When will my potatoes have sprout enough?

[weterman]

It started snowing, so I am going to grow potatoes inside. I have a container, and I put drainage hole in it, and I got dirt in it. I am waiting for my potatoes to sprout.

I have a few questions:

What light should I use? Will fluorescent lights work? Or would one of those old light bulbs be better? or the swirly ones?


How many potatoes should I plant in the container? The container's diameter is 1 foot, and it's height is 15 inches, and I have 9 inches of dirt in it.


And the best way to sprout potatoes? I have a few potatoes sitting infront of my window, and a few have a small tough sprout. Can I plant with that? Or should I wait for it to be bigger?



Here is what I have right now:

[applestar]

In Vegetable Gardening, there's a thread (actually a couple of threads) detailing results of growing potatoes (ONE seed potato with cople of eyes) in 5 al bucket compared to growing in the ground. This is during the height of growing season outside in full sun.

Potatoes take 90-120 days to mature under ideal conditions depending on variety. All in all I don't think potatoes are ideal candidate for wintertime indoor growing.

There are other, more rewarding vegetables. I have been experimenting with tomatoes and hot peppers along with salad greens, herbs and onion/garlic greens. I have threads going about tomatoes and hot peppers. This winter, I'm also trying a special variety -parthenocarpic Littleleaf- cucumber in a container.

Fluorescent 10" clamp on light with CFL (swirly) bulb or shoplight fixture can provide the light if adjusted to a few inches above the foliage at all times but you will need lights from the side as well as above when the plants grow taller.

---
The thread that was started in Container Gardening with these first two posts have been merged into this thread since they were essentialy duplicate topics.

[weterman]

How long should the sprout be? How many sprouts? etc etc.



and some tips on making my potatoes sprout?

[rainbowgardener]

You mean in order to be ready to plant them? You just need a well started sprout, which to me means roughly 1/2 inch long. I don't like to let them get too long, because I think they get brittle and break off easier. You just need a couple. I cut the potato into chunks, each chunk with 1-2 eyes/sprouts. Let them sit a day or two after cutting to callous over and then plant.

Sometimes grocery store potatoes have been treated to retard sprouting, but usually if you are patient they will sprout. To stimulate sprouting, store your potatoes in the frig for awhile. About a week before you want to plant them, bring them out of the frig and put in a bright warm window. This will help break dormancy and encourage it to sprout.

You are in Canada, so I assume you are not planning to do this now? Potatoes are planted in early spring. They say plant when the forsythias bloom. For me that is about a month ahead of my average last frost date.

[jal_ut]

If the potatoes have not been treated to not sprout, you don't need sprouts on them to plant. Just cut the potatoes with one or two eyes on a piece and plant them. They will sprout. Don't worry.

[weterman]

You mean in order to be ready to plant them? You just need a well started sprout, which to me means roughly 1/2 inch long. I don't like to let them get too long, because I think they get brittle and break off easier. You just need a couple. I cut the potato into chunks, each chunk with 1-2 eyes/sprouts. Let them sit a day or two after cutting to callous over and then plant.

Sometimes grocery store potatoes have been treated to retard sprouting, but usually if you are patient they will sprout. To stimulate sprouting, store your potatoes in the frig for awhile. About a week before you want to plant them, bring them out of the frig and put in a bright warm window. This will help break dormancy and encourage it to sprout.

You are in Canada, so I assume you are not planning to do this now? Potatoes are planted in early spring. They say plant when the forsythias bloom. For me that is about a month ahead of my average last frost date.

I'm growing inside.




will putting the potatoes in water make them sprout faster? And should I have them in sun, or dark?

I see that a few of my potatoes have 1 sprout, but its white and skinny and long. it would break off easily, but a few have a sprout that it 5 or 6mm long, would those be good to plant?

[rainbowgardener]

Putting the potatoes in water will make them rot.

Any sprout is fine or as James noted perhaps none. I don't plant potatoes without sprouts, because I use grocery store potatoes, which may have been treated not sprout at all. So I want to be sure that they will sprout before I plant them.

Keep us posted how it goes for you. I'm not thinking that is going to be nearly enough light for growing potatoes, and probably not enough soil to grow much. I grow potatoes in containers outdoors. The containers I use are at least 3 times as big as yours. What I get from one container is a dozen or a bit more potatoes that range in size from marble to golf ball. James did the experiment this year, growing potatoes in a bucket using the same seed potatoes and same location as ones in the ground. He got the same result - the ones in the ground grew full sized potatoes and the ones in the bucket were all small like mine.

