Is this true? If you put a potato into a jar of water...

[LostInAnomie]

... and sit it in sunlight, no soil or chemicals, it will sprout into a plant?

How would that work?

[redqueen]

1. Photosynthesis?

[rcrush]

2. lol

[LostInAnomie]

5. I wouldn't think it would be photosynthesis.

I just talking about a basic potato. The kind that is planted under soil and usually has no access to light. I wouldn't think they would have many photosynthetic cells if any.

How would they get nutrients from plain water?

[redqueen]

8. They don't really need them at first.

They will after the leaves start to form I'd think... but all a plant needs to get energy is water and sunlight and carbon dioxide.

I bet they do have thylakoids... I wonder though. Hm.



Edit: Yep I looked and a potato is really a branch, and there are photosynthetic cells in branches. Not the primary place for photosynthesis to take place but there are some there anyway.

[DS1]

3. I'd have them sprout in the kitchen cabinet with no light at all

[ghostsofgiants]

9. Yep, leave 'em long enough and they'll do that.

[rcrush]

4. A baby will sprout from the potato.

Then you will have to take care of it.

[DS1]

7. that's why they invented skewers

[HopeHoops]

11. I thought that was the cabbage patch!

:shrug:

[HopeHoops]

6. If you get it from a grocery store, it probably has growth retarding additives.

The ones I grow myself like to sprout around February - in the dark. They don't NEED water - it is what the thing is mostly made of.

I grew blue potatoes last year and am putting them in again this year - we still have some from last season that are edible and we consumed them all winter.

[CreekDog]

10. isn't that what roots do?

although they don't need light to do it. :D

[Maine-ah]

12. n/t

http://science.preschoolrock.com/index.php/Preschool_Botany/how_to_grow_a_sweet_potato_plant_growing_a_sweet_potato_plant_with_your_preschooler