It wasn’t my intention, but here it is. Still too frosty to plant outside but it’s getting bigger every day.

This also isn’t the best pot to have used for transplanting, I have a feeling this thing will be too big in a week.

Advice is welcome. No I won’t eat this potato, because it’s raw.

  • Hikermick@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Been a while since I kept a garden but if I remember right you have to keep piling dirt on top (after transplanting of course). I put mine in the ground then set a cardboard box around it, adding dirt inside the box as it grew. The dirt needs to be loaded and loose for the potatoes to grow. Maybe this method was just to make harvesting easier. I recall something about the potatoes being toxic if they grew in sunlight?

    • kat_angstrom@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 day ago

      I’m seeing elsewhere in the thread that it’s the potato fruit that’s toxic; the taters themselves remain delicious (once grown)

    • kat_angstrom@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 day ago

      Plans to see what happened with the progress of time. I definitely had no plans involving any particular expectations

  • baldingpudenda@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    You arent aware how best vegetable aggressively grows, with or without your help?

    Goddamn eldritch horror, but don’t worry. I still manage to kill them somehow. Like othera have said, you’re gonna need to cover it in soil.

    • kat_angstrom@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 day ago

      Thank you! I am taking the advice of this thread and will ensure that it lives a happy and healthy long life.

  • barneypiccolo@lemm.ee
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    2 days ago

    Get a 5 gallon bucket, put a few inches of dirt in the bottom, and transplant your potato plant into it. When there is no chance of frost, stick it outside in a sunny spot. As it grows higher, keep adding more soil, until it reaches the top.

    In the fall, when it starts getting cool, dump it out and sift through the dirt for the spuds.

  • Rainbowblite@lemmy.ca
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    2 days ago

    Potatoes form underground but they can also flower and make fruit. The fruit looks like a little tomato. My advice is to not eat the fruit; it is toxic.

    Also, it needs a way bigger pot to make more potatoes.

    • kat_angstrom@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 day ago

      It wasn’t so much that I didn’t expect it to grow, as I had zero expectations, and so my expectations were surpassed :)

  • remotelove@lemmy.ca
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    2 days ago

    I am curious what your intentions were for a potato that you planted that wasn’t supposed to grow?

    I ask because it might help formulate a plan if we can determine your intentions and expectations.

  • Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works
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    2 days ago

    I dropped a potato on the tile floor in my pantry and it ended up looking more aggressive than this. I’d say they like it rough. Pull it’s hair a little bit and talk offensively about it’s mother.

  • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    I have a feeling this thing will be too big in a week.

    The potatoe part isnt going to get bigger…

    It’s shriveling up and dying so it’s using all its stored energy in a last dying grasp for survival…

    You need to fully bury it, or chop off the bits where it grew sprouts and store it like a regular one till you plant it. Neither way is guaranteed, but they’re both better chances than exposed like that.

      • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Probably.

        I mean, you should take the time to Google it if you want it to turn out well.

        But in general bury a tuber and it’ll grow. It’s basically just a root that stores crazy amounts of energy. They all evolved to have that part buried underground.

  • MunkysUnkEnz0@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    You can grow potatoes easily in five gallon buckets. Just put layer of soil layer of Cut up potatoes, layer of soil, layer of potatoes, and voila, free potatoes.