Did you know that you can sprout potatoes in your classroom? Here’s how:
Ask your students if they have ever seen a potato with a lot of eyes. Let them know that “eyes” are found on a potato that has started to sprout. Bring a sprouted potato in to show, or find an image. If you want to force potatoes to sprout, this is also called “chitting potatoes”, which means encouraging potatoes to start to sprout before planting in the soil.
To chit potatoes and prepare them for garden planting:
Preparation
- Place potatoes in an egg carton or in a box on a sunny windowsill. Eyes will appear, and soon the eyes will sprout. Your chitted seed potatoes will be ready for planting in about 4-6 weeks, when the shoots are around 1 inch in length.
- Aim to plant the potatoes in early to mid-spring, as soon as the soil has warmed up to about 50 degrees. Potatoes can also be planted in a large pot, a bag or in the ground. They can also grow indoors on a sunny windowsill.
Planting & Maintenance
- When you are ready to plant the potatoes, choose a sunny spot (at least 6 hours of sunlight per day). Potatoes prefer well-drained, slightly acidic soil (pH 5.8-6.5). Plant the seed potatoes with the eyes facing up, spacing them about 12 inches apart.
- As the plants grow, add more soil around the base of the stems (called hilling) to encourage more potato growth. If you are using a container, use a 10-15 gallon bucket with drainage holes or a grow bag and add soil as the plants grow, burying the stems.
- Water the plants regularly, especially during flowering and tuber development. Add a layer of mulch (like straw or shredded leaves) to help retain moisture and prevent weeds. The potatoes are ready to harvest when the foliage starts to die back and turn yellow.
