How to grow potatoes and sweet potatoes from the comfort of your home?

To grow gourmet potatoes or sweet potatoes, i.e. their edible underground tubers with a relatively high vitamin C content, in indoor conditions, for example in an apartment building, you don't need any special experience. Ensure a supply of these foods year-round, and preferably in organic quality!

What you will need to grow potatoes or sweet potatoes indoors:

• A sufficiently large growing container.
• A quality substrate that will be sufficiently airy while retaining moisture well. We recommend, for example, the purely natural soil BioNova SoilMix.
• A small amount of fertilizer. If you want to enjoy potatoes or sweet potatoes that are truly 100% organic, use the fact that as a home grower you have the whole process under control and get a proven organic nutrient, such as BioNova Veganics. For potato cultivation, the organic soil improver Bat Guano from the traditional brand Plagron, characterized by the content of bat guano.
• A source of artificial lighting or a sunny spot, which in urban conditions is typically provided by south-facing balconies and terraces. In extreme cases, a sunny part of an inner courtyard may suffice.
• You will also only need heat, which in urban settings and apartments is usually not a problem even in winter.
• And we must not forget water, without which it obviously would not work.

Let's outline some additional specifics that accompany home cultivation of potatoes:

• Different potato varieties vary in the length of their growing cycle. For example, early or very early potatoes typically have a growing cycle of about three months. Late varieties take approximately one month longer to grow.
• An advantage of growing potatoes at home is that you do not have to start planting as early as you would in a field or garden.
• Potatoes form so-called mother tubers upward, and a single tuber is often the source of several kilograms of potatoes. For every 50 liters of container volume you will need at least 3 tubers.
• If you decide to plant supermarket potatoes, wait until they develop sprouts. Seed potatoes are the most suitable.
• Did you know that a potato harvest is up to 80% water? Still, there is no need to water potatoes daily during the growing cycle. It is sufficient to water a few times a week. What matters is that the watering is really generous!

How to plant potatoes?

• Layer substrate in the growing container to a height of about 20 cm from the bottom.
• Place the seed tubers (potatoes) on the base layer of substrate and cover them with another, this time only half, layer of substrate.
• Regularly water the seed potatoes and check the moisture of the substrate. Make sure the soil is not waterlogged and that there is sufficient drainage.
• At the same time, gradually add more and more layers of substrate, because as explained, potatoes form mother tubers upward.
• Do not fill the substrate all the way to the rim of the growing container.

A suitable and sufficiently large growing container is fundamental

Let's return for a moment to the first item on the list of things you need for indoor potato cultivation. If you plan to try growing tasty potatoes in a small scale and by that you mean a small growing container, it's pointless. Do not go below 55 liters of volume, whether you choose a deep trough, a large substrate bag, or other DIY gardening tricks you may encounter in urban settings, including old barrels or even stacked tires. It is good to keep in mind that higher-quality containers are easier to keep clean, thereby reducing the risk of pests or diseases. Non-breathable growing containers need to be perforated on the bottom to ensure adequate drainage of excess water. The best solution is definitely large fabric pots, such as the non-degrading 56-liter Rootpouch with a handle, which you can buy for under two hundred crowns and, after washing, can be used repeatedly. Fabric planters ensure optimal drainage of the substrate and are ideal for eco-friendly home cultivation of crops.

Which pests or diseases should you be most careful of when growing potatoes?

• Colorado potato beetle. It will not surprise you that this well-known pest is listed first. Regularly inspect the developing crop and as soon as you spot a single beetle, it must be removed immediately. Otherwise your efforts could soon be in vain.

OUR TIP: Try an insecticidal product with a natural active ingredient against the Colorado potato beetle – AgroBio Sprintor.

• The presence of flying insects is easier to detect using practical sticky traps that you can simply place around the non-edible above-ground parts of the plant.
• You may encounter rot or mold if you do not ensure adequate drainage of the substrate, either through holes in the growing container or by using breathable fabric pots, as mentioned above.

Growing sweet potatoes

We haven't forgotten sweet potatoes. We left them for the end because their cultivation at home is very similar to growing potatoes. In what ways do the specifics of the two crops differ?

• The sweet potato (sweet potato vine) is, unlike potatoes, a climbing plant.
• Expect that sweet potato vines can grow up to five meters in length.
• Sweet potatoes require even more warmth than potatoes for healthy development.
• In addition to vitamin C, they also contain other beneficial vitamins (A, B, E), minerals (iron) and fiber.

As you can see, home cultivation of potatoes and sweet potatoes is not difficult! We are also happy to advise you on choosing specific products at the well-known e-mail address info@higarden.cz.

We also recommend these products:

• Shogun fertilizers (from 199 Kč)
• BioNova Bio Soilmix 50L (from 279 Kč)
• Gronest fabric pot 75l - YBP (169 Kč)

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