sprout jacking (w/pics)

[wingnut]

cutting to three weeks.....ready to plant.

[owiebrain]

I'm still not clear on what sprout jacking is. Are you taking cuttings of sprouts to root and then planting out (for the following year's seed tubers, I assume)?

[wingnut]

That is right.....kinda. I plant in the spring for a harvest I expect to be better than tuber planting. I guess you could start them in a heated greenhouse in dec/jan in small pots make micro tubers for spring planting.

[owiebrain]

Better harvest than tuber planting? Cool! Please keep us updated throughout the season, as you have time.

[wingnut]

Last year was my first year planting pull starts and sprout jacks, with VERY promising results. My best yielding plants were from pull starts planted in early july of red thumb. I also got very large uniform tubers and great yield from adirondac blue pull starts. I produced mini tubers from sprout jacks in 4" pots last year, but did not grow any in the garden. I believe I will get the best harvest from the sprout jacks and worst from tubers, with pull starts somewhere in the middle.

[Medbury Gardens]

I'm a bit like Diane in that i dont quite understand how its done,so in that first photo Wendy are you cutting the tip off and replanting that??

[wmontanez]

Well I am not the one cutting the tip LOL but I guess what Doug is trying to do is growing the meristem end and using that to multiply the plants as cuttings. I believe his post at tatermater went into more detail as he is dipping them in a bleach solution or something to try eliminate patogens. I wish I have more time to play too but too many things this year.

1)This sprout was about 6", but I can do them 1/2" on up; the wider shoots develop more rapidly....usually.
2)Till the tuber shrivels to nothing...I'd guess.
3)I use a mix created by me, but any sterile seedling mix should work.
4)Root growth within 24 hr's, most varieties begin leaf development within 7 days, pictured plants were three weeks old....and ready to either go into 4" pots or the garden.

[Medbury Gardens]

Oops sorry its Doug thread,think i'm needing glasses

[wingnut]

Wendy is right, I had been dipping them in a 20% bleach solution (about 2 second swish), then rinseing well before planting to deal with any exterior bacteria or spores. I have done some without the bleach dip, but end up with more plants that get blemishes and such (i.e. losses).

[renny1]

Are pull starts and sprout jacks one and the same?

[wingnut]

sprout jacks are just smaller and done in the dark, and don't have roots.Where as pull starts are tubers placed in dirt in a lighted position, and have roots and leaves when taken.

[wingnut]

This particular sprout jack did not fair well (none of the skagit vail did), but the rest of the ones I took this day are now in full flower, and some have been harvested for eating (skagit valley gold, toro azule, and purple majesty). I assume many of them have formed tubers, but will wait for them to die down before looking.