But I don't want to say it won't work, because I have been proved wrong on things like that before!

[jal_ut]

For a pot I would cut the potato and put one eye/sprout in a pot. Each eye/sprout gives you one plant. That is enough for a pot. Give it as much sun as possible. The pot should be at least 5 gallons. Bigger would be better.





Here are pics of my experiment. The pot was about 7 gallons. I planted a whole potato in each spot. The above pic shows the potatoes I got from each. Those large potatoes were the ones grown in the ground and the smaller ones grown in the pot. Perhaps the one in the pot would have done better if only one eye/sprout had been planted? I guess that is the experiment for next year? Also I suspect the pot would have done better if I had given it supplemental watering? It only got water once a week same as the one in the ground did.

[jal_ut]

A sprout is a plant. You can break it of the potato and plant it. One about 3 inches long is perfect. It is probably better though to cut the potato and leave a piece of the potato attached to the sprout as added food stores.

[weterman]

thanks for tips

so the sprout will grow all on its own if it breaks off? if its a white dry one?

oh and what is an "eye"? is it just another name for a sprout?

[jal_ut]

No the eye is that little indentation in the tuber where the sprout emerges. Look at a potato with no sprouts and you can see the eyes. You can also see the spot where the tuber was attached to its parent plant. That is not an eye. You will be able to tell the difference if you look closely.

[weterman]

No the eye is that little indentation in the tuber where the sprout emerges. Look at a potato with no sprouts and you can see the eyes. You can also see the spot where the tuber was attached to its parent plant. That is not an eye. You will be able to tell the difference if you look closely.

oh the little hole thing, its sort of red? ok I understand


oh and will I need a light on for my potato to grow when it's still under ground?

[jal_ut]

No, but as soon as it emerges it will need good light.

[weterman]

No, but as soon as it emerges it will need good light.

will the light from the picture I gave be enough? There is also flourecent lights above. would the florescents be enough? or should I have both the lamp, and florescent at the same time?


and would an older light bulb on the lamp be better?


and a question about sprouting potatoes:

You're supposed to put them in the sun to sprout, right? But they turn poisonous if they are in the sun for a few days. So, I'm wondering how that works.

[applestar]

Fluorescent 10" clamp on light with CFL (swirly) bulb or shoplight fixture can provide the light if adjusted to a few inches above the foliage at all times but you will need lights from the side as well as above when the plants grow taller.

I use 26W (sometimes called t-4 and has 4 loops) 6500K daylight bulb for the clamp light and 6500K daylight tubes in the shoplight. CFL bulbs also come in brighter wattages but are harder to find and only a few more sizes higher will fit in regular light socket. For the shop light, T-5 tubes needing special T-5 fixtures are brightest (and hottest -- will burn foliage if in contact just like CFL's) and can/should be 3-5 inches above the foliage, T-8 tubes are next brightest and can/should be 2-3 inches above the foliage. Older T-12 tubes should only be 1-2 inches above the foliage and it is cool enough that the foliage can touch the tubes without burning.

If you want use the lamp in your photo, take a look at my DIY modification of a bedside lamp here
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 97#p283997
You need a reflector that directs most of the light to the plant and not waste it everywhere else. Adding an extender socket and Y-adapter like this doubles the light output of a lamp. CFL's use lower wattage than incandescents so this shouldn't overload the socket.

[!potatoes!]

and a question about sprouting potatoes:

You're supposed to put them in the sun to sprout, right? But they turn poisonous if they are in the sun for a few days. So, I'm wondering how that works.

a couple things here:

potatoes sprout better in the dark. even better in the dark in higher humidity. not sure you really need them to sprout ahead of time in your application anyways, though.

also, you're not going to eat the seed piece, so the level of solanine in that piece won't matter.

[applestar]

I agree. Pre-sprouting the seed potatoes is a safeguard against the cut pieces of potatoes rotting in the ground when the early spring soil temps are lower than they will want to sprout -- around 50-55°F.

...you seem intent on trying this, and far be it for me to stop you -- people have told me often enough that what I wanted to grow can't be grown, and I've gone ahead and experimented anyway with varying results.

