We will be growing sweet potato plants in the classroom by placing toothpicked sweet potatoes in jars of water in the sunlight. Over the next few weeks, the students will observe as the sweet potatoes form roots in the water and begin to grow upward. The easy starter project will allow the class to discuss plant growth as they monitor the developing sweet potato plants.

1. Potatoes!
Observing growth of a plant

2. Potatoes!
 We are going to be growing
plants in the classroom. Sweet
potatoes are one of the easiest
plants to grow and we will be
observing them as we talk about
how plants grow.

3. These are potatoes

4. Growing potato plants
Growing a sweet potato plant or
vine is an easy starter garden or
classroom project.
We will need 3 things:
 A big clear glass jar.

5. Growing potato plants
We will need 3 things:
 Many toothpicks

6. Growing potato plants
We will need 3 things:
 Potatoes!

7. Growing potato plants
1. Compare the size of your
sweet potato to the size of your
jar to make sure your jar is large
enough.

8. Growing potato plants
2. Push three or four toothpicks
into the side of the sweet
potato. The toothpicks should
be forming a circle around the
middle of the sweet potato.

9. Growing potato plants
3. Place one end of the sweet
potato down into the jar. The
toothpicks should be long
enough to cover the edge of the
jar holding the upper half of the
sweet potato out of the jar.

10. Growing potato plants
4. Fill the jar with water until the
bottom half of the sweet potato
is almost covered by the water.

11. 5. Place the jar in a window so that
it can have access to sunlight as it
is now a growing plant. In about
two to three weeks you will notice
that the little potato buds have
formed roots down into the water.
Be sure to keep adequate water in

12. We will put the plants in a
sunny area and keep track of
how they look every couple
of days!
Let’s make the plants!