It feels like grocery prices are always on the rise, but one helpful home gardener has a great tip for getting a seemingly endless supply of sweet potatoes.
The scoop
Anh Lin (@girlandtheword) shares content about her family, home, and garden on her Instagram page.
In one clip, she showed followers how you can create an entire garden from a single grocery store sweet potato. To give this hack a try, all you will need is a container for water and a little patience.
To get started, pop an organic sweet potato into a cup of water, pointy side down, and place it in a sunny window. In six weeks, it will begin to sprout.
You can then take the sprouts (called slips) off the potato and plant them in the ground. Each sprout should become its own sweet potato plant, so if you repeat this method, you'll have an endless crop of sweet potatoes in your home garden. And if space is limited, you can even grow potatoes in bags or pots.
How it's helping
Growing fruits and veggies at home offers numerous benefits. Home and community gardening has become increasingly popular, with many inspired to cultivate their green thumbs during COVID-19 lockdowns.
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Home gardeners are able to get outside more, leading to increased physical activity and a healthier lifestyle.
On a personal level, it can reduce stress and help improve your diet year-round. According to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Health and Public Research, the moderate activity of gardening can help with sleep, brain function, and stress reduction and "might reduce the risk of dementia by 36% in people over 60 years of age."
The American Diabetes Association reported that growing your own crops has helped gardeners be more active and eat more fiber. The ADA explains that "a high fiber diet has been shown to lower the risk of certain cancers, diabetes, and heart disease."
Hacks like this can also be done with a ton of other plants, like garlic or strawberries. Some savvy growers have grown vegetables in small containers or right on the counter. Growing vegetables at home is also an excellent way to reduce trips to the store and keep more money in your wallet.
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Every day 🥗 What everyone's saying
Anh's followers "love this idea," and some even have their own sweet potato hacks to add.
One person noted that "sweet potato leaves can be eaten cooked like other leafy greens, and are often stir-fried, steamed, or added to soups and curried."
Several commenters asked how long it takes for the crop to grow, to which Anh replied, "About 4 months from the time of planting to harvest!"
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