But I just want you to read my first reply to you again and consider the implications -- if you start now and give the plant as much light and regular watering and fertilizing and care including guarding against pests and diseases as you can for the next 100 to 120 days or more -- that's in February or March when you could be starting seeds for things to be planted in spring and only a month or so away from the earliest spring planting for you -- you *may* or may not get a handful of small potatoes. With potatoes you won't know when they are ready to harvest unless you dump out the buckets. If they are smaller than expected/hoped for, you can't put them back to grow some more.

IMHO -- for your first attempt, something that you can watch grow and ripen to peak to be harvested will be more rewarding.

For a really quick/instant gratification, you may want to consider growing oyster or shiitake mushrooms indoors from kits -- that only takes about 6 weeks. I have a thread about that too....

[jal_ut]

I have never grown a potato in a pot indoors, however I have grown lots of them outdoors. I think it will make some beautiful foliage if given plenty of light, however do not expect to get much in the line of tubers from it. If it is tubers for eating you want, you are wasting your time.

[DoubleDogFarm]

If I presprout "chitting" I do it similar to this.
[youtudotbe]https://youtu.be/jC0lPRz302Q[/youtudotbe]


Growing food indoors, not greenhouse, is neither practical nor financially wise. Sure you can grow some food and it may be fun or a learning experience but I ask at what cost.


Eric

[rainbowgardener]

At what cost, indeed. To have the light needed to have even a chance of getting tubers, meaning the top and side lights Applestar mentioned, will be a significant energy draw.

I always feel bad about the amount of power I use in my seed starting operation. Fortunately all 16 of the fluorescent tubes + 2 heat mats are not on at once for more than a few weeks. Seed starting starts small in Jan and gradually expands and turns on more lights. But about the time the whole thing is full and all the lights are on, more stuff can be going out and it gradually downsizes again as more and more goes out. Still....

I am really hoping to switch to LED lighting one of these years and cut down power usage.

[DoubleDogFarm]

At what cost, indeed. To have the light needed to have even a chance of getting tubers, meaning the top and side lights Applestar mentioned, will be a significant energy draw.

I always feel bad about the amount of power I use in my seed starting operation. Fortunately all 16 of the fluorescent tubes + 2 heat mats are not on at once for more than a few weeks. Seed starting starts small in Jan and gradually expands and turns on more lights. But about the time the whole thing is full and all the lights are on, more stuff can be going out and it gradually downsizes again as more and more goes out. Still....

I am really hoping to switch to LED lighting one of these years and cut down power usage.

Rainbow, IMO not the same. You are starting hundreds of plants that absorb most if not all energy cost. If inputs are more than outputs we can not survive.

I know this is off topic. I'm just saying we can't grow $5.00 tomatoes.

Eric

[applestar]

As I stated above I would not be the one to discourage this kind of experiment if experience didn't foresee an outcome that may prove disappointing... And my conscience dictated at least mentioning/warning.

I wouldn't say impossible -- depends on how much time and energy (personal as well as power energy being discussed) willing to expend. I would grow multiple buckets to be able to dump as harvest test. Likely require more than one winter's results to gain sufficient experience to improve techniques -- requirements may turn out to be more than willing/able to do... Or not.

BUT... You can't put a price tag on this kind of enthusiasm, curiosity, learning experience... FUN. Indoor plants could improve air quality, exposure to bright lights counter the winter blues, etc. etc. Personally I've grown plants in the house since I was a teenager. Houseplants for the most part -- some that only flower once a year for a very short time, some that do nothing. Compared to that, I find growing edibles much more rewarding, especially lately.

[weterman]

Fluorescent 10" clamp on light with CFL (swirly) bulb or shoplight fixture can provide the light if adjusted to a few inches above the foliage at all times but you will need lights from the side as well as above when the plants grow taller.

I use 26W (sometimes called t-4 and has 4 loops) 6500K daylight bulb for the clamp light and 6500K daylight tubes in the shoplight. CFL bulbs also come in brighter wattages but are harder to find and only a few more sizes higher will fit in regular light socket. For the shop light, T-5 tubes needing special T-5 fixtures are brightest (and hottest -- will burn foliage if in contact just like CFL's) and can/should be 3-5 inches above the foliage, T-8 tubes are next brightest and can/should be 2-3 inches above the foliage. Older T-12 tubes should only be 1-2 inches above the foliage and it is cool enough that the foliage can touch the tubes without burning.

