SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — The Greenhouse Project and Penn State Master Gardeners hosted a potato-growing workshop in Scranton, Monday evening as part of a D.I.Y. Home Garden series. The class walked residents through how to grow potatoes at home, from choosing seed potatoes to harvesting and storing them.
The partnership pairs The Greenhouse Project’s gardening and wellness education with Penn State Extension’s Master Gardener program, which trains volunteers to share research-based horticulture advice with the public.
For $10, participants learned the basics of starting a potato crop, including choosing and prepping seed potatoes, soil preparation, planting methods and tips on caring for plants through harvest.
Gary White, a master gardener with Penn State in Lackawanna County, said the class emphasized that potatoes can fit a range of home gardens, including container growing for people short on space.
“Potatoes are one of the most forgiving vegetables we have. They’re probably one of the easier vegetables to grow. You can grow them in containers, or you can grow them in the ground. They’re basically self-sufficient. If you prepare the soil and the medium they’re grown in well enough, you will get production from them,” said White.
The workshop also covered soil preparation, common plant diseases and basic upkeep, including watering and weeding, along with planting options such as in-ground furrows, raised beds and grow bags.
Jane Risse, director and manager of The Greenhouse Project, said the potato class was one of several sessions the organization planned with Penn State Master Gardeners to help people learn to produce food at home, and that Monday’s workshop drew a full house.
“These are old, time-tested skills, to be a backyard gardener and grow your own food. We’ve found that people have lost those skills over the years, through generations of just buying products. So we’re trying to get people to go back to the earth. You really can grow a lot of things in our climate, like tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. You can also grow in containers, which is nice on your deck, so you don’t even have to have a big garden,” said Risse.
The D.I.Y. Home Garden series will continue with additional workshops. The next class, on May 14, will focus on growing strawberries featuring Penn State Master Gardeners. For more information on upcoming events, visit The Greenhouse Project’s website.
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