Planting potatoes can be a lot of fun. Take a small bag of seed potatoes, spend a morning planting, relax. One of the feature of this campus is the amount of available space for those of us interested in cultivation. Small available plots can be envisioned all across campus. Some are informal spaces waiting for a gardener, others, like the UNA Children’s Garden, are formally designated gardens.
The UNA Children’s Garden was a bottom up initiative begun in 2009. A keen group of gardeners dug up an empty lawn and replaced it with vegetable beds. Every year since an informal group of residents -rather like an anarchist affinity group- meet to talk about what they might do that year. Then, based upon ability and desire of group members, things get planted. Some people like the idea of simply being by a garden. Others bring their children there to play or work. Some have a favourite plant or tree they care for. Every year the outcome is a bit different. Out of the strengths and efforts of the gardeners and garden visitors a garden plan emerges.
Planting Potatoes
Mid-to-late March is the time to plant potatoes. Dig a trench about 4 or 5 inches deep. Place seed potatoes in the trench about a foot apart. Cover and wait. As the potatoes grow mound dirt over them. Soon a sprawling leafy plant will fill the rows and fresh potatoes are not far behind.
Potatoes are a plant for even the most unaccomplished gardener as they are tolerant of just about any kind of treatment expect lack of water.
As rain and hail fell Saturday morning, March 25, 2023, potatoes were planted in the UNA Children’s Garden. First task was to locate a suitable patch of land.
Over the garden’s 14 year history the patch of land running along the southern edge of the garden, against the black metal fence has been the primary potatoes bed. Even during years that no potatoes were planted volunteers (self-seeded potatoes) have popped up. Previous gardeners have planted Indigenous Tlingit potatoes in the patch.
This year a variety called Warba (developed in 1927, St Paul Minnesota) was selected for planting.
Warba potatoes are an early season crop. They are the variety most commonly found as ‘new potatoes’ in BC grocery stores. They are prolific growers best suited for boiling. In our household a favourite seasonal dish involves par boiling fresh potatoes, frying green onions in butter, adding the potatoes, then just cover them with cream, cook until the cream thickens and the potatoes are done.
The planting process is fairly straight forward. Dig a shallow trench (3-5inches deep). Place seen potatoes in trench about a foot apart. Cover. Mark their location so other gardeners know not to disturb. Then wait.
In a few weeks the green shoots of the potatoes plants should start to emerge. As the plants grow gardeners will mound the dirt around the shoots to ensure the growing potatoes are not exposed to the light. Sometime in June or July these potatoes should be ready for harvest.