Gardener turns sprouted store-bought potatoes into a 10-pound harvest

A gardener turned a few sprouted store-bought potatoes into a surprisingly solid harvest using little more than compost and a cheap bucket.

That modest setup still produced big-time results with an even bigger windfall on the way, as they told the r/gardening subreddit.

Here's what to know

On Reddit, the gardener explained that the planting stock was a batch of grocery-store potatoes that had sprouted. They characterized them as potatoes that "otherwise would have been tossed in the trash."

Using $5 Harbor Freight buckets, they set the potatoes into straight compost in late August, and the first bucket they harvested yielded roughly 1.5-2 pounds. In addition, they had two more buckets plus 7-8 raised-bed plants still going and estimated they could add up to 10 pounds of harvest.

Because nearly all of the potatoes developed around the buried seed piece, with "tons of roots wrapping around the bottom of the bucket" and "hardly anything in the top foot of soil," the grower said they thought the plant was a determinate variety.

For the poster, the trial counted as "a successful experiment." The seed and compost were "free," and the $5 buckets could be used again. Container gardening can appeal to budget-conscious growers. A few potatoes headed for the trash became part of a projected 10-pound harvest, helping cut produce costs.

One commenter replied: "Awesome! Turned one potato into several!"

More background

The post quantified a very small-space gardening experiment. The first bucket's harvest also points to another perk of home gardening beyond cost: freshness.

The grower even had dinner plans. After cleaning the potatoes from that first bucket, they said, "I plan to cook em shortly," noting that they'd mash the smaller ones and turn the larger ones into wedges, fries, or potato salad.

For many gardeners, freshly picked produce feels more rewarding than store-bought produce.

The comments also turned into a mini troubleshooting session. One commenter, describing pantry potatoes growing in bags, wrote: "Great growth so far, hopefully the same is going on underneath."

Another said their own 5-gallon bucket yields were "pretty close to that with like 3 seed potatoes in each."

The back-and-forth offered practical comparisons, and the hands-on work involved in planting, checking vines, and harvesting can support physical activity and mental well-being.

What can be done?

What made the Reddit experiment easy to copy was how basic the materials were: store-bought sprouted potatoes, straight compost, and 5-gallon buckets you can reuse.

If you're interested in growing your own food, this low-cost experiment can help you start small.

Instead of betting everything on one pot, the gardener had other plants going too. A side-by-side approach lets gardeners compare what works best in their space.

The comments also offered one practical post-harvest reminder. After seeing the cleaned potatoes, one commenter said, "Just a heads up, since it looks like you washed them, you should probably use them soon."

If they repeat the trial, the original poster said they would switch to actual seed potatoes and plant earlier so the crop has time to mature fully, which could improve the yield.

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