Sprouting sweet potatoes

A strong foundation in science learning is rooted in making observations, questioning, and exploring. Growing things, like sweet potatoes, will naturally lead you to many opportunities to exercise these skills.

Reward: Shake Up Bronze!

  • Clear container
  • Water
  • Toothpicks
  • Knife
  • Potato
  • Sunlight

 

You’re not going to believe how easy to grow these potato sprouts are.



First, use your knife to chop the potato in half.

Next, fill the clear container with water. The clear container will allow you to observe the growth of the roots. 

Then, insert 4 toothpicks into the middle of your potato half. You will want to position your toothpicks so that 1-2 inches of the cut portion of the sweet potato is submerged in water when placed in your container. The toothpicks will hold your potato upright in the container and allow water to circulate under the bottom.

Be sure to check your water levels and add more water when necessary. 

When the bottom, cut portion of the sweet potato is partially covered with water and the upper portion is exposed to air and sunlight, roots will begin to grow from the bottom and stems from the top.

Place your potato in a location (ideally a sunny window) where it can receive sunlight. I have sprouted sweet potatoes in areas that received limited, indirect sunlight before with success so don’t worry too much about how much sunlight you need.

Unlike other kitchen scraps such as lettuce, potatoes do not sprout quickly. Patience grasshopper!

Fuente:  Pre-K Pages