Potatoes What To Do?

AlittleSalt · November 14, 2015

The last of the Red La Soda potatoes we grew back in spring have sprouted eyes. Here it is November and we don't plant potatoes here until mid February.

I wonder what would happen if I were to plant them whole now?

I guess I could try cold storing them in the refrigerator?

or cut the eyes off and use them in the soup I'm going to make tomorrow.

Hmm, what to do?

Got any ideas?

Worth1 · November 14, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

The last of the Red La Soda potatoes we grew back in spring have sprouted eyes. Here it is November and we don't plant potatoes here until mid February.

I wonder what would happen if I were to plant them whole now?

I guess I could try cold storing them in the refrigerator?

or cut the eyes off and use them in the soup I'm going to make tomorrow.

Hmm, what to do?

Got any ideas?

You can do both.
Cut the eyes out and sprout them and cook the taters in your soup.
The sprouts might take if you leave some meat on them maybe not.

Worth

NathanP · November 15, 2015

You can usually just snap off the sprouts and that will delay further sprouting temporarily.

I would look at where you have them stored. Ideally you want them to be stored in a high humidity location below 50 F. 35-38 F is ideal.

There are some things you can do as well if the tubers start to shrivel, to rejuvenate them. Nothing to worry about, and I would not do anything drastic at this point. I have had tubers last several months past when they started to sprout.

AlittleSalt · January 29, 2016

Well, here it is almost February, and I still have the same potatoes. The eyes are bigger and they no longer look red. In fact, they look more like something from Fallout 4.

I'll be planting them tomorrow - wonder if they will grow? How would you plant them?

Couldn't load pictures again. I'll try again in a while.

Aerial · February 2, 2016

Salt, "The Martian" (movie) has a nice potato planting segment. You wouldn't want to use the same fertilizer though.

I'm too itching to try growing some from my trader joe's batch.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

I'll be planting them tomorrow - wonder if they will grow? How would you plant them?

whistech · January 29, 2016

I'm betting they will grow fine Robert.

KarenO · January 29, 2016

I plant mine whole. If you plan to cut them, do it the day before you plant and let the cut side dry overnight or at least a few hours. They will grow I'm sure.
KO

AlittleSalt · January 29, 2016

Pictures

Worth1 · January 29, 2016

Them puppies are ready to go in the ground.
Cut them up and leave a sprout on each piece pointing up.

Worth

AlittleSalt · January 29, 2016

It worked

I am thinking of planting these whole too. We have found that we like new red potatoes more than large ones. The little red new potatoes go well with green beans and in soups.

Our favorite potatoes for most everything else are russets.

Worth1 · January 29, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

It worked

I am thinking of planting these whole too. We have found that we like new red potatoes more than large ones. The little red new potatoes go well with green beans and in soups.

Our favorite potatoes for most everything else are russets.

You cant buy new potatoes to save your life.

Worth

AlittleSalt · January 30, 2016

When we find them here they are more the size of a medium egg and larger. The smaller large-marble size is perfect to serve with green beans. I can't wait for spring.

KarenO · January 30, 2016

yum. nothing beats baby new potatoes and as far as I'm concerned those seed potatoes look just right for planting. they will be up in no time. Just be gentle when you plant them so as not to knock those brittle sprouts off. the smaller ones I would plant whole and the larger I would cut in half but Lots of folks would cut them smaller. I say don't be stingy

K

henry · February 2, 2016

If you put potatoes with sprouts less then 4 inches long where they will get lots of light they will grow some small leaves and the sprouts stop growing longer, the nice thing about doing this is the sprouts become hard to break off. I plant them with just the tip of the leaves above ground at normal planting time.

AlittleSalt · January 30, 2016

I agree Karen.

Around here, I've seen seed potatoes sold that have way less eyes than those in my original post back in November. In 2015, the seed potatoes sold around here had no eyes. In the picture of me holding a small potato with a large eye - that eye is over 2.5" long. I hope the picture shows up. I wear a size 14 ring - that might help describe the potato eye size.

I have given it more thought and will be planting the small potatoes whole and the 12 larger potatoes I'll cut. That puts off planting day for Sunday instead of tomorrow.

I meant to tell how I saved these potatoes from November until now. I left them in the basket in post #1 on this thread. I put them outside near where they are going to be planted (An almost full sun location) until it was going to be well below freezing in late December. I brought them in and they sat beside our washing machine on the floor for the past month. I left the oak leaves that got mixed in the basket.

January 30, 2016	#13
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	yum. nothing beats baby new potatoes and as far as I'm concerned those seed potatoes look just right for planting. they will be up in no time. Just be gentle when you plant them so as not to knock those brittle sprouts off. the smaller ones I would plant whole and the larger I would cut in half but Lots of folks would cut them smaller. I say don't be stingy K Last edited by KarenO; January 30, 2016 at 12:38 AM.

February 2, 2016	#14
henry Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Midway B.C. Canada Posts: 311	If you put potatoes with sprouts less then 4 inches long where they will get lots of light they will grow some small leaves and the sprouts stop growing longer, the nice thing about doing this is the sprouts become hard to break off. I plant them with just the tip of the leaves above ground at normal planting time. __________________ Henry

November 15, 2015	#3
NathanP Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: RI Posts: 183	You can usually just snap off the sprouts and that will delay further sprouting temporarily. I would look at where you have them stored. Ideally you want them to be stored in a high humidity location below 50 F. 35-38 F is ideal. There are some things you can do as well if the tubers start to shrivel, to rejuvenate them. Nothing to worry about, and I would not do anything drastic at this point. I have had tubers last several months past when they started to sprout.

January 29, 2016	#4
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Well, here it is almost February, and I still have the same potatoes. The eyes are bigger and they no longer look red. In fact, they look more like something from Fallout 4. I'll be planting them tomorrow - wonder if they will grow? How would you plant them? Couldn't load pictures again. I'll try again in a while.

January 29, 2016	#6
whistech Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Between The Woodlands and Spring, Texas Posts: 553	I'm betting they will grow fine Robert.

January 29, 2016	#9
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Them puppies are ready to go in the ground. Cut them up and leave a sprout on each piece pointing up. Worth

January 29, 2016	#10
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	It worked I am thinking of planting these whole too. We have found that we like new red potatoes more than large ones. The little red new potatoes go well with green beans and in soups. Our favorite potatoes for most everything else are russets.