Whether you like them mashed, roasted, fried, or baked, potatoes are a staple in many people's diets and are one of the world's most popular vegetables.Â
You'll find countless varieties at grocery stores, from Yukon gold to fingerling, but growing them at home is a lot more rewarding (and cheaper!).
Instagrammer Jess Gough (@happy_smallholding) shared how "earthing up" can net you a bigger harvest.Â
The scoop
As Jess explained in the caption on her video, "Earthing up is the practice of covering potato plants with earth as they grow."Â
She said that the extra soil protects them from the elements and prevents them from turning green or toxic because of sun exposure.
Best of all, earthing up boosts the growth of potato plants, as the underground stems produce more potatoes.
"Potato plants are ready to be earthed up when they're about 10 centimeters tall," Jess says.
You can grow them in two different ways using this technique.
If you're growing the potatoes in a container, fill it with soil until the plants are completely covered. Keep adding soil over the next several weeks until the container is full.
"If you're growing the potatoes in the ground, you can either pull the surrounding earth up around the plant to cover it, or you can add more compost on top to cover the plant," Jess explains.
You should repeat the process until the mound you create around the potato plants is about 30 centimeters high.
How it's helping
While earthing up takes some time and elbow grease, it saves you time in the long run because you won't have to buy potatoes at the store. Plus, it's hard to beat the financial benefits of growing your own food, especially when you can get more crops out of the deal.Â
According to the United States Department of Agriculture's most recent retail report, russet potatoes cost just over $1 per pound. If you grow 50 pounds of spuds, that's $50 more in your pocket.
In addition to the money-saving rewards of gardening, your mind and body will get a pick-me-up from the connection to nature (and perhaps others if you have helpers) and the additional fiber in the fruits and vegetables you grow.
Plus, being able to pick food in your backyard means it will be fresher and likely taste better than store-bought produce.
Mother Earth will also thank you for your efforts since you'll help reduce the environmental pressure of growing and transporting commercially grown, globally shipped foods. For instance, if you grow 300 pounds of food per year, you'll slash your pollution footprint by 50 pounds.
What everyone's saying
Commenters were looking forward to having their own homegrown taters.
"I've never grown potatoes before, but I'm excited to see what happens," one person said.
"It's so much fun digging them out [of] the ground when they are ready," Jess replied.
Another shared, "I've done well with red potatoes. This year, I've challenged myself with purple ones."
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