TPS- a silly question

**Tom Wagner** · January 11, 2010

I use to store my potatoes in fairly sophisticated cold storage units. A few years ago I would store each year about 100,000 lbs. of my potatoes in a 2 million dollar storage. Yes, that is 100 half bins each weighing in at 1,000 lbs. each. Threw most of the potatoes away each spring.

In California I stored my potatoes just above freezing for up to two years. I was able to discover great keeping abilities in certain clones that way. Not that one needs to keep potatoes realistically that long, but boy, did that research help me breed for that effort!

California was a fun place to plant potatoes. I had four seasons!
!. Plant in Bakersfield Feb, dig June July
2 Plant in Tehachapi May, dig Sept/Oct
3 Plant Indio (Coachella Valley) Nov, dig May
4 Plant Cuyama Valley April dig Aug
5 plant Bakersfield Aug dig Nov/Dec
6. Plant Santa Maria Mar, dig July
7. Many other sites

The nice thing about so many seasons is that I was able to get two crops per season and I was always either planting, crossing, or digging.
Although I had great cold storage, I could juggle what I planted, when and where.

Most recently, since I am just barely scraping by on my research, I use my garage, others garages, cellars, outbuildings, or in the ground.

I have first year seedling potato plants growing in 1 inch cubes and those potatoes are near harvest. I will store in the garage and plant in April. I like to have only 3-4 months post harvest for seedling tubers otherwise if my storage is not cool enough I do suffer from excessive sprouting.

Tom Wagner

January 11, 2010	#16
Tom Wagner Crosstalk™ Forum Moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: 8407 18th Ave West 7-203 Everett, Washington 98204 Posts: 1,157	I use to store my potatoes in fairly sophisticated cold storage units. A few years ago I would store each year about 100,000 lbs. of my potatoes in a 2 million dollar storage. Yes, that is 100 half bins each weighing in at 1,000 lbs. each. Threw most of the potatoes away each spring. In California I stored my potatoes just above freezing for up to two years. I was able to discover great keeping abilities in certain clones that way. Not that one needs to keep potatoes realistically that long, but boy, did that research help me breed for that effort! California was a fun place to plant potatoes. I had four seasons! !. Plant in Bakersfield Feb, dig June July 2 Plant in Tehachapi May, dig Sept/Oct 3 Plant Indio (Coachella Valley) Nov, dig May 4 Plant Cuyama Valley April dig Aug 5 plant Bakersfield Aug dig Nov/Dec 6. Plant Santa Maria Mar, dig July 7. Many other sites The nice thing about so many seasons is that I was able to get two crops per season and I was always either planting, crossing, or digging. Although I had great cold storage, I could juggle what I planted, when and where. Most recently, since I am just barely scraping by on my research, I use my garage, others garages, cellars, outbuildings, or in the ground. I have first year seedling potato plants growing in 1 inch cubes and those potatoes are near harvest. I will store in the garage and plant in April. I like to have only 3-4 months post harvest for seedling tubers otherwise if my storage is not cool enough I do suffer from excessive sprouting. Tom Wagner