How to Grow a Potato Using Toothpicks and a Cup

While you may be accustomed to growing plants from seeds or transplants, it is possible to propagate plants using alternative methods. In some instances, you can grow a completely new plant by using a whole fruit or vegetable or just a portion of it. Such is the case with potatoes. Potato plants produce attractive green foliage that rivals that of some houseplants. Growing your own potato requires little more than a cup and some toothpicks.

White potato
Clear cup, 8-oz.
Toothpicks
Water
Windowsill or other warm, sunny, stable location
Sharp scissors

Instructions

- 1
  Open a bag of white potatoes. Choose a potato that fits comfortably into an 8-oz. clear cup.
- 2
  Press two toothpicks into one side of the potato. Stick two more toothpicks into the opposite side.
- 3
  Insert the potato into the cup, resting the toothpicks on the upper rim. The toothpicks allow the potato to remain suspended in the cup without falling to the bottom.
- 4
  Add just enough water to the cup to cover the bottom half of the potato. Set the cup in a warm and sunny location such as a windowsill. Roots and shoots begin to develop within the first 10 days.
- 5
  Snip off most of the shoots, using sharp scissors. Allow only two or three shoots to continue to grow. Maintain the water level in the cup at all times as the remaining shoots continue to grow.

Common Pests of the Aglaonema Modestum

What Are the Causes of Bud Drop in a Goldfish Plant?

Indoor Growing