How to grow your own potatoes

Have you ever tasted a home grown potato? They are delicious! Potatoes are easy to grow and can even be grown in a large container if you don’t have a garden.

All you need are some old potatoes that are starting to sprout and you can grow heaps of your own delicious home grown potatoes.

How to grow potatoes

1. You’ll need some sprouted old potatoes – preferably organic but not necessary. You can also buy sprouted potatoes from a nursery.

2. Cut your potatoes in chunks so there are 2 to 3 eyes of sprouting on each piece.

3. Leave them out to dry for two days before planting.

4. Plant with the sprout facing up and near the top of the soil.

5. Cover the potato patch with hay and water well and the plants will start to grow.

6. Once the plants have flowered and are falling down, it is time to dig up your potatoes.

7. Store your potatoes in a dry cool place and enjoy eating your harvest.

Have you ever grown your own potatoes? Please add your comment below.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

22 Comments

- - mom486197 said
  - 05 Jun 2024
    2:14 pm
What a fun idea to do with your kids.

- - mom57619 said
  - 28 Feb 2017
    1:03 pm
This would be a fun activities for the kids – I will give it a go.

- - Melissa89 said
  - 27 Jul 2016
    12:02 pm
I remember doing this as a kid actually, it was really fun!

- - Mum to one said
  - 09 Jun 2016
    9:08 am
Would really love to plant and grow some potatoes, I wish I had the space to do it… Hopefully one day!

- - mom183717 said
  - 28 May 2016
    11:41 am
I live in an apartment but you know what I think I’ll do this! Would save a fortune for me!

- - jacqbeckett said
  - 06 May 2016
    8:09 pm
i have a perfect wine barrel to grow potatoes but don’t know how to start it off. the only reason why im a little confused is that once we plant the eye facing the sun covered in dirt at the bottom of the barrel and it starts to grow, are we supposed to keep covering it up until a certain length of dirt is used in the barrel before letting it go to grow and flowered? Or how far down in the dirt do I plant it and leave it alone?? Does it work for korma? can I plant potatoes and korma in the barrel?
- mom94125 replied
  
  03 Sep 2016 , 6:55 pm
  that would be a cool looking garden for sure. good luck
- - mom153507 said
  - 30 Apr 2016
    10:52 pm
I can not wait to try & grow some potatoes with my boys!
& it is so much more simple than I thought!
Is there a particular time of year that is best?
Thanks for sharing!

- - serotonin said
  - 30 Apr 2016
    10:25 pm
Always wondered how this worked. Won’t be giving my ducks and chickens the old potatoes now. Will grow more instead!

- - rachelvk said
  - 28 Apr 2016
    9:43 pm
I am definitely going to try and grow my own. What a great idea!

- - sharna_booth_weinrowski said
  - 10 Apr 2016
    11:59 am
my gran grew the best potatoes wihtout trying!

- - mia87 said
  - 07 Apr 2016
    8:22 pm
We grow our own sweet potato! It is so easy and grows like crazy! The kids love digging them out of the soil and helping me prepare them for dinner

- - june11 said
  - 05 Apr 2016
    8:34 pm
No mention of mounding more soil around the plant as they grow so that potatoes are not exposed above the soil (to light at all) and become green. When that happens they are poisonous. They may have patches of green on the outside or be green or a blackish colour on the inside. They need to be kept moist for the best results otherwise the plants may die off before the potatoes have grown enough.
- june11 replied
  
  05 Apr 2016 , 8:37 pm
  They should be stored in a DARK place to prevent them from shooting too soon. I forgot to include that in my first comment
  - mom103920 replied
    
    12 Apr 2016 , 9:36 am
    
    That’s right June11. They can’t be exposed to sunlight. I find mounding the dirt around them also yields a bigger crop.
- - mom93821 said
  - 05 Apr 2016
    7:16 am
Thanks – love spuds, love growing them too.

- - youngoldlady said
  - 05 Apr 2016
    1:09 am
Has been ages since I have done this. Sweet potatoes grow a lovely vine so good in a hanging basket.

- - mom112217 said
  - 04 Apr 2016
    10:22 pm
Good to know,thanks for the article!

- - Nas01 said
  - 04 Apr 2016
    8:53 pm
Great tips!!! I’m going to try this out.

- - mom165081 said
  - 04 Apr 2016
    8:43 pm
So funny reading this!! We used to grow them when living in the country – but had ZERO success in the city!

- - mom160421 said
  - 04 Apr 2016
    8:07 pm
Yes I’ve grown potatoes. They are probably the easiest vegetable to grow.
- mom93821 replied
  
  06 Apr 2016 , 7:06 am
  They are easy to grow.