soil, wash off any extra dirt, and let them dry.
Please note that the skin on new potatoes is soft, so be careful not to break it. Put the potatoes in a cardboard box or a brown paper bag. Keep it somewhere cool and dry.
What Do You Need To Grow Potatoes Indoors?
The basic things you will need to successfully grow potatoes indoors include
#1. Light Requirements (Grow Light)
Even though potato plants need sunlight to grow, they shouldn't be left in direct sunlight for long periods of time.
Leaving the potato plant for a long time directly in the sunlight can burn the leaves and make them more sensitive to water.
Instead, potato plants should have at least five hours per day of bright, filtered light when grown indoors.
If there isn't enough light inside, you can use a grow light or LED light to bring in more light. Grow lights with timers and modes like this affordable grow light are the best light to grow potatoes indoors..
#2. Watering Requirements
Potatoes grow best in moist, light soil that doesn't get too heavy when it rains. After you water the soil, make sure it drains well.
When you first plant potatoes, don't water them too much for at least two weeks. Then, water them a lot every four or five days.
Starting from week six, you should water your potato plants every other day to keep the soil from drying out.
Stop watering the potato plant two weeks before you want to harvest it so that the skins of the tubers can dry and cure.
#3. Fertilizer Requirements
Start feeding the plants with tomato feed or a diluted balanced fertilizer (like this organic formula) two weeks after planting.
To make sure the plants get the most out of the fertilizer, it should be used once a month when watering.
Stop fertilizing two weeks before harvesting the potatoes; this should correspond with the cessation of watering. No more watering is required once watering has finished.
Potato Diseases and Pests to Look Out For
Potato plants are fairly resilient. Nonetheless, all plants are susceptible to disease and pests at some point throughout their life cycle. Here are some common potato diseases and pests to watch out for.
|
|
Name |
How To Identify It |
Solution |
|
1 |
Colorado Potato Beetle |
This beetle has alternating black and orange stripes on its hard shell. On the underside of the leaves, it lays orange eggs that will develop into larvae. The larvae and adult beetle do extensive harm to the plant by consuming its leaves. |
Regularly inspect the plant and remove any beetles as soon as they are spotted. Mix one tablespoon of neem oil (I use this one) with two cups of water in a spray bottle made from recycled materials, and spray the potato plants often. The oil gives the leaves a layer of protection and makes the leaves less tasty to the beetles, which stops their eggs from hatching. |
|
2 |
Aphids |
Aphids are a typical issue when cultivating indoor plants, including the indoor potato plant. Aphids are little, soft-bodied insects that are often green, but may also be gray, brown, or even pink. They are sap suckers that cause discoloration and curling of the leaves as they consume the plant's young shoots and blossoms, thus destroying the plant. |
Regularly inspecting the plant will avoid pests. Use a natural treatment to eliminate aphids from your plant. In a spray bottle, combine 1 quart of water, 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap, and thoroughly soak the leaves. |
|
3 |
Black Dot |
The black dot is a disease that damages both tubers and the plant as a whole. There are dark brown imperfections on the potato's surface. The top of the plant starts to wilt while the roots start to rot. This causes the plant to be unhealthy and make tubers that are bad for the plant. |
As there are presently no chemical methods to prevent or treat black dots, the best course of action is prevention. Buy seed potatoes from a reputable nursery, harvest them right away, and store them in a cool, dry place. |
|
4 |
Verticillium Wilt |
The leaves become yellow and begin to droop, roll, and curl while developing brown patches. It is normal for only one side of the plant to be affected. |
Once the disease has taken hold, fungicides are ineffective, and tubers can remain infected. To get rid of the infection, the seed tubers must be heated to 112 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Remove and remove damaged and dead branches from healthy plants. Utilize a phosphorus-rich, low-nitrogen fertilizer. |
|
5 |
Late Blight |
On the leaves and stems, there are dark splotches. When the surroundings are moist and humid, white mold forms on the undersides of the leaves, causing the plant to wither. This disease also causes tubers to rot in storage after harvesting. |
A commercial fungicide may aid in disease control, but it cannot cure or prevent the illness. Instead, you should buy healthy seed potatoes and get rid of any infected plants or tubers that aren't touching healthy plants. |
FAQ On: How To Grow Potatoes Indoors
Some of the most frequently asked questions about growing potatoes are answered in detail below.
How Long Do Potatoes Take To Grow Indoors?
In normal circumstances, the potatoes should be ready for harvest between 10–12 weeks or when the foliage begins to fade. Typically, it takes between 90 and 120 days for potato plants to achieve maturity. However, indoor-grown plants may take longer to mature.
Chitting the seed potatoes may help your indoor potatoes stay up with the competition. To stimulate sprouting, place the seeds in a bright but cool area. When the plant produces blooms, it is time to harvest the tubers..
Do Potatoes Grow Well Indoors?
Yes, it thrives inside. You can grow potatoes indoors all year with a sunny window or grow lights! You only need a bucket, a glass of water, some toothpicks, and soil to start growing potatoes inside.
Potatoes are a great source of nutrients that may be preserved for a long time after harvesting.
Potatoes are a simple food to cultivate at home. Most people may not believe this because they grow beneath the earth and are not little plants.
However, they will thrive better if you provide your potatoes with a deep enough container, well-draining soil, and adequate daylight.
How Much Light Do Potatoes Need Indoors?
Potatoes require at least six hours of direct sunlight every day. To receive the maximum sunshine while growing potatoes inside, position them in a south-facing window. If that isn't an option, consider a potato grow light.
Growing potatoes under LED lights can help make up for overcast days or structures that block your view of the sun. Check out our comprehensive list of the top indoor plant grow lights.
Can You Plant Potatoes Right After You Cut Them?
Yes, you may plant potatoes immediately after cutting them. According to Cornell University Home Gardening, planting seed potatoes soon after cutting may be done safely and with a low danger of rot, provided the soil is somewhat damp with a light, aerated texture and temperatures remain between 50 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln advocate treating newly cut seed potatoes with a powdered fungicide before planting to further guard against rot. Uncured seed potatoes can rot in wet, heavy soil, so it is essential to cure the seed pieces before planting if the local soil is poor.
Can Potatoes Grow Without Sunlight?
Even though potatoes can grow in the dark, they need sunlight to do photosynthesis and get the energy they need to grow.
Without sunshine, potato tubers do not form, and overall plant health suffers.
In Conclusion
I hope this guide on growing potatoes indoors has provided you with all the information you want on growing potatoes. This herbaceous perennial yields the excellent potatoes we're all familiar with, and the best thing is that it's so simple to cultivate.
What's not to love about the humble potato plant? It's full of healthy vitamins and high in potassium, copper, and magnesium. You don't even need a large yard or patio to grow it.
In a bright, sunny location near a kitchen window or a small, protected balcony, your potato plants will grow all year; provide a bright, sunny location near a kitchen window or a small, protected balcony.
We are convinced that if you follow these guidelines, you will have healthy tuber-sprouting potato plants all year.