Can You Grow Potatoes Indoors? All You Need Is These 4 Items 

“Honey, would you hop to the living room and pick me 3 mid-sized potatoes?”

Actually, potatoes are harvested, not picked.

But that doesn’t change the fact that growing them indoors in the summer, winter or year-round is both possible and easy. You can do it even if you’ve never grown anything! And you definitely don’t need a garden. 

In fact, potatoes are some of the easiest vegetables to grow indoors.

Whether you don’t have the space for a vegetable garden or just want to experiment, here’s a quick, no-brainer guide. 

Know What You’re Planting

You might be surprised to know that you can grow potatoes in two ways – from the seeds of the fruits of the potato plant, or from parts of the potato root.

Parts of the root is the more reliable method!

When the potato plant blooms, in the right environment, it can grow small tomato-like fruits that have seeds inside them that can be planted. As tempted as you might be to use the seeds to grow your veggies, they don’t usually lead to an impressive harvest, so it’s best to leave those behind.

(And make sure not to do a taste test – these innocent looking fruits can be dangerous!) 

To go the traditional route, you’ll need some seed potatoes – that is, potatoes that have sprouted. You can get these ready-to-plant, or make your own. But before planting these, you’ll need to make some arrangements and add a few additions to your household…  

What Do You Need to Grow Potatoes Indoors?

There are a few key factors that can contribute to a flourishing indoor potato harvest. With the right environment and setup, you’ll be on your way to becoming an indoor veggie aficionado! 

1. Container

Because potatoes naturally grow underground, they’ll need adequate space and depth inside your home.

But you don’t need a cellar to do this.

All you’ll need is a container that is at least half a foot deep and has the capacity of a minimum of 2.5 gallons. The type of container isn’t as crucial – it can be a big pot, a plastic bucket, or even a big bag of soil.

The key is for the potato to have room to spread its wings (or in this case, its roots!). 

2. Soil 

Your potatoes are only as good as the soil they grow in. Soil is extremely important to guarantee that your veggies grow well. Using poor quality soil can lead to an underwhelming or even spoiled batch.

You want soil that is well-drained so that it retains enough moisture for good growth. A pH between 6 and 6.5, but you can go as low as 5 and still see a good result. 

3. Let there be light! 

We all learned in school that photosynthesis requires sunlight, and growing veggies is no exception.

Locate a sunny spot in your home that can guarantee that your potatoes will get 8-10 hours of sunlight each day. They need almost as much light as avocado!

If you don’t have one, you’ll need to use electrical lights!

4. Chitted seed potatoes 

Before you plant your seed potatoes, you’ll need to ‘chit’ them. That is, you leave your seed potatoes for a few days allowing the sprout to grow further. This is more likely to lead to a better harvest.

Once your sprouts are sufficiently grown, cut them into smaller pieces – these will be what you plant.

If your sprouts are small enough, you can skip this step.  

How to Grow Potatoes Indoors: Step-By-Step Procedure

1. Set up your container and fill it up with the recommended soil about halfway.
2. Add in fertilizer to give your mixture an added boost. 
3. Plant your chitted seed potatoes about six inches apart. The number of potatoes you can plant will depend on your container, but make sure not to overcrowd them. 
4. Fill up an additional 6 inches of soil over the planted potatoes. 
5. Mix in water into the soil thoroughly.

And that’s it! You’ve planted your potatoes.

Now, it is time to maintain them. Make sure they are consistently getting enough sunlight and water.

How much water is needed will vary – to check for dryness, simply feel the soil with your fingertip. If it feels dry, it’s time for a shower.

You’ll also need to continue adding soil and fertilizer as your plant grows to keep the process moving. If you follow the necessary steps, soon you’ll have your very own potato harvest! 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you grow potatoes indoors all year round?

If you have the ideal environment, you most certainly can grow potatoes indoors all year round. The key factor that changes with different regions is sunlight. If you live in a region where there’s little to no sun in the winters, unfortunately, you won’t be able to manage a good harvest.

But if your climate is sunny all year round, there’s nothing stopping you from maintaining your indoor veggie garden all year round. 

Can you grow potatoes indoors without sunlight?

Generally speaking, potatoes need a full day’s worth of sunlight to grow well. That being said, with the advancement of technology, farmers have found many alternate ways to grow crops in less-than-ideal environments.

As an alternative, you can set up LED grow lights which are increasingly popular among people who regularly grow indoors.

How do I store my potatoes?

In order to make your newly harvested potatoes last as long as possible, you need to cure them – that is, thickening their skin to make them last. First clean them off, either by simply brushing off the dirt or giving them a rinse. If you rinse them, make sure they are completely dried down.

Then, store them for at least one week in a dark, well-ventilated area. Once cured, check your potatoes for any damage or disease. Then, simply store them in a cool environment like a fridge, and they should last for a few months.