I like gardening but for an occasional tomato, I never planted any other vegetables or root crops. I’m a flower gardener and I love all kinds of flowers but my favorites are roses. Lately, I’m venturing into new territory. I love learning something new. I’ve been experimenting with container plants. I love “Marguerite”, the sweet potato vine for a spiller in containers.
Last month, I had two baking potatoes that I kept on forgetting to cook and they were getting soft. My son told me that they were getting bad and should be thrown out. I said, “No. I’ll plant them.” I thought I could use them in containers like the sweet potato vine. I thought it has the same growing habit that sweet potato vine has. I could not be more wrong. However, I didn’t have the time to plant them for days. I kept on postponing to do it and then I saw green tiny leaves sprouting from the eyes of the potato. I guessed it was time to do something.
I finally planted them in a shallow container, half in and half out of the soil which had a sedum on it. It was the only container available at the time. Surprisingly, the leaves grew and it really started taking off. It started to grow straight up. It did not look like the sweet potato vine where the leaves start spilling out of the container. I watched it and watered it everyday.
It started to have tiny flowers.
I decided to transfer them in bigger pots. I pulled them out of the shallow pot and I saw a small potato among the roots. “A real potato! A small one but a true potato.” I showed it to my husband and my son. It was about two inches long.
I cooked them and my husband ate it. He said it was delicious.
I transferred the plants into bigger pots hoping I can get more harvest soon. Here they are now in their new home. I planted one with cilantro.
And the other one with thyme.
Until next time. Keep on gardening.
Rosalinda R Morgan 