Potatoes are a popular vegetable for gardeners. They are easy to grow, and you can get a lot of potatoes from a small plot of land.
You can also save money by growing your own potatoes and, if you are like many people, you have no doubt had potatoes in your cupboard that have sprouted.
So, can you plant these sprouted potatoes from the store?
If you have store bought potatoes that have developed shoots then, yes, you can plant them and they will eventually grow into mature plants that produce potatoes. They are easy to grow and you should get a reasonable crop.
Can you plant any sprouting potatoes?
If any of the potatoes have gone hard or are mouldy and soggy then you should throw these into the compost bin as they will not grow well.
Select the ones that are beginning to go soft for best results.
How should you plant the potatoes?
Simply cut the potato into two or three pieces, making sure each piece has at least one ‘eye’ on it.
Plant the potatoes in soil that has been well dug and is rich in organic matter.
Water well and keep the soil moist but not wet.
The shoots will appear in a few weeks and, when they are about 10 cm high, you can start to hill up the soil around them.
Do this by pushing more soil around the plant with your hands until it is covered.
This will help keep the potatoes underground and stop them from being exposed to the light which can make them green and inedible.
When the potatoes are ready to harvest, simply dig them up and enjoy.
What if you don’t want to waste the potatoes?
Maybe you feel that planting the sprouted spuds would be a waste and you’d rather eat them, well, there’s an answer to that.
During the second world war a common practice among British gardeners was to plant the skins of the potatoes and many became proficient at growing plants from these skins.
If your potatoes have sprouted then it should be an easy task to carefully peel them, leaving slightly more flesh on the skin than you would do normally on the areas where the sprouts have developed.
All you then need to do is to plant the parts of the peeled skin that have the sprouts, keep them watered and, within a few weeks, they will grow into potato plants.
You can plant the skins directly into the ground or in pots, whichever you prefer.
Can you plant spouted potatoes in containers?
Yes, you can plant spouted potatoes in containers. In fact, it might be a good idea to do this if you are limited on space or you live in an area that has a short season as you’ll be able to move the containers under cover.
All you need is a container that is at least 18 inches deep and has drainage holes in the bottom.
Fill the container with soil that has been mixed with some compost and then plant the potato pieces with the sprouts facing up.
Water well and keep the soil moist but not wet.
The potatoes will grow in the container and you can then harvest them when they are ready.
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Final words
If you have potatoes in your house that have started to sprout, don’t throw them away – plant them and enjoy a fresh crop of potatoes.
You can either plant them in the ground or in containers, depending on your space and gardening abilities.
And, if you are feeling adventurous, you can even try planting the skins of the potatoes and growing plants from these.
So, don’t waste those sprouting potatoes, get planting.
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