From the Ground Up: Grow some common foods inside this winter

Winter in Iowa is long, cold and boring. But it's a good time to have some fun growing common foods as houseplants (especially with children.)

Start with a sweet potato, it might even bloom with light purple flowers down the road. Sweet potatoes are in the morning glory family and grow lovely vines. In a Mason jar, suspend the sweet potato (using four toothpicks) so that the bottom of the potato (pointed end) is underwater. Place it in a sunny window and change or add water as needed. Within a few days, you should see roots starting to form below the water. A few weeks later you should have some stems and leaves sprouting from the top. After a month or so transplant into potting mix being careful not to break the stems. As the vine grows, cut back to encourage full, bushy growth.

Next up, a pineapple. Cut the top off a fresh pineapple about 1 inch below the top leaves. Trim away the outer skin but leave the core. Let the pineapple top dry for a few days on your counter to discourage rotting. Then place the pineapple top in perlite or vermiculite up to the base of the leaves. Water from the bottom, keeping moist but not wet. Place in bright, indirect light and within 6 to 8 weeks you should have roots. Once you see roots, replant in well-draining potting mix. Water regularly, using a soluble houseplant fertilizer once or twice a month in spring. The pineapple plant can go outdoors in the summer, but you probably won't get pineapples. It's just for fun.

Then there's the avocado. Remove the big center seed wash with water. Using toothpicks about halfway up the seed, suspend it over a glass of water, making sure about one-fourth of the seed (the large part) is resting in the water, adding water as needed. Within a few weeks you should see sprouts from the seed. Roots should form first, then the stem will show up second. If it doesn't sprout within two months throw it out and try another one. Once a good root system is established you can move the avocado plant to an 8-inch pot with potting soil and keep in a bright location. Water regularly, fertilize once or twice a month is spring and summer and pinch back after it reaches about 12 inches to encourage branching.

If you don't want Mason jars with fruit and vegetables on your counter, save a couple seeds from your grapefruit, orange or lemon and stick them in a pot containing potting soil, planting them about 1-inch deep. Keep the soil moist and the seeds will germinate anywhere between two to eight weeks. Citrus will grow into huge plants that look lovely but most likely won't produce more fruit.

'For gardening questions, call the Linn County Extension Master Gardener Hotline at (319) 447-0647.