Garden Chat

By Carmon Frick

Sprouts Greenhouse

The lowly potato; There is probably not a vegetable that is more common to most of us. Also probably not another vegetable that is more versatile in the kitchen either. But despite that, it is something most of us don’t really think much about. We don’t really wonder where they came from, or what different varieties there are beyond either red or white. 

In spite of this, the potatoes history is really quite rich, and we will start with the Inca people and their ancestors. The Incas grew reds, pinks, purples, yellows, oranges, all manner of skinnies & fatties, smooth skinned, russets, short season, long season, drought tolerant, and water loving, sweet tubers, bitter ones, starchy and buttery in texture, some three thousand varieties in all. This amazing diversity is due partly to their desire for variety, their flare for experimentation, and partly to the intricacy of their agriculture.

Because of the steep slopes they contended with in the Andes, growing a monoculture, or one type of potato was impossible, because of the many diverse microclimates created at different altitudes, and various exposures to sun and wind on these slopes.

Instead of trying to change their environment to suit one variety, they developed many types to adapt to the diverse environments they contended with. Since there were still native potatoes growing wild, beyond their cultivated gardens, they regularly crossed pollinated with their chosen varieties, providing a diverse gene pool, and new hybrids. This diversity, guaranteed survival no matter what the environment threw at them. If weather, disease or pests wiped out one variety, another would prosper.

This genetic diversity cultivated by the Incas was an extraordinary agricultural achievement, and a true gift to the rest of the world.

We can look to the opposite situation, which occurred in Ireland that ended in disaster. Only one variety was grown across the country, creating a monoculture, and when disease struck the plant, it wiped out the entire crop, and the people, who had come to depend on this lowly vegetable for survival, starved. A situation of putting all your eggs in one basket with an extreme result.

So in summary, it is a lesson all of us can learn from as we strive to create diversity in our own gardens.  Not just when it comes to potato, but everything we grow. So be sure you come to the greenhouse early to get your chance to try some Banana fingerling or French fingerling potatoes in your garden, and enjoy some diverse flavors. You may just feel like you never really tasted a real potato before.