why is my red potato growing in the dark?

Question

well, think of it like "potato bonsai". im doing a science project and i had expected to get some floiage off of the ones growin in the closet, but theyre coming out albino. the ones in the window are begining to leaf. im trying to find the real reason they are behaving this way.

Answer 1

what exactly is your question?
Your potato is growing in the dark because it is what potatoes do if you give them time and water/moisture. If potatoes wouldn't do that there wouldn't be any potatoes around, they would have long ago gone extinct.
It is albino because light is needed to induce the syntesis of chlorophyll. It will also grow taller and only have tiny leaf-like structures because under normal circumstances a growing potato experiences permanent darkness is under the ground in the soil. It's only way to develop into a normal potato plant is grow like crazy upwards so it gets out of the ground and gets some sunlight. It is pointless to put energy at this stage in developing leaves.
If you never give it light it will grow until all the energy stored in the potato is used up and then it dies.

Answer 2

Think about this...potatos grow under ground...is there light there?
They are using the stored food source to supply them energy needed to grow. Eventually the store energy will become depleted and the plant will need sunlight for photosynthesis to contiue growing or it will die.

The "albino" potato, in the dark, simply hasn't been exposed to light for the chlorophyll to be activated. Once exsposed it will become green.

Answer 3

Are u growing in shade or complete darkness.In both cases it is not good for the plant .Potato stores carbohydrates .Plant can make carbohydrates only in the presence of sunlight.May be u r thinking it is growing,physical growth is nothing to do with the plants capacity to store food in stem ,root, or seed

Answer 4

Maybe it is shy...that's why it appears red in light.