Objective

By the end of this lesson, the student will understand how to harvest potatoes, including the best time to harvest, how to dig them up safely, and how to store them for later use.

Materials and Prep

• Garden space or a container with soil (if planting is not possible, use store-bought potatoes)
• Hand trowel or small shovel
• Bucket or basket for collecting potatoes
• Gardening gloves (optional)
• Water for cleaning potatoes

Before the lesson, make sure the garden space is ready or have a few store-bought potatoes on hand. If planting, it would be helpful to have planted the potatoes a few months prior to allow them to grow.

Activities

• Potato Planting

  If you haven't already planted potatoes, start by planting a few seed potatoes in the soil. Explain how potatoes grow underground and how they need time to develop before harvesting.

• Harvesting Time

  Once the potatoes are ready, take the hand trowel and start digging around the potato plants. Show the student how to be gentle to avoid damaging the potatoes.

• Cleaning Potatoes

  After harvesting, rinse the potatoes in water to remove dirt. Discuss why it’s important to clean them before cooking or storing.

• Potato Storage

  Teach the student how to store potatoes in a cool, dark place. Discuss why they shouldn’t be kept in the fridge and how to check for bad potatoes.

Talking Points

• "Did you know that potatoes grow underground? They are like treasure waiting to be found!"
• "When is the best time to harvest potatoes? It’s usually when the leaves start to turn yellow!"
• "Let’s be careful when we dig. We don’t want to hurt our potatoes!"
• "After we harvest, we need to wash our potatoes. Can you guess why? Because we want them clean before we eat!"
• "Where should we store our potatoes? Not in the fridge! They like it cool and dark."
• "What do you think happens if we leave a bad potato with the good ones? It can make the others go bad too!"
• "Potatoes are super yummy! How do you like to eat them? Mashed, baked, or fried?"