Growing a potato plant from a potato is a simple and rewarding gardening project that anyone can do. By following a few easy steps like chitting, planting in well-draining soil, and hilling the stems, you can harvest your own fresh potatoes right at home. Whether you have a large garden or just a container on a patio, this guide will walk you through the entire process.
Have you ever looked at a potato on your kitchen counter and noticed little white sprouts popping out of the eyes? Instead of tossing it in the trash, you can use it to grow a whole new plant! Learning how to grow a potato plant from a potato is one of the easiest and most satisfying gardening projects you can take on. It is literally like magic: you put one potato in the ground, and weeks later, you have a whole bunch of them.
Whether you are a seasoned gardener or a complete beginner, potatoes are incredibly forgiving. They grow well in the ground, in raised beds, or even in containers on a sunny patio. You do not need a massive backyard to enjoy this process. In this guide, we will walk you through the exact steps to turn that humble spud into a thriving potato plant, from picking the right potato to harvesting your delicious crop.
Key Takeaways
- Start with healthy potatoes: Choose organic potatoes or certified seed potatoes that have visible “eyes” or sprouts.
- Chit before planting: Let your potatoes sprout in a cool, bright spot to give them a head start before they go into the soil.
- Use loose, well-draining soil: Potatoes need loose soil to expand easily, so avoid heavy clay or compacted dirt.
- Hill the soil as they grow: Mound soil around the stems to prevent sunlight from reaching the tubers, which causes toxic greening.
- Water consistently: Keep the soil evenly moist but never waterlogged to prevent rot and encourage steady growth.
- Harvest at the right time: Dig up your potatoes after the plant’s foliage has died back completely for the best storage results.
📑 Table of Contents
Choosing the Right Potato to Plant
Before you start digging holes, you need to pick the right potato. You might be wondering if you can just grab any old potato from the grocery store. While you technically can, there is a catch. Commercial supermarket potatoes are often treated with sprout inhibitors to keep them looking fresh on the shelves. This means they might not sprout easily when you plant them.
Seed Potatoes vs. Store-Bought Potatoes
For the best results, head to a garden center and buy certified seed potatoes. These are grown specifically to be disease-free and ready to sprout. However, if you want to use store-bought potatoes, try to buy organic ones. Organic potatoes are not treated with sprout inhibitors, so they are much more likely to grow successfully. Look for potatoes that already have small, healthy sprouts emerging from the eyes. If they are still dormant, that is okay too—we will wake them up in the next step!
Step 1: Chitting Your Potatoes
Chitting is just a fancy gardening word for pre-sprouting. This step gives your potatoes a head start before they even touch the soil. It encourages strong, sturdy sprouts that will quickly turn into leafy green plants.
How to Chit Potatoes
Place your potatoes in an egg carton or a shallow box with the side that has the most eyes facing upward. Put them in a cool, bright room, but out of direct sunlight. A windowsill that gets indirect light is perfect. You want the temperature to be around 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. In about two to four weeks, you will see short, sturdy green or pink sprouts growing from the eyes. You want these sprouts to be about half an inch to an inch long. If they get long, pale, and leggy, they are not getting enough light.
Step 2: Preparing Your Soil and Container
Potatoes are underground tubers, which means they need plenty of room to expand. If the soil is too heavy or compacted, your potatoes will be small and misshapen. The key is loose, well-draining soil that is slightly acidic.
Choosing the Right Spot and Soil Mix
If you are planting in the ground, pick a spot that gets at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight a day. Mix in a generous amount of compost to loosen the soil and add nutrients. If you are short on space, you can easily grow a potato plant in a container. A large grow bag, a 10-gallon bucket with drainage holes, or a specialized potato tower works wonderfully. Fill your container with a mix of potting soil and compost, leaving about four inches of space at the top for watering.
