Indoor Gardening: Tasty Tubers

As we approach the end of fall, it’s time for indoor gardeners to begin preparing for the frigid winter months ahead. Rather than focus on planning outdoor spring gardens, though, we can set our sights on the more immediate future. Our horticultural daydreams aren’t hampered by a wait for the season’s final frost. Instead, we can embrace a world of snow-covered trees, impassible roads, crackling fireplaces and cozy blankets by growing fresh produce fit for a cold winter’s day. And what better dish to prepare when you’re couped up in the house, staying clear of sub-freezing temperatures, than a belly-warming bowl of potato soup?

Potatoes certainly aren’t the most popular plant to grow indoors, but they are surprisingly easy to cultivate and don’t require quite the amount of space we sometimes envision. They’re ideal for growing in the fall and winter in an unfinished basement or heated garage because they thrive in temperatures in the mid-60s to low 70s. Better yet, it takes very little in the way of equipment to get started.

The first step is to select the potatoes you’d like to grow. It’s important to note the difference between the potatoes you purchase from the grocery store to eat and “seed potatoes” that are used to grow. Grocery store potatoes have been treated in the field while growing with chemicals that inhibit proper sprouting. This makes them more economically desirable to food producers and resellers because it allows them to reach the consumer without sprouting. They’re essentially prettier and have a longer shelf-life. For the purpose of using one potato to grow more potatoes, you want to purchase seed potatoes that have not been chemically treated. If they’re not in season at your local hardware store or nursery, they’re usually readily available online and come in varieties ranging from Yukon Gold to Red Gold to Russian Banana. Once you’ve acquired your seed potatoes, if they do not already have sprouts growing from the “eyes”, place them in a cool place out of direct sunlight until at least a few emerge. Now, they’re ready for planting.

While numerous potato-specific planting containers and fabric pots

are available on the market, many equipped with special ports designed to easily remove mature potatoes, the average do-it-yourselfer can get by with a simple plastic tote, bucket or trash can that’s likely already sitting around the house. The key is to find something that’s at least 18 inches deep. I prefer an 18-gallon Rubbermaid storage bin. If the container does not already have holes in the bottom, you’ll need to drill or cut holes throughout to allow for drainage and either set the tote on top of its lid or add some sort of tray below it to handle any run-off from watering.

You’ll need a bag of well-draining soil, preferably one that’s nutrient-rich and slightly acidic with a pH around 5 to 6. If your soil is a standard potting mix and lacks enough nutrition to take the potatoes through harvest, no need to worry. An all-purpose dry or liquid fertilizer that’s either evenly balanced between nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) or leans more towards P and K can be used to supplement your potatoes’ nutritional needs. In the event your

soil is too heavy and is retaining too much moisture, don’t be afraid to mix in some perlite or vermiculite. This will help with drainage and reduce the risk of rot.

Pour a layer of soil, 6 to 8 inches deep into the container, placing your potatoes on top with the sprouts facing upwards. Add more soil to cover the potatoes entirely with only the top of each small sprout exposed. If you’re mixing in a slow-release dry fertilizer, this would be a great opportunity to include it with the second layer of soil.

Hang a full-spectrum, 100 Watt, LED (light emitting diode) grow light, set to run 12 hours per day, approximately 18 inches above the top of the container. If your light’s wattage is higher than 100 Watts, you can either increase its height or decrease the number of hours it’s turned on each day.

Water the soil until it’s evenly moist and continue watering as necessary to prevent the soil from fully drying out. If you’re using liquid fertilizer, start introducing it around the second week of growth

and stop using it approximately two weeks before harvest. Be sure to avoid oversaturating the soil to prevent rotting.

As the sprouts turn into green stems and grow up through the soil, continue “hilling,” adding more soil, until the soil’s surface is within a few inches of the container’s brim. When flowers begin to form within the foliage, approximately 3 to 4 months after planting, the fully developed tubers (potatoes) are ready to harvest by digging them out of the soil. Store them in a cool dry place until you’re ready to work them into your next recipe, saving one or two for replanting.

Russian Banana potatoes

JASON MISPAGEL Indoor Gardener

Jason Mispagel is the co-owner and operator of Year-Round Garden, a grower’s supply center serving both home and commercial customers since 2016. To contact Jason, call 816-216-6917 or jason@year-roundgarden.com.