Those sprouting potatoes on your countertop shouldn’t go to waste, as they hold the potential for a productive harvest in your garden. Learning how to plant potatoes that have sprouted is a simple and rewarding process that turns kitchen scraps into a future crop.
This guide will walk you through every step, from selecting the best sprouted spuds to harvesting your homegrown potatoes. You don’t need special skills, just a bit of space and some basic gardening know-how.
Let’s get started on turning those sprouts into a successful harvest.
How To Plant Potatoes That Have Sprouted
Planting sprouted potatoes, often called seed potatoes, is the most common method for home growers. The “eyes” or sprouts contain the genetic material needed to grow a new plant. Using grocery store potatoes that have sprouted is a cost-effective way to begin.
First, you need to ensure your sprouted potatoes are viable and healthy. Not every old potato is a good candidate. Look for firm potatoes with strong, stocky sprouts that are green or purple in color. Avoid any that are soft, shriveled, or have mold.
The sprouts themselves are crucial. Long, white, leggy sprouts that grew in a dark cupboard are weaker. They can break off easily during handling. If you have these, you can still use them, but handle them with extra care during planting.
Choosing And Preparing Your Sprouted Potatoes
Before you put them in the ground, a little preparation will set your plants up for success. This involves selecting the right potatoes and cutting them properly to encourage strong growth.
Start by gathering your sprouted potatoes. Organic potatoes are sometimes recommended because they are less likely to have been treated with a sprout inhibitor, which can delay growth. However, conventional sprouted potatoes often work just fine.
Selecting the Best Seed Potatoes
Examine each potato carefully. Choose potatoes that are firm to the touch. The skin should be intact without major cuts or gashes. The ideal sprout is short, thick, and colorful, typically under an inch long.
If a potato has multiple sprouts, that’s excellent. It means you can cut it into several pieces, each with its own sprout. This maximizes your seed stock. Discard any potatoes that show signs of rot or disease.
Cutting and Curing Potato Pieces
Large potatoes with multiple sprouts should be cut into pieces. This step is called “chitting.” Each piece should be roughly the size of a golf ball or a small egg, about 1.5 to 2 ounces. Most importantly, each piece must have at least one healthy sprout, and preferably two.
Use a clean, sharp knife to make clean cuts. Avoid tearing the flesh. Ensure each piece has a decent amount of flesh to support the sprout until roots develop. After cutting, the pieces need to cure.
Place the cut pieces in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated spot for one to three days. This allows the cut surfaces to dry and form a callus, which helps prevent rot once planted in damp soil. You can lay them out on a tray or a piece of newspaper.
Selecting The Right Planting Site And Soil
Potatoes thrive in specific conditions. Choosing the right location and preparing the soil properly are critical steps for a good yield. Potatoes need full sun, at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day.
The soil should be loose, well-draining, and slightly acidic. Heavy, compacted clay soil can lead to misshapen tubers and drainage problems. If your soil is poor, don’t worry; potatoes are adaptable and can be grown in containers or raised beds.
Ideal Soil Conditions
Potatoes prefer a soil pH between 5.0 and 6.0. You can test your soil with a simple kit from a garden center. To improve soil structure, mix in several inches of compost or well-rotted manure before planting.
Good drainage is non-negotiable. Waterlogged soil causes seed pieces to rot. If you have dense soil, consider building a raised mound or row for planting. This improves drainage and makes harvesting easier later on.
Also, avoid planting potatoes in the same spot where tomatoes, peppers, or eggplants grew the previous year. These plants are in the same family and can share diseases that persist in the soil.
Choosing a Planting Method
You have several effective options for planting your sprouted potatoes. The traditional method is in rows or hills in the ground. For those with limited space, containers are a fantastic alternative.
- In-Ground Rows: This is the classic method. You dig a trench, plant the seed pieces, and gradually mound soil over the growing plants.
- Containers: Large pots, grow bags, or even trash cans work well. Ensure they are at least 12-18 inches deep and have drainage holes.
- Raised Beds: These offer excellent drainage and soil control, making them ideal for potato cultivation.
The Step-by-Step Planting Process
Now for the main event: putting your prepared seed pieces into the soil. Timing is important. Potatoes are a cool-weather crop. Plant them about 2-4 weeks before your last expected spring frost date.
The soil temperature should be at least 45°F (7°C). Planting too early in cold, wet soil can cause the seed pieces to rot before they sprout. If you’re unsure, wait until the soil has dried out and warmed up a bit.
Planting in the Ground
- Dig a straight trench about 6-8 inches deep. Space trenches about 2-3 feet apart to allow for growth and hilling.
- Place the cured seed pieces in the trench with the sprouts facing upward. Space them about 12 inches apart.
- Cover the seed pieces gently with 3-4 inches of soil. Do not pack the soil down tightly.
- Water the area thoroughly after planting to settle the soil around the seed pieces.
Planting in Containers
- Fill your container about one-third full with a loose, potting mix blended with compost.