If you want use the lamp in your photo, take a look at my DIY modification of a bedside lamp here
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 97#p283997
You need a reflector that directs most of the light to the plant and not waste it everywhere else. Adding an extender socket and Y-adapter like this doubles the light output of a lamp. CFL's use lower wattage than incandescents so this shouldn't overload the socket.

ok, um I'm not a light bulb expert, so I didnt understand anything you said. can you just answer: Will the older light bulb, or the swirly one work better for growing my plant?

[weterman]

As I stated above I would not be the one to discourage this kind of experiment if experience didn't foresee an outcome that may prove disappointing... And my conscience dictated at least mentioning/warning.

I wouldn't say impossible -- depends on how much time and energy (personal as well as power energy being discussed) willing to expend. I would grow multiple buckets to be able to dump as harvest test. Likely require more than one winter's results to gain sufficient experience to improve techniques -- requirements may turn out to be more than willing/able to do... Or not.

BUT... You can't put a price tag on this kind of enthusiasm, curiosity, learning experience... FUN. Indoor plants could improve air quality, exposure to bright lights counter the winter blues, etc. etc. Personally I've grown plants in the house since I was a teenager. Houseplants for the most part -- some that only flower once a year for a very short time, some that do nothing. Compared to that, I find growing edibles much more rewarding, especially lately.

I'm 15 btw


and I am not growing just for potatoes to eat, I'm growing cause I'm bored, and I want to try and get some fruits on there so I can get the seeds from it, and try planting them.

[jal_ut]

OK, sounds like a fun experiment. Have fun!

On the light, look to see if you can find a wattage rating. Use the one with the highest wattage number.

[weterman]

OK, sounds like a fun experiment. Have fun!

On the light, look to see if you can find a wattage rating. Use the one with the highest wattage number.

ok thanks

[applestar]

"Older light bulb" = incandescent bulb
"swirly light bulb" = CFL (Compact FLuorescent) bulb

For growing plants, CFL is better because they don't get as hot as incandescents and won't burn the leaves when you position them as close as they need to be. There is usually a wattage equivalent on the front of the package. Look on the back of the packages and base of the bulbs for K rating (color) and Lumens (brightness). Brighter the better (100w equivalent or higher).

FWIW -- I didn't know all these terms either 3 yrs ago. Someone else posted in technobabble and I became curious enough to look them up.

Like I always tell my 14 yr old -- You kids have it so easy... If you don't understand any word or know what something is, just look it up with Google (or Bing) or any internet search engine.

-- My daughter just needs help with the spelling if she gets it so wrong that even the search engine can't give her back the correct spelling.... (Grrr -- growling in frustration) Mama! how do you spell [.....]!!!!????

...words you see here, you can just copy-and-paste

BTW, if you are curious about potato fruits and seeds, look for TPS (True Potato Seed) sticky thread at the top of Seed Starting Forum, and run a search in the forum search bar at the top of the page. It's been discussed in several previous threads. (lighting has been discussed in depth here too) You may need to adjust the K rating of the lights to encourage blooming later, but that's later. You will need a lot of light. The one lamp is likely not enough.

[applestar]

Other readily available things you could try growing for fun -- Plant in loose soil -- 1/3 sand, 2/3 garden soil in well draining container with holes punched or slits cut in the bottom and sides.

- Onion and garlic bottoms -- cut away and save a cone or pyramid shaped piece with dried roots or hard knob attached from the base of an onion or garlic. Snuggle in the soil until barely or almost covered in soil. Put on south or west windowsill. Cold is OK. Water and keep the soil moist, letting the surface dry in between. (1 pint-qt size berry containers, yogurt/ricotta cheese/sour cream containers ) You can trim the greens as they grow and eat with baked potato, etc. like chives.

- Dried whole peas can be planted and grown on winter south facing windowsill. ( You need to plant in at least a 1/2 gallon milk carton or soda bottle to get any amount of peas. 1 gal is better. )

- Dried beans will grow if planted and kept warm 60°F or above with plenty of light -- windowsill is probably too cold. ( You need to plant in at least a 1/2 gallon milk carton or soda bottle to get any amount of beans. 1 gal is better. )

- Apple and citrus (orange, grapefruit, lemon) seeds will sprout in about a month. South or west facing window. ( 1 qt size container. ) Tree seedlings won't grow to fruit bearing size for 7-15 yrs, and even then may not bear fruits like the original fruit due to cross pollination.

