Growing Potatoes
By Becca for Twinas
You
eat them baked, fried and scalloped. In some restaurants, you may eat
them smothered, covered and topped. They are often a staple of
evening meals everywhere, and are the number one vegetable in the
United States. 
Packed with healthy fiber and nutrition, you
could live on potatoes, eaten with the skin, and supplemented with Vitamins
A and D, found in butter (from grass-fed cows).
We are not recommending
you do that, but we do recommend that you grow as many as you can in the home garden.
While
potatoes are a staple of most households, few people grow them. You
should consider this additional crop, as growing your own potatoes is
not complicated.
If you have a garden, you can devote a couple of rows to this cool-season crop. If you do not have a garden, potatoes are adaptable to growth in containers, even large buckets.
While growing your own potatoes will save money, the main reason to start this crop now is for the health of your family.
According
to several sources, potatoes are following in the same direction as corn,
and are the next major victim of the genetically modified (GM) crop
intrusion. (You remember, those plants that can't be killed, even by
Round-up).
Reported by the New York Times in November 2014, the
United States Department of Agriculture has approved a GM
potato
for use in French fries at McDonalds. Other modifications are sure to
follow, so now is the time to start growing, and cooking your own potatoes.
Many Twinas' readers will grow potatoes in the winter. If you do not have to worry about winter freeze in your area, grow them during the coolest time you have. Learn more about growing them in the article "Planting Potatoes in the Home Garden".
If you can, try to save
enough from your harvest for planting the following year and you will
not have to worry about poisoning your family with GM varieties.
Store potatoes in a cool, dry place and the crop can last for an entire year.
About Becca
Becca Badgett is an enthusiastic gardener who enjoys sharing information with others. She is certified as a gardening expert and plant technician while writing how-to and garden articles for several sites online, such as Gardening Know How, Examiner, and Huffington Post. She is co-author of the book “How to Grow an EMERGENCY Garden”.
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Her writing experience includes stints in newspaper and magazine writing. She has worked as Editor on several in-house newsletters, written press releases, and worked as Director of Communications for a non-profit planetarium and nature center.
Find her on Twitter @Becca062 and visit her Facebook page Becca's Blooms for current information and to view her latest gardening articles.
