this post was submitted on 02 Apr 2025
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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.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

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?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 12 hours ago

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

[–] [email protected] 3 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

You planted a potato. You had plans.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 12 hours ago

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

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Potatoes grow without dirt, nor water , by just laying around in the fridge. You put one in the soil and "didn't expect it to grow"? 😂

[–] [email protected] 2 points 22 hours ago

Well, it's not that I didn't expect it to grow so much as I had zero expectations

[–] [email protected] 89 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 day ago (1 children)

LOL this pic was my inspiration

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 day ago

Buddy saw an incomprehensible eldritch terror covered in sightless eyes, yearning for life, stretching myriad limbs in every feasible direction and said I gotta have one

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Congratulations! Actions have consequences! Now you're the proud parent of a baby potatoe plant!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 22 hours ago

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

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 day 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.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If you planted a potato expecting it not to grow, you've clearly never had a potato in your pantry start sprouting.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 22 hours 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 :)

[–] [email protected] 42 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Potatoes, tomatoes and nightshade are all related species, yep. Tomato is the odd one out for not having poisonous fruit.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

To be more specific, potatoes and tomatoes are nightshades. Eggplants, too.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 20 hours ago

Don't forget peppers! Hot peppers are my favorite nightshade.

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[–] [email protected] 36 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Congratulations you have discovered agriculture

[–] [email protected] 3 points 13 hours ago

INFINITE FOOD GLITCH!!!! UNPACHED 2025 [GONE WRONG]

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Let's see, next I'll build a granary, worker then settler.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago

Just... one... more... turn...

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago

Go for animal husbandry first so you can see the horse resources

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Potatoes are next level though. Or the most basic level. 🤷🏻

I planted a bunch of red potato chunks in some tilled dirt. BAM! Quintupled what I put in with zero effort. Next time I'll mound them up properly and get a year's supply off 4 or 5.

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[–] [email protected] 35 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Maybe they watched The Martian and wanted to test the scientific accuracy.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This raises even more questions! Did they poo in that pot? And still, if they didn't intend for it to grow, why did they put it in soil‽

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I saw a picture of a potato Eldrich horror (posted elsewhere in this thread) and figured I should give the potato a home

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago

A potato is much happier as vodka as indicated by common potato lifecycle charts.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 22 hours ago
[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

What did you expect? Kittens? A diamond?

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Omg are kittens an option? :D

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You'd need to plant a kitten for that. At least that's what I'm concluding from our very small sample size, I'm not a scientist.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If you want to pollinate it to collect seed (debatable if that's a good decision), use an electric toothbrush. The pollen needs the vibrations of a pollinator to be released.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 22 hours ago

Interesting, thank you!

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 day ago

Life, uh, finds a way.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago
[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day 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.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago

If you want to get some actual potatoes from that you're gonna need a much bigger pot. Also you want the potato to be like... six inches underground.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago

It looks like a vigorous potato, I hope you can find a place to put him outside

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago

I'm not a potatologist, but it seems like it should be fine to let it grow in there for a couple more weeks. It's happy there, and that's the main thing.

Then transplant it to a big bin/pot/raised bed or the ground outside. If it's root bound just cut down on the sides of the root tangle and detangle them a bit before planting. Put a big clear plastic tub/tote over it at night if it will be frosty.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That will need repotting soon. Just don't neglect your ear muffs.

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