- Seeds of ripe tomatoes are relatively easy to save and grow but you will need to provide supplemental bright light. 70°F+ to sprout, then immediately place under bright lights. After first pair of true leaves, they can grow in as low as 55°F or warmer temp. ( Sow seeds in pint size berry or dairy containers and uppot to individual containers as they grow. If grown to full size, non-dwarf varieties will need at least 5-10 gal containers. We normally start tomato seeds about 8 weeks before last average frost date so they are almost too big in pint size containers by a week after last frost when they can be planted outside in the garden. )

[weterman]

thanks, I have another question, should I place sprout facing down, or sprout facing up?

[DoubleDogFarm]

Up

Eric

[weterman]

Up

Eric

ight

[rainbowgardener]

If it works for you, with or without tubers, it should be fun. Potatoes are actually quite ornamental plants. Since they don't grow great in containers for me, I'm thinking about finding a flower bed I could plant a few in. They would blend in nicely. If they flower (for me in container, they sometimes have and sometimes just died back without ever flowering), the flowers are really pretty.

But just out of curiosity, how did you pick potatoes to experiment with?

[DoubleDogFarm]

But just out of curiosity, how did you pick potatoes to experiment with?

weterman is trying to harvest TPS to experiment with. Up a couple post.

Eric

[weterman]

If it works for you, with or without tubers, it should be fun. Potatoes are actually quite ornamental plants. Since they don't grow great in containers for me, I'm thinking about finding a flower bed I could plant a few in. They would blend in nicely. If they flower (for me in container, they sometimes have and sometimes just died back without ever flowering), the flowers are really pretty.

But just out of curiosity, how did you pick potatoes to experiment with?

I used potatoes that already grew in the garden this year.

[weterman]

But just out of curiosity, how did you pick potatoes to experiment with?

weterman is trying to harvest TPS to experiment with. Up a couple post.

Eric

thats why I'm growing it, so I can have the seeds. I don't have any tps, I only ate a fruit or 2. the juice tastes bad, but the not juice part taste like rubarb.

[weterman]

But just out of curiosity, how did you pick potatoes to experiment with?

weterman is trying to harvest TPS to experiment with. Up a couple post.

Eric

thats why I'm growing it, so I can have the seeds. I don't have any tps, I only ate a fruit or 2. the juice tastes bad, but the not juice part taste like rubarb.

I planted the potato now. now I wait

[weterman]

how much should I water? everyday?

[rainbowgardener]

Probably not. Watering potatoes in a container is tricky. Too much water and they rot out, but they need to stay slightly damp most of the time. For indoor growing, I would try the bonsai chopstick method. Leave a chopstick stuck down into it. Check it every day. If the chopstick is dry when you pull it out, water. When you do water, be sure you water until water comes out the drain holes. Your seed potatoes are down near the bottom, so the whole soil has to be moistened.

[weterman]

Probably not. Watering potatoes in a container is tricky. Too much water and they rot out, but they need to stay slightly damp most of the time. For indoor growing, I would try the bonsai chopstick method. Leave a chopstick stuck down into it. Check it every day. If the chopstick is dry when you pull it out, water. When you do water, be sure you water until water comes out the drain holes. Your seed potatoes are down near the bottom, so the whole soil has to be moistened.

uh my potato isnt near the bottom, its near the top. should I plant it in deeper?

and I just dug in up, its been in there for about a week. and the sprout doesnt look any different. is this normal?

the potato is about the size of a golf ball, so I didnt cut it.

[applestar]

Yeah I've been worrying since yesterday that we didn't cover how to plant.

New potatoes grow along the underground stem that grows ABOVE the seed potato, so yes, you should really empty the bucket down to about 6"-8" of soil mix and plant the seed potato just under the soil. Then as the plant grows, add more soil mix maybe mixed with leaves or hay, all the way to top of the bucket. You will probably need support for the rest of the plant as it grows even taller, so you may need something like a tomato cage or four bamboo stakes and twine... But that will be later. You will need to get the light as close as you can to the top of the foliage so support system will be in the way at first.