Potatoes go great with many things, but if you don't have a lot of space, you may think you can't grow them yourself. Luckily, a TikToker has a simple trick for growing potatoes with little space.
The scoop
Cara Jones (@cara.annejones) posted a video showing how she grows potatoes in bags. She started with a paper bag and threw in the potatoes for two months. At that point, they had begun growing eyes, so she cut them up around the eyes. She then put a little dirt in a grow bag before placing the potatoes face down with the eyes pointing up.
@cara.annejones Step by step on how to grow potatoes in bags! . . #howtogrowinbags #growbags #gardeninghacks #gardeningtips #howtogrowpotatoes #potatoesfuelperformance #gardeningzone5 #raisedgardenbeds #homestead #homesteading #homesteadingforbeginners #gardeningforbeginners ♬ original sound - Cara Jones
She said, "Eyes to the sky is how I remember it."
Then, cover the potatoes with a bit of dirt and give them a good watering. Every time you see green sprouts, add more dirt to the bag. Once the bag is full, they will start growing large green sprouts. Then Cara said they would start dying.
She added, "You are just going to let them go until they are pretty much dead."
Then dump out the bag, and you'll find your potatoes.
How it's working
The biggest benefit of growing your own food is the money you will save. A $70 investment can give you $600 of produce every year.
You can also choose what you put into your food. According to the U.N. Environment Programme, "Chemicals play a crucial role in farming, with nearly 4 billion tons of pesticides" annually. Additionally, every year, "11,000 people die from the toxic effects of pesticides."
In addition to eliminating unhealthy toxins, gardening also has health benefits. For example, a study from the University of Colorado also found that gardeners eat more fiber and engage in more physical activity. Another study in Singapore found gardening can improve mental health.
What people are saying
TikTokers were pretty excited about how easy this hack was. Some were even eager to try it themselves.
One person said, "I used bags this year too, so easy!"
Another user commented, "I have the grow bags! I'm going to do this this spring!"
A gardener said, "This is super helpful, I've wanted to try this but never took the leap."
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