What a great column! Thank you. I've only ever attempted the avocado
deal, but had no idea you needed 2 trees.
My question is, how long does it take the potatoes and garlic to
grow to a point when they can be "picked" to be eaten?
Also, do you need two citrus trees etc?
In My Garden Blog
Northern California Coastal & Inland Valleys
October 22, 2009
By
Kim Haworth,
San Bruno, CA
Gardening from common produce is a fun way to introduce kids to the joy of growing things.
Pits and Bits
Attention, Gardeners of All Ages! We all love to watch things grow. That's why we became gardeners. Sometimes, as we get older, we focus on the big picture and forget the little things that give us pleasure. I want to share with you a few very easy projects that will not only delight and amaze, but also are a great way to introduce the world of gardening to children. Now don't laugh, because these are very old ideas and yet elegantly simple. They are guaranteed to bring the magic back into even the most challenged gardener among us.
First, make a trip to your local produce market. Yes, that's right, we are going to do the old sweet potato-in-a-glass thing, along with other vegetables that are easy to propagate and grow. Probably, you have all grown a sweet potato in a jar. There is so much energy stored inside that humble tuber that it fairly explodes with growth when exposed to sunlight and water. Toothpicks, a mason jar, and a sweet potato are all you need for this project. Pierce the sweet potato with toothpicks at the mid point so that you can suspend the bottom half in a jar filled with water. Part of the potato should be in contact with water at all times. Place the prepared potato in a sunny window and stand back.
Did you know you can do the same thing with a clove of garlic? Pierce a clove at midpoint with toothpicks, place the pointed end up in a small container filled with water to grow delicious garlic chives on your window sill. The flat bottom portion of the clove should always be in contact with the water.
I presume that we have all tried to grow avocado trees from the silky pit suspended in a glass jar. I have actually eaten avocados from trees grown by a friend that were started in that manner. Remember, you must keep the water in contact with the bottom of the pit at all times, the pointed end goes up, and if you are planning to grow an avocado tree for your garden, keep in mind that it takes two trees to produce fruit. Avocados require a companion pollinator for fruit to form.
The top portion of carrots and pineapples can be trimmed and grown in a shallow container of gravel to create a "forest." The carrots should be whole and not the "bunny bites" or scoured carrots sold in plastic bags. Trim an inch down from the top and place cut side down in a saucer filled with aquarium gravel. Keep the saucer topped off with water and in a few days, the carrots will begin to grow new foliage. Similarly, if you are very lucky you might get a small pineapple to grow from a spiny pineapple top.
Citrus seeds will sprout when planted in fresh, moist potting soil. Cover the pot with a plastic bag to provide humidity and warmth and place in a sunny window. Once the seed germinates, remove the bag to allow air to circulate.
Even the pits from mangos be grown, although I have never tried this myself. The fibrous husk inside the mango protects a large seed that resembles a lima bean. Gently cut away the husk to expose the seed, then plant in the same method as the citrus seeds. There is a light colored "eye" on the seed that should be facing up. Mangos make wonderful indoor plants when provided with ample humidity.
So, even if your green thumb has temporarily turned black, you can still enjoy gardening on a small scale. Plus, you get to enjoy the "fruits" of your labor!
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Comments on Pits and Bits
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We welcome your questions and comments about this column. If you have gardening questions unrelated to the column, please ask them on our message boards.
Patty
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kimmie haworth
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Patty, you can't actually eat the potato, it's just grown for the
rampant foliage. However, if you did want to grow your own, you can
cut the potato into sections that each contain an 'eye' and plant
the sections in the soil or a pot. It's probably too cold to plant
potatoes right now outdoors.
The garlic chives will begin to grow in a couple of weeks, or less.
They really are delicious in a salad or omelet. Don't expect more
than a tablespoon or two of chives from each clove.
Jan Wedge
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I understood that the potatoes from grocery stores are sprayed with
something to keep them from growing. Did I hear wrong? Do you need
to use organic potatoes. I grew potatoes from "purchased potato
seeds" last year. It was really easy. I cut each "seed" so that each
one had an eye and planted them in well enriched soil. If I began to
see a potato on the top, I mounded more soil around the top. After
they had flowered and started to die back, I began to harvest the
potatoes. The little ones are still growing on the top, so dig down
3 inches or so you can feel around to find the big ones and pull
them out. If you accidently pull up a small one use it to thicken a
soup or gravy. I had great fun doing this and plan to more next
year.
kimmie haworth
Seed potatoes are the easiest way to grow your own potatoes. You can
order them from a specialty nursery such as Ronniger's
(www.ronnigers.com). They have more varieties than you could ever
imagine.
There is a special coming to your PBS television station this month
called The Botany of Desire. It addresses the issue of growing giant
mono cultures such as potatoes and the kinds of chemicals it takes
to grow them commercially. After watching this, I think all of the
potatoes in your future will be organic.