- Place 3-4 seed pieces on top of the soil, evenly spaced with the sprouts up.
- Cover them with another 4-6 inches of your soil mix.
- Water well. As the plants grow, you will continue to add more soil mix, similar to hilling.
Caring For Your Growing Potato Plants
Once planted, your potatoes need consistent care to produce a generous harvest. The two most important tasks are hilling and proper watering. Weeds also need to be controlled, as they compete for nutrients and water.
Soon after planting, green shoots will emerge from the soil. This is an exciting sight. When these shoots grow to about 6-8 inches tall, it’s time for the first round of hilling.
The Importance of Hilling
Hilling is the process of mounding soil around the base of the potato plant. This serves several vital functions. It protects developing tubers from sunlight, which turns them green and toxic. It also encourages the plant to produce more potatoes along the buried stem.
To hill your plants, use a hoe or your hands to pull loose soil from between the rows up around the stems, covering about half of the exposed plant. Leave the top few sets of leaves exposed. Repeat this process every few weeks as the plants continue to grow.
For container potatoes, simply add more potting mix to cover the stems, leaving the top foliage exposed. Continue this until the container is nearly full.
Watering and Fertilizing Needs
Potatoes need consistent moisture, especially once they start flowering, as this is when tubers begin to form in earnest. Aim for about 1-2 inches of water per week, including rainfall.
Water deeply to encourage deep root growth. Avoid frequent, light sprinklings. The soil should be moist but never soggy. Inconsistent watering can lead to problems like knobby or cracked potatoes.
For fertilizer, a balanced, all-purpose vegetable fertilizer applied at planting is usually sufficient. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers later in the season, as they promote leafy growth at the expense of tuber development. Compost is always a safe and beneficial addition.
Managing Pests And Common Problems
Like all garden plants, potatoes can face challenges. Being proactive is the best defense. Common pests include the Colorado potato beetle and aphids. Diseases like early blight and late blight can also occur.
Inspect the undersides of leaves regularly for insect eggs or larvae. Hand-picking pests is often effective for small gardens. For diseases, ensure good air circulation by not overcrowding plants and watering at the soil level, not on the leaves.
Crop rotation is one of the most effective strategies. Don’t plant potatoes in the same bed more than once every three years. This helps break the cycle of soil-borne diseases and pests.
Harvesting Your Homegrown Potatoes
The reward for your effort comes at harvest time. There are two types of harvests: “new” potatoes and mature potatoes for storage. New potatoes are small, tender tubers harvested early in the season.
You can carefully dig around the base of a plant to steal a few new potatoes about 2-3 weeks after the plants stop flowering. Be gentle and replant the soil afterward so the rest of the tubers can continue growing.
Harvesting Mature Potatoes for Storage
For your main harvest, wait until the plant’s foliage turns yellow and begins to die back. This signals that the tubers have reached full maturity. Stop watering at this point to help the skins toughen up for storage.
- Using a garden fork, gently loosen the soil about a foot away from the base of the plant.
- Lift the plant carefully and shake off the soil to reveal the potato cluster.
- Gather all the potatoes, including any small ones left in the soil.
After digging, let the potatoes cure. Lay them out in a single layer in a dark, well-ventilated, and cool place (about 60-65°F) for one to two weeks. This allows the skins to fully set, which is essential for long-term storage.
After curing, brush off any dry soil—do not wash them. Store your potatoes in a cool (38-45°F), dark, and humid place, like a basement or root cellar. Properly cured and stored potatoes can last for several months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Plant a Potato That Has Sprouted?
Yes, absolutely. A sprouted potato is essentially a ready-made seed potato. The sprouts contain the growth points for a new plant. This is the most common and effective way to start potatoes in a home garden, provided the potato is otherwise healthy.
How Long Do Potato Sprouts Need to Be Before Planting?
Ideally, sprouts should be short, sturdy, and colored (green or purple), about 1/2 to 1 inch long. Long, pale, and leggy sprouts that grew in darkness are weaker but can still be used if handled very carefully during planting to avoid breakage.
Do You Plant Sprouted Potatoes Whole or Cut Them?
It depends on the size. Small, egg-sized potatoes with one or two sprouts can be planted whole. Larger potatoes should be cut into pieces, each about the size of a golf ball and containing at least one healthy sprout. This allows you to get more plants from a single potato.
How Deep Should You Bury Sprouted Potatoes?
Plant seed pieces about 4 inches deep initially. After the green shoots emerge and grow to about 8 inches tall, you will begin hilling by adding more soil around the stems. The final depth of the tuber zone will be much deeper, often 10-12 inches or more, due to this hilling process.
What Month Is Best to Plant Potatoes?
The best month varies by climate. In general, plant potatoes in early spring, about 2-4 weeks before your last expected frost date. For many regions, this falls in March, April, or early May. In milder climates, you can also plant for a second, late-summer crop for fall harvest.