Third/Fourth Plant Out Their Potatoes

Third/Fourth Class are continuing their investigation of potatoes ahead of the ESB Science Blast in Mary Immaculate College next month.

Fourth class will be exhibiting the results of their project into ‘Which Spud Cooks the Best’ at the ESB Science Blast in May but Third/Fourth class have extended this study to include growing some potatoes to help better understand how potatoes find their way to the dinner table.

March 21st

We watched a video to learn how to plant spuds. It said spuds came from South America originally. It said to plant a seed potato. It said the seed potato should be planted in a drill. We got seed spuds but we can’t plant them yet. We need to dig the vegetable plot up and leave the seed potatoes in a dry, cool place. We put them in an egg carton. When they grow we will cook them! Christian

28th March

We prepared our vegetable garden for sowing our potatoes. We loosened up the ground using a shovel and fork. We removed the weeds and stones as best we could. We added farmyard manure to the soil. When the manure is mixed up with the soil it will add nutrients and will condition the soil. It will help produce more potatoes. Sinéad

April 11th

Today we planted 9 Maris Piper spuds in the garden. We made 3 drills of spuds, whcih were about 40 – 50cm apart. Then we watered all the drills and flattened the soil with the fork. David Mul.