kids grow potatoes
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kids grow potatoes

Growing potatoes with kids

It's really easy to grow potatoes in bags or containers, and you don't need a big garden or lots of tools to do it. Follow these simple instructions with your children or pupils. You'll soon have a bag or container brimming with tasty spuds! There's a downloadable guide at the bottom of the page you can print out with loads more information on growing your own potatoes.

What you'll need:

  • • Seed potatoes (also called tubers)
  • • Several 8 litre potato bags or containers
  • • Multipurpose compost

Step 1: Get your seed potatoes ready

chitting potatoesChitting potatoes
Image: D. Pimborough/ shutterstock
  • • Put your seed potatoes in an empty egg box on a sunny windowsill.
  • • Soon little shoots will appear at one end. This end is called the rose.
  • • When the shoots are about 2.5cm long, the seed potatoes are ready to plant.

Step 2: Plant them up

potatoes growing in bagsPotatoes growing in bags
Image: Steven Paul Pepper/ shutterstock
  • • Fill your potato bag or container with compost.
  • • Carefully push one seed potato down into the compost with the rose end facing upwards. It will need to be at least 15cm deep.
  • • Gently cover the seed potato with compost and give it some water.
  • • Move your bag or container to a warm place where you can keep an eye on it.

Step 3: Look after your crop

harvesting potatoes from containerHarvesting potatoes
Image: GrowVeg/ YouTube
  • • Water regularly - don't let the soil get too dry.
  • • Make sure that the potatoes are always covered by soil as they grow.
  • • When flowers appear, or the leaves start to turn yellow, your potatoes are ready.
  • • Tip the container out and find your spuds!

Suggested varieties:

There's plenty more information in the downloadable guide. Print it out for more detailed instructions and even more handy potato facts!

  Click the image to download the full pdf guide  
 
growing potatoes with kids pdf
 

Banner image: Titus Group/ Shutterstock

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