3 weeks Ago
Children at a primary school have been helping to grow their own potatoes. The pupils at Manor Green Primary School, in Crawley, took part in the Grow Your Own Chips initiative, organised by Squire’s Garden Centres. The children visited Squire’s Crawley, where they were each given a pot, compost and chitted seed potatoes.
Squire’s plant experts taught the children how to plant and care for the potatoes. The children will gather for a potato weigh-in at Squire’s Crawley in June, where the heaviest crop will be celebrated. The potatoes will then be made into chips.
The child with the heaviest crop will win a Squire's goodie bag. Sarah Squire, chairwoman of Squire’s Garden Centres, said: "Our Grow Your Own Chips initiative is a brilliant way to inspire children to get growing and to show them just how rewarding it can be. "We love welcoming schools to our centres and sharing our passion for gardening.
"It’s all about planting a seed of curiosity. "We hope that the sense of fun and learning they experience will grow into a lifelong interest in nature, food and gardening." More than 150 children from primary schools took part in the initiative, which is part of Squire's programme to support schools and community groups.
The initiative aims to help children learn where food comes from and encourages sustainable habits. There are a few tips to keep in mind when growing potatoes. The pots should be kept in a sunny spot, watered regularly to prevent them drying out, and more compost should be added as the plants grow.
Patience is key, as the real prize lies underground..
