As parents, we all want our kids to eat healthy foods; but for many, this can be a challenge with children, especially little ones. Here in Northeastern Pennsylvania, we have such an ideal growing climate for an abundance of fruits and vegetables. Gardens are a wonderful way to engage children in not only learning to grow food, but eating new things as well. Some of the easiest vegetables to grow, and that also often appeal to children, are potatoes. They are simple to plant, interesting to watch grow, and most of all – fun to harvest!
3 steps for growing potatoes at home:
Step 1: Planting
Potatoes grow in full sun from seed potatoes (which are simply potatoes that have been left too long and start growing little things out of them .) Although they look like regular potatoes, avoid using grocery store spuds for your garden and instead purchase from gardening center or catalog. The seed potatoes are placed with the eye (or sprouted part) facing up in a trench about 6 to 8 inches deep, and in rows where plants are placed 24-36 inches apart. You can plant them in a raised bed, a flat garden plot, or even containers! Each seed potato grows one plant that will produce many potatoes.
Step 2: Growing
There are many varieties of potatoes to be planted, and its neat to try several kinds and see how well each crop does. This year, we grew Yukon Gold, Red Gold, and Magic Molly (a purple variety). As the seed potatoes grow, tall, green, leafy stalks form; which later flower and then finally turn brown. When this happens, the potatoes are ready to be harvested. This usually happens for us in mid to late July.
Step 3: Harvesting
To harvest, a large garden fork can be used to gently loosen and lift them up from the bottom of the bed. Children find this the most entertaining part, because the harvest becomes a treasure hunt in the dirt for the hidden potatoes! After they’ve been gathered, they need to be left out for a few days to cure, and then can be stored in a cool, dark place for several months. It’s fun to lay them all out, count how many of each variety you grew, and talk about the colors, shapes, and textures of the vegetables!
Community Gardens
Our local communities offer gardens if you would like to rent land or volunteer your time. The Bloomsburg Community Garden is located on Ferry Road, across from the Municipal Airport, and it costs $10-$20 for small and large plots for the season. The Lewisburg Community Garden is more involved – one half of the land is rented to community members and the other half is cultivated by volunteers who grow organic produce for donations. The Lewisburg Garden utilizes the parcel of land located at the intersection of North Water Street and St. Anthony Street (map).
Enjoying the Potatoes!
Potatoes are a versatile ingredient and they are packed with antioxidants, are naturally gluten free, and both filling and satisfying. Here is a delicious recipe for an herbed potato salad that highlights fresh garden taters as well as herbs that can be grown in the garden alongside them for a real treat. Let kids pick the herbs as well, if you have them, for an added mini cooking lesson!