If you have a window that gets a lot of sunlight or some UV lamps, you can grow potatoes indoors all year round! All you need is a bucket, a glass of water, a few toothpicks and dirt. These vegetables are rich in nutrients and can be stored for long periods after harvest.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Sprouting the Potatoes
Step 1. As seeds, buy potatoes with many "eyes"
The eyes are the little spots on the peel and are the spots that will sprout. A potato with 6 or 7 eyes can give rise to a maximum of 1 kg of potatoes.
Alternatively, buy the potatoes and leave them near a window for a few days, until the sprouts begin to sprout
Step 2. Scrub all the potatoes to remove the dirt
Use a vegetable brush to scrub them under running water until they are completely free of soil. Make sure you rub them gently close to the eyes, so as not to damage them before growing.
This will also remove pesticide and retardant residues if you are not using organic potatoes
Step 3. Cut the potato in half
Place it on the longer side on the cutting board; you should be able to roll it like a rolling pin. Cut it in the center, as if you want to make washers. Be careful not to break any eyes, because those are the spots that will sprout.
Step 4. Insert 4 toothpicks a quarter of their length into the potato
Place them between the cut part and the tip of the vegetable. They should be facing in 4 different directions, like the cardinal points.
The goal is to stick them into the potato so that they hold it steady when you put it in a glass of water
Step 5. Immerse the cut portion of the potato in a glass full of water
Place the toothpicks on the edge of the glass. If the potato is not balanced in the center of the glass, change the position of the toothpicks. Make sure the vegetable is partially submerged in water, otherwise it won't sprout.
Step 6. Place the potato in the sun for 5-6 hours a day, until it begins to develop roots
Move the glass to a south-facing windowsill or under a UV lamp. The roots should appear after a week; they will be long, thin and whitish.
Change the water in the glass if it becomes opaque. Add more as needed to keep the potato immersed
Part 2 of 3: Planting the Sprouted Potatoes
Step 1. Find a 10 liter pot with drainage holes
Use a container with a capacity of at least 10 liters. This way, you can be sure of a bountiful harvest of large potatoes.
Make sure you wash and rinse the pot well before starting cultivation
Step 2. Cover the bottom of the pot with 2.5-5cm of pebbles
Potatoes need adequate drainage to grow. Place about 2.5-5cm of pebbles in the bottom of the container to cover it entirely.
- In this way, you can be sure that the water drains from the soil, does not cause mold and does not cause the roots to rot.
- Alternatively, you can use a pot with drainage holes in the bottom.
Step 3. Fill the pot one third with soil
Choose a material that is not very compact, granular and clayey. You will need to keep adding soil as the plant grows, so avoid overfilling the pot for now.
The acidity of the sulfur feeds the potatoes, so test the pH of the soil and make sure it is around 5.5. If it is higher, add elemental sulfur to the earth
Step 4. Plant the potatoes with the roots down, 15 cm apart
Intertwine, making sure the longer shoots point upward.
Avoid placing potatoes near the edge of the pot
Step 5. Cover the potatoes with 5-7.5cm of soil
These vegetables do not need to receive light to grow. To create the right environment, cover them with lots of soil.
Step 6. Position the pot so that it receives 6-10 hours of sunshine per day
Keep the container in a well-lit area, such as near a window. Alternatively, you can use UV lamps. Keep them on at least 10 hours a day to replicate outside conditions.
Step 7. Keep the soil moist at all times
Potatoes need moisture to grow, so check the soil every 2-3 days. If it starts to dry out, water it until it is wet but not soggy.
The soil should be moist, like a wrung out sponge
Step 8. Add more soil when the plant is 6 inches above the ground
When the plant reaches the top of the pot, compact the soil around the stem. As it grows upward, potatoes will begin to sprout on the stem. These vegetables need sunlight on the leaves, but not on the tubers themselves. Consequently, you should continue piling the soil on the stem until the plant reaches the top of the container.
The potatoes will be ready to harvest after about 10-12 weeks or when the leaves begin to die
Part 3 of 3: Collect the Potatoes
Step 1. If you want small new potatoes, pluck them when the leaves turn yellow
Once the plant turns yellow or begins to die, the potatoes are ready. You can harvest new potatoes as soon as the leaves change color.
If you prefer more mature and larger potatoes, wait another couple of weeks before harvest
Step 2. Pull the plant out of the container and harvest all the potatoes
Dig up the soil with a small garden tool or your hands and pull the entire plant out of the pot. Peel each potato with your hands and scrub the dirt off them.
Be careful not to cut or dent the potatoes at this stage, as the skin will be tender and easy to tear
Step 3. Let the potatoes dry for 2-3 hours, then rinse them
Place them in the sun and wait for them to dry well. Then, scrub them with a vegetable brush under running water to remove the dirt and clean them.
Step 4. Store harvested potatoes in a cool, dark place for up to 5 months
To prevent them from deteriorating, make sure the temperature is between 7 ° C and 13 ° C. Keeping potatoes in these conditions for at least 2 weeks will dry them out, harden the skin and allow you to keep them longer.
- The potatoes will last about 5 months in a cool, dark environment.
- If you don't have a cool cellar, you can store potatoes in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. The low temperature will convert the starch of the potatoes into sugar, so make sure you use them within 1 week.
Advice
- Enrich the soil with organic compost before planting.
- You need to water the potatoes regularly; keep the soil moist, but not soggy.
- Plant more potatoes every 3-4 weeks if you want to keep harvesting them.
- Don't have a cellar? Just wrap each potato in newspaper and put them in the pantry.
- Insects are only a problem for potatoes grown outdoors. At home, they can be infested with aphids, which you can get rid of by sprinkling the leaves with a mix of water and mild dish detergent. To do this, just pour a few drops of detergent into a spray bottle full of water.
