Escaped Potato ?

AlittleSalt · April 17, 2015

Back in December, I was carrying a bag of potatoes in when it sounded like one fell out. I never found it back then. It turns out that it got buried in the leaves by our front door. It had ice covering it twice in February. A few weeks ago, I raked the leaves out and there it was with a spout on it, so I left it there.

The first picture shows how close to the potato it is. It's a couple feet from our house - so it gets dappled to no sun. The plant/branches are 12 inches tall (I just measured). Do you think it would be worth hilling up some dirt on it and try growing it? I'm not going to plant anything there this year. I'm just wondering if it has any chance of making potatoes. Oh, it's a typical brown Irish potato bought at HEB, and originally grown in Texas.

PhilaGardener · April 17, 2015

Why not just move it to a sunnier place? Would be easy at this stage.

joseph · April 17, 2015

Seems to be growing great where it is. I'd expect it to produce food.

rags57078 · April 17, 2015

Hill it up and see what happens

AlittleSalt · April 17, 2015

I'm going to hill it up where it's at tomorrow. I have 80' of potatoes out in the garden. Ought as well give it a chance.

luigiwu · April 17, 2015

Robert, I hope you post pics of your garden as the season progresses - 80' of potatoes, wow!

peppero · April 18, 2015

I am always for the underdog; go ahead and hill it.

jon

AlittleSalt · April 20, 2015

That is a heaping contractor's wheelbarrow of dirt around the potatoes. Could you imagine how much dirt it would take to do 80 plants.

Worth1 · April 20, 2015

This is whats going to happen.
You will get just enough potatoes from it to feed just you and your wife.

I did this one year and everyone made fun of me.
I babied it and grew it and collected just enough for me.
Guess what I didn't offer them any and when they asked for a taste I said no grow your own potato.

Worth

AlittleSalt · April 24, 2015

Lol Worth.

They're growing by leaps and bounds now They are 18" tall. They've grown six inches in 4 days.

Worth1 · April 24, 2015

I cant get over how wonderful this spring has been.
Rain and a little sunshine to boot.
My tomato plants are doing so well they are weeping water from the tips of their leaves.

A real god send if you ask me.

Worth

NarnianGarden · May 3, 2015

Great idea! Happy growing and may they taste good!

I am having some potatoes near the window at my parents' to get them sprout, we'll plant them in buckets in one month or so.
My mom is crazy about potatoes, so I am thinking of getting some true potato seeds for her as a Christmas present - she will see how fun it will be growing our favorite crop from seed.

AlittleSalt · May 5, 2015

May 5, 2015 Update (Cinco de Mayo) 21 inches tall.

AlittleSalt · May 5, 2015

Oh, and yes, the cat thinks this is her new outdoor litter box.

April 17, 2015	#6
luigiwu Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: ny Posts: 1,219	Robert, I hope you post pics of your garden as the season progresses - 80' of potatoes, wow! __________________ Subirrigated Container gardening (RGGS) in NY, Zone 7!

April 17, 2015	#2
PhilaGardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Near Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1,940	Why not just move it to a sunnier place? Would be easy at this stage.

April 17, 2015	#3
joseph Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake Posts: 1,244	Seems to be growing great where it is. I'd expect it to produce food.

April 17, 2015	#4
rags57078 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: South Dakota Posts: 278	Hill it up and see what happens

April 17, 2015	#5
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	I'm going to hill it up where it's at tomorrow. I have 80' of potatoes out in the garden. Ought as well give it a chance.

April 18, 2015	#7
peppero Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: selmer, tn Posts: 2,944	I am always for the underdog; go ahead and hill it. jon

April 20, 2015	#9
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	This is whats going to happen. You will get just enough potatoes from it to feed just you and your wife. I did this one year and everyone made fun of me. I babied it and grew it and collected just enough for me. Guess what I didn't offer them any and when they asked for a taste I said no grow your own potato. Worth

April 24, 2015	#11
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I cant get over how wonderful this spring has been. Rain and a little sunshine to boot. My tomato plants are doing so well they are weeping water from the tips of their leaves. A real god send if you ask me. Worth

May 3, 2015	#12
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	Great idea! Happy growing and may they taste good! I am having some potatoes near the window at my parents' to get them sprout, we'll plant them in buckets in one month or so. My mom is crazy about potatoes, so I am thinking of getting some true potato seeds for her as a Christmas present - she will see how fun it will be growing our favorite crop from seed.

May 5, 2015	#14
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Oh, and yes, the cat thinks this is her new outdoor litter box.