Step 3: Planting Your Potatoes
Now for the fun part—putting your potatoes in the ground! If your potatoes are larger than a chicken egg, you can cut them into pieces. Just make sure each piece has at least two eyes or sprouts. After cutting, let the pieces sit out on the counter for a day or two so the cut skin can dry out and form a callus. This prevents the potato from rotting in the soil.
How Deep to Plant
Knowing how deep to plant potatoes is crucial for a good harvest. Dig a trench or hole that is about four to six inches deep. Place your potato pieces cut-side down, with the sprouts pointing upward. Space them about 12 inches apart. Cover them with about three inches of soil. As the plant grows, you will add more soil, so do not fill the trench all the way in yet. If you are using a container, plant the potatoes about four inches from the bottom of the pot.
Step 4: Caring for Your Potato Plant
Once your potatoes are in the ground, the real work begins. Potato plants are pretty low-maintenance, but they do need a little TLC to produce a big harvest.
Watering Your Plants
Potatoes need consistent moisture to form those tasty tubers. Water them deeply about once or twice a week, making sure the soil is evenly moist but not soaking wet. If the soil is too dry, the potatoes will be small. If it is too wet, they will rot. A good rule of thumb is to water when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.
The Importance of Hilling
This is the most important step in learning how to grow a potato plant from a potato. As your green plant grows to about eight inches tall, use a hoe or your hands to mound soil around the base of the plant, covering about half of the stem. This process is called hilling. You want to keep doing this every few weeks as the plant grows. Hilling does two things: it prevents sunlight from reaching the developing potatoes (which turns them green and toxic), and it gives the plant more room to produce even more tubers. For more general tips on growing spuds, check out our guide on how to plant potatoes.
Step 5: Harvesting Your Potatoes
The most exciting part of growing potatoes is digging them up! You can actually harvest potatoes at two different stages depending on what you want to eat.
New Potatoes vs. Mature Potatoes
If you want tender, thin-skinned “new” potatoes, you can carefully dig around the base of the plant about two to three weeks after it finishes flowering. Just take a few and leave the rest to keep growing. If you want full-sized potatoes for storage, you need to wait until the plant’s foliage turns yellow and dies back completely. Stop watering at this point and let the potatoes sit in the ground for another two weeks. This cures the skins, making them tougher for long-term storage. When you are ready, use a garden fork to gently dig around the plant and pull up your beautiful homegrown potatoes!
Conclusion
Learning how to grow a potato plant from a potato is a fun, easy, and incredibly rewarding experience. By choosing the right seed potatoes, chitting them for a head start, planting them in loose soil, and consistently hilling the stems, you can enjoy a bountiful harvest of fresh spuds right from your own backyard or patio. There is nothing quite like the taste of a potato you grew yourself. So, grab a sprouted potato from your kitchen, find a sunny spot, and get planting!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow a potato plant from a grocery store potato?
Yes, you can, but it works best with organic potatoes. Regular store-bought potatoes are often treated with sprout inhibitors that prevent them from growing. If you use a grocery store potato, look for one that is already sprouting to ensure it is viable.
How much sunlight does a potato plant need?
Potato plants thrive in full sunlight. They need at least six to eight hours of direct sun each day to grow strong and produce a healthy crop of tubers underground.
How long does it take to grow a potato plant from a potato?
It typically takes about 70 to 120 days to grow a potato plant from a potato, depending on the variety. New potatoes can be harvested a bit earlier, around 60 to 70 days after planting.
Do potato plants need a lot of water?
They need consistent moisture but not excessive water. Water deeply once or twice a week to keep the soil evenly moist. Overwatering can cause the potatoes to rot in the ground.
Why are my potato leaves turning green above the soil?
Potato tubers turn green when they are exposed to sunlight, which produces a toxic compound called solanine. You must hill soil around the base of the plant as it grows to block the sunlight from reaching the developing potatoes.
Can I grow a potato plant indoors?
While it is possible to start a potato plant indoors, they generally do not produce well without ample sunlight and space. They are much better suited for outdoor gardens or sunny patios where they have room to spread out.