Indoor Potato Harvest
Ta da! The indoor potato harvest is in. I learned a lot from this experiment.
Potatoes don't do terribly well when it's really hot out, but they can't take frigid temperatures either.
I started these potatoes in grow bags in late October. As part of the experiment, I also planted a few potatoes in the outside garden as a control group to see which would do better.
October was still pretty warm where we live. The outside potatoes came up quickly, but they kind of languished. Too much heat in the beginning, transitioning to chillier nights, plus we were heading into Persephone Days where we had less daylight. In the end, I barely got more than two spuds from each plant.
My indoor potatoes seemed to take longer to get started. The temperature remained constant, right around 69 degrees. They were under grow lights 18 hours a day.
Where I messed up was my failure to provide consistent watering. The bags closest to me gave me larger spuds. The bags where I had to reach farthest with a hose, gave me small potatoes.
The plants themselves were tremendous. They were over 4 feet tall, taller than any of my outside potato plants ever got. That, I'm sure was due to the long light hours.
I'll definitely grow potatoes indoors again, maybe in the summer when it's too hot to grow anything outside. Greg promised to set me up an automatic sprinkler system so they always get consistent watering and I won't have to stand under the grow lights to water my plants.
It's too late for me, 'Mr. Grow Light'. This is as tall as I'll ever get.
If you want to try this at home, you'll need:
Grow bags
For potatoes, you'll need at least 10 gallon bags. Currently, I'm using Phyex 12 pack, 10 gallon grow bags, but there are lots of choices. Go for the thickest material and the sturdiest handles.
Grow lights
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| Mars Grow Light 300 watt |
There are endless choices here. For large areas, I used Mars Hydro2000 LED lights. I do a lot of seed starting and indoor growing. If you prefer something smaller, I can recommend, Fecida 600 watt grow lights. The most important thing about grow lights is that you want something that's full spectrum. Depending on the area you want to light, aim for 40 watts per square foot.
For more robust growth, be sure to leave the lights on for 18 hours.
Always start with the lights up close to your seedlings. Raise the lights as the plant gets taller.
Soil
I use a combination of compost and potting soil. If it's still too dense, add perlite or vermiculite to loosen the soil.
Water
Water consistently. In the future, I'll water twice a day, every day. Pots, especially fabric pots, dry out quickly.
Have you ever tried growing something indoors? How did it work out?
In other news: Spring seems to have arrived early. I'm cautious though. I moved my citrus outside and started only a few seeds.
I also bought a couple of kiwi vines. It'll be a few years before they produce, but we have the perfect spot for them.
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