The Real Fruit -- Definitely Eat Them

 

We've been having some good luck growing potatoes in containers this past year. This is the take from two half- wine barrels in the front yard this morning.

They are so pretty, and finding them in the dirt is better than a childhood Easter egg hunt.

If someone says to you, you have to buy seed potatoes to grow potatoes, they are wrong. If you want a special variety, then yes. But all our planted potatoes are from bagged ones from the grocery store. Wash them before you use them, and maybe some of them will sprout.

It sounds funny, but getting potatoes to sprout is called "chitting." We have a chitting tray on the windowsill in the living room that gets just enough light to encourage the dark red chits, or sprouts from the eyes. 

In the pots, we dig holes, and put the taters in the bottom of the holes. Cover them with a little dirt, and as the chits become green leaves, tuck a little more dirt around the stems. 100 days later, potater!