It is winter at the beginning of the term, time to appreciate the coldest days of the season passing and anticipate the arrival of the next season. When the risk of frost has passed it is a good time to plant potatoes in the garden.
Purchase certified seed potatoes to plant in the garden and wait for them to sprout, something you may have seen happen in your cupboard if you have stored your potatoes too long. This is the beginning of new life.
Plant the potatoes deep in the soil, facing the sprouts up to the sky and cover. The sprouts are the beginning of the stem of the potato plants. From the sprouts, grow long green stems with big green leaves that will fill the garden. Make sure to keep the stems covered with soil or pea straw mulch as they grow, while keeping the leaves exposed, so the new potatoes stay well below the soil. Keep the potatoes from surfacing above the ground, as the sun turns them green and toxic if exposed. The leaves of potatoes and other plants in this solanum plant family are not edible.
Flowers will grow from the plant, white if you have planted white potatoes and purple if you have planted purple potatoes. This is a sign that new potatoes are growing from the stem of the plant underground. The green leaves will start to turn yellow and dry, and it will look like everything is dying, but this is also a sign of magic happening underground, magic of life in the soil. As well as new potatoes growing, many living creatures are in the soil helping to make it healthy, growing healthy potatoes to eat and enjoy!
Living things, the decomposers of our food chain, like worms and slaters are in the soil breaking down dead and decaying matter and returning nutrients to be taken up by the new plants growing in the garden. These organisms are there with countless microorganisms you can not see, helping to create a sustainable future for our food. Look after these living things, being mindful of any harmful ingredients added to the soil to control pests and diseases.
After months of growing, it is time to go on a treasure hunt digging for delicious new potatoes and finding the many living things in the soil that bring life to the garden. Make sure to show your appreciation by respecting their vital role in our environment.
It is the end and the beginning……….
Here is what you need to get growing in winter:
- Book – Gaye the Garden Girl, The potato treasure hunt
- Certified seed potatoes
- Cow manure
- Compost
- Pea straw
- Potato growing bag plus hay to fill with no dig garden method (optional) *
* See Gary the garden guy, to dig or not to dig