A little potato here, a little potato there.

In my search to discover new things and ways to grow food I ran across this method!  I thought “PERFECT!”  I have issues with growing potatoes.  I realize they are supposed to be easy, forgiving and most of all, bountiful but I have hang-ups.  For one I worry about the kids eating them.  I shouldn’t worry really because they know exactly what they can and can’t eat!  They don’t go gobbling magnolias and whatnot – chives and nasturtium on the other hand never last long at my house.  They know more today than I did a year ago. 
My daughter can walk through a nursery and point out random leaves and tell you what it is.  She pointed out asparagus root the other day!  I’m awed by her.

SO – I’m growing potatoes.  I ran across this method and am very excited to share!!

SUPPLIES

Firstly I called the local coffee roaster in town whom I know carries many many different organic beans, they surely would have sacks that did not have formaldehyde dripping from them as burlap often does.  One good sniff says they are perfect.  Cost: $0

{ Side note:  I bring up the formaldehyde because when I first discovered this project I ran to a local nursery to pick up some burlap sacks.  On the ride home I was overwhelmingly wrought with a headache the size of Mt. Vesuvius and couldn’t roll the windows down enough.  The smell lingered in my car until the next day when I put them back in the car to return them to the nursery. The first thing my daughter said as she got in the car was, “What’s so stinky!!”  Talk about bad news.  I couldn’t possibly grow food I was going to ingest and pass on to my children in something so poisonous!  And yet it made me wonder – what of all the other foods/purchases that I make that I’ve no idea the history? 

The gal at the nursery was bewildered when I returned them and couldn’t figure out why they smelled so bad.  She held up one bag, “Beans, it say’s beans!  Could beans been in a bag soaked in formaldehyde?” Even burlap you buy at Joanne’s has formaldehyde on it.  I explained that it held the fibers together for mulching and protecting root balls.  She then told me she’d take them to the CLEANERS, she didn’t want them in her washer.  I mentioned trying baking soda and vinegar (maybe for flowers??) but she didn’t hear me… 

Jennifer was the miracle that mentioned the coffee bean bags – Thank you Jennifer!!

I mention this not at all to criticize the nursery gal, it’s a great place with wonderful choices, locally owned and the ladies are all super friendly.  I mention this only to point out that just because something somewhere looks like a great idea, it’s not always picture perfect.  You have to keep thinking, keep investigating, keep wondering and if the answer isn’t all that great you have to be open to going on to round two.  People that you think should be informed aren’t always – I had the manager?owner? of the local feed store direct me first and foremost to purchase medicated chick feed for my chick that seemed weak.  Sorry.  I’d rather let it die.  (Which it didn’t – it turned out just fine.) End side note}

BACK ON TRACK

I picked up a lunch sack sized bag of growing potatoes and cut these into 2 or 3 pieces each. Cost: $2.50

Finally I accidentally bought a bag of organic amendment instead of more soil so I added it to the soil I had. Cost: $9.00 (if I’d bought organic growing soil instead, it would have been $8.00)

INSTRUCTIONS

Roll down the bag sides.  Put in some dirt. Put in 4-6 potato pieces. Bury them. Water. Add dirt as plant grows to give enough room. Harvest. Eat. 
At least that’s my plan :)

I’m really encouraging of others that don’t have a ton of room, maybe even just an apartment balcony to grow what you can and this should work perfectly!  All for the startup cost of $11.50.  I’ll need to buy a couple more bags of soil if we don’t have bulk on hand at the time but still… not too shabby!! Much love, happy growing and do let me know if you try this!