Photo: Calbee
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Japanese potato chip maker releases potato-growing kits

7 Comments
By SoraNews24

Major snack-maker Calbee has decided to raise awareness of potatoes by selling kits that make it easy for people of all ages to grow their own. Two products that work in tandem to grow potatoes were released by Calbee on Dec 15 to home and garden retailers in the Kyushu area of Japan.

The first is Poroshiri which is also the name of Calbee’s own in-house potato variety that gives them the desired qualities to make their wildly popular chips. One bag of Poroshiri contains two seed potatoes to get your garden started.

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Note that these are “seed potatoes” and not “potato seeds.” Potato plants do produce seeds, but due to pollination their results can be unpredictable.

On the other hand, if you take a potato from one plant and plant it like a seed, then you can get a genetically identical plant that will in turn produce more potatoes with that same Calbee charm.

▼ Seed potatoes

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But to do that you’ll need some fertile soil first, and that’s where Potato Bag comes it. Although it resembles a big bag of Calbee potato chips, picking up this 10-kilo sack will quickly reveal that it’s actually full of coconut peat and palm mulch.

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This soil also contains fertilizer, making it easy to start growing right away inside the bag itself. Potato Bag has drainage holes built in so you simply need to cut open the top and roll down the sides. After that, just plant your seed potatoes, water as necessary, and behold as the miracle of life takes place before your very eyes.

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Even better, all of the substances used inside Potato Bag are 100 percent plant-based, which means it can be safely disposed of in accordance with your local trash collection rules and regulations. These products are being sold through the Protoleaf horticulture soil company and can eventually be found all over Japan when the proper season comes around.

It certainly would make for a fun hobby to try and make some Calbee potato chips, literally from the ground up.

Source: CalbeeCalbee Jagaimo DiaryProtoleafPR Times

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- Snack maker promises its extra-thick, extra-expensive potato chips are extra-delicious

-- A call to arms: 5 Japanese potato chip flavours the west badly needs

-- Strawberry chocolate shrimp chips: For when you want sweets plus seafood and/or are pregnant

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

7 Comments
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GBR48

I forgot to mention poking holes to allow excess water to drain. Definitely more to it than can be put in a comment!

BigYen

I get downvoted for everything I post. Or moderated as off topic or offensive. :)

2 ( +2 / -0 )

A difficulty in growing potatoes in containers is making sure that the compost isn't too wet (spuds rot) or too dry (tiny crops). In general, plants do want to grow and you might be surprised at how well you do.

I'm going to try Sweet Potatoes (which are not related to spuds) in a container next year. If you only have a balcony, there is quite a lot of fruit and veg you can grow like this. There is loads of advice online (add 'forum' or 'blog' to your search terms) and some good amateur YouTube content. Advice can be conflicting. Different things work in different places/micro-climates and there are different ways to get a good crop. Don't be put off if things don't go well. Gardening is all about learning and experimenting. If you can, grow multiple things, so you don't lose everything if one plant expires.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Another method of growing potatoes, use a plastic barrel. 35 gallon size, start with 6 inches of soil and plant the seed potatoes, as the plant grows and branches out, add more soil, leaving just the top exposed, continue until barrel is full, all the time watering and adding fertilizer as needed. You end up with a barrel full of potatoes.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

This is a great idea. If there is a red- or purple-fleshed potato variety that grows well in Japan they might want to offer that as an option.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The McDonald’s executives should be reading this

2 ( +4 / -2 )

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