From Sprout to Spud: The Life Cycle of a Potato
Have you ever wondered how a potato grows? It doesn’ t start with a tiny seed like corn or carrots— it starts with another potato!
Most potatoes begin their journey as seed potatoes. These are small potatoes or potato pieces that have little buds called“ eyes.” Each eye has the power to grow a whole new plant! When spring arrives— usually in April or May in Colorado— farmers plant seed potatoes in the soil. The eyes begin to sprout, sending roots down into the ground and stems upward toward the sun.
As the plant grows, it develops five main parts that each have an important job:
• Leaves grow at the top of the plant. They are green and flat and help the plant collect sunlight. The leaves use light, water, and carbon dioxide to make food through a process called photosynthesis.
• Stems hold the plant upright and carry water and nutrients between the leaves and the underground parts of the plant.
• Flowers bloom near the top of the plant. They are usually white or purple and show that the plant is growing well. Sometimes the flowers turn into small green fruits that look like tiny tomatoes, but these are not edible.
• Roots grow deep into the soil. They take in water and nutrients that help the plant grow healthy and strong.
• Tubers grow underground at the ends of special stems called stolons. These tubers are the part of the plant we eat— and they’ re full of nutrients! Potatoes are a type of tuber, and they grow bigger as the plant stores food and energy inside them.
This kind of growth is called asexual reproduction, which means a new plant grows from a part of another plant— not from a seed. That’ s why seed potatoes are so important!
After about 90 to 120 days, the potato plant starts to change. The leaves and stem begin to turn yellow and wilt. This is a sign that the tubers underground are ready to harvest. In Colorado, this usually happens around September or October.
Farmers use special machines to gently dig the potatoes out of the ground. Then they sort and store them in cool, dark places. In storage, potatoes enter a rest period called dormancy, which helps them stay fresh for many months.
Some potatoes are shipped to grocery stores or made into fries, chips, or soup. Others are saved to become seed potatoes for next year— starting the potato life cycle all over again!
Check out the diagram below to see each stage of the potato life cycle.
Potato Life Cycle Diagram
2- COLORADO AGRICULTURE IN THE CLASSROOM