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
• 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
• 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
• 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