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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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[-] baldingpudenda@lemmy.world 81 points 2 weeks ago

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.

[-] kat_angstrom@lemmy.world 28 points 2 weeks ago

LOL this pic was my inspiration

[-] misterdoctor@lemmy.world 26 points 2 weeks 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

[-] Rainbowblite@lemmy.ca 41 points 2 weeks ago

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.

[-] rockerface@lemm.ee 14 points 2 weeks ago

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

[-] Drusas@fedia.io 12 points 2 weeks ago

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

[-] BreadstickNinja@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

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

[-] grillgamesh@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 weeks ago

mmmm, tasty toxicity, yummy!

[-] remotelove@lemmy.ca 35 points 2 weeks ago

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.

[-] athairmor@lemmy.world 15 points 2 weeks ago

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

[-] YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 6 points 2 weeks ago

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‽

[-] kat_angstrom@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago

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

[-] remotelove@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 weeks ago

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

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[-] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 34 points 2 weeks ago

Congratulations you have discovered agriculture

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

[-] rockerface@lemm.ee 5 points 2 weeks ago

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

[-] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

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

[-] shalafi@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago

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.

[-] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

If you can grow two things it should be potatoes and pumpkins. Just about a complete protein, and they're easy to grow and store for long periods.

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[-] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 20 points 2 weeks ago

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

[-] kat_angstrom@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

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

[-] kSPvhmTOlwvMd7Y7E@lemmy.world 19 points 2 weeks ago

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"? 😂

[-] kat_angstrom@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

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

[-] Kolanaki@pawb.social 14 points 2 weeks ago

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

[-] kat_angstrom@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks 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 :)

[-] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I have a feeling this thing will be too big in a week.

The potatoe part isnt going to get bigger...

It's shriveling up and dying so it's using all its stored energy in a last dying grasp for survival...

You need to fully bury it, or chop off the bits where it grew sprouts and store it like a regular one till you plant it. Neither way is guaranteed, but they're both better chances than exposed like that.

[-] kat_angstrom@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

Ah, appreciate that

So if I bury it in deeper dirt, should be good to go?

[-] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago

Probably.

I mean, you should take the time to Google it if you want it to turn out well.

But in general bury a tuber and it'll grow. It's basically just a root that stores crazy amounts of energy. They all evolved to have that part buried underground.

[-] Diddlydee@feddit.uk 12 points 2 weeks ago

What did you expect? Kittens? A diamond?

[-] kat_angstrom@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago

Omg are kittens an option? :D

[-] nomy@lemmy.zip 6 points 2 weeks ago

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.

[-] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 10 points 2 weeks ago

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.

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[-] barneypiccolo@lemm.ee 9 points 2 weeks 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.

[-] raod_guitar@feddit.org 9 points 2 weeks ago

Life, uh, finds a way.

[-] MunkysUnkEnz0@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks 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.

[-] Sludgehammer@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks 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.

[-] tychosmoose@lemm.ee 5 points 2 weeks 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.

[-] softcat@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 weeks ago

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

[-] LimpRimble@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 weeks ago

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

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[-] pseudo@jlai.lu 3 points 2 weeks ago
[-] FinnFooted@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

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.

[-] kat_angstrom@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

Interesting, thank you!

[-] Azzu@lemm.ee 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

wtf do you mean, you fucking planted it xD of course it growing was your intention, unless you didn't know that plants grow when planted, which I wouldn't believe you even if you said it.

[-] kat_angstrom@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago

I mean, I barely planted it. I just tossed it into some dirt and here we are. I had no Step 2

[-] Azzu@lemm.ee 3 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah, but I mean your intention was still "lol this is so stupid, let's see if this shit will grow", maybe subconsciously or something. But maybe I'm just being autistic and that's just what you wanted to express by "lying" about your intentions, I sometimes forget that's how people communicate.

Sorry in any case, carry on, have fun, love you :)

[-] conditional_soup@lemm.ee 3 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah, potatoes don't give a flying fuck. Literally just drop them on the ground and half ass cover them in straw and they'll grow.

[-] noctivius@lemm.ee 2 points 2 weeks ago

just let it be

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this post was submitted on 02 Apr 2025
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