{Grow Your Own Potatoes} With Laura Watts of Cubit's Organics

Meet Laura Watts, The Face Behind Cubit's 

Hello New and Returning Readers! I am thrilled to share with you today a guest post from fellow blogger Laura Watts.  Laura is the face behind Cubit's, an etsy shop that sells rare, heirloom and organic seeds while blogging about gardening, local food and natural parenting over at www.CubitsOrganics.com Here's a great video featuring Laura and her helper Rebecca as they demonstrate their commitment to growing their own and eating local:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vw1Nz0mYSs

Today Laura is going to share with you her creative methods of growing a garden in just about anything! 

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Potatoes are absolutely one of the easiest things to grow and you can plant them in just about anything.




For years we grew them in a series of old garbage cans that we had drilled holes in and even in a big flower pot in our old kitchen.

Then we moved on to growing a clawfoot bathtub full of potatoes which I somehow don't have a photo of.  This year its full of beans and greens.

This year I’m reusing some grow bags that were given to us and I have them growing in a completely neglected space.  It’s the retaining wall of our front yard and neighbours parking space.  There are some hanging and some just tucked behind my bicycle.

 So to plant potatoes first you’ll need some seed potatoes.  You can either buy these specially or use ones from the grocery store that have grown eyes.  Its best to go organic as some grocery store potatoes have been treated so they wont grow eyes, but really most will work especially if you gently wash them. Be careful not to scrub off those eyes, that’s where the shoots are going to grow.




This year we're planting a combination of organic heirloom seed potatoes including Russian Blues and Purples as well as Rose Finn Apple fingerlings and a bag of organic red potatoes that sprouted on us by accident.

 You can either plant the whole potato or cut them up.  It’s a matter of personal preference.  I cut mine in half, making sure there is at least one eye per piece and then leave them in a dark spot for the cut to heal over night.

 Potatoes need about 6 hours of sun a day. I have normally tucked them away somewhere sort of cool and find they fill a less than perfect corner of the garden. These ones are in a planter in front of the composter.

As they grow, you will add more soil, maybe every two weeks I add a shovel full or so.




After anywhere from 2-4 months the leaves will turn brown and die.  That’s how you know its time to harvest! Use your hands if possible as a trowel can really wreck the tender new potatoes. I have just dumped the entire pot over on the patio in the past.  Quick and dirty.




Planting, growing and harvesting potatoes are all excellent activities for kids.  You really can’t mess it up and digging for them at the end of the season is like a little treasury hunt. Also I haven't met a kid that wont eat a potato so its an excellent activity to show where our food comes from.

GIVEAWAY!!!

 Now a little give away.  Use the comments to tell us your favourite food to grow in a container for a chance to win a copy of Lara Lucretia’s An Illustrated Guide to Growing Food on your Balcony along with three packs of carrot, dill and leek seeds from Cubit's. This combo perfectly demonstrates companion planting with potatoes in that if they taste good together, they probably grow well together (ie potato leek pizza).

step by step recap
Find a large container with good drainage.
Prepare your seed potatoes.
Plant your potatoes in well draining soil.
Ongoing water and basic care.
Add more soil.
Harvest!
Eat!

So, what’s your favourite food to grow in a container? make sure to leave your email or twitter handle so we can contact you.

Giveaway is Closed

Winner will be chosen by random on June 30th, 2011 and will have 48 hours to respond with mailing address.


The Winner is Jessica of http://thegoodlittlelife.blogspot.com/! Congratulations!

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