Planting Question

[whoose]

How long (hours/days) do you wait to plant after you cut the potatoes? How deep do you plant the cut potatoes?

[pingman39]

I have planted potatoes for over 30 years now. I don't claim to be an expert but have some experience. You can plant your cut potatoes the next day or wait two or three, doesn't matter. I usually plant mine about 4" deep in rows about 2 feet apart with spacing about 6 to 8". I shouldn't have to say this but make sure the eye is pointing up. I had someone help me a few years back and they just threw them into the row I had dug and about half of them did not come up.

[brownrexx]

I agree with the above. As soon as the cut surface is dry, you are OK to plant. This year I waited 2 days after cutting and I plant mine fairly shallow, like 2-3" and then when the sprouts start to appear I add straw around them and keep piling it up as they grow.

Here is this year's potato bed. 2 rows of Kennebec and 2 rows of Lehigh Yellow.

20200512_125338 (2) by Brownrexx, on Flickr

[NathanP]

You should plan to cut them at least 2-3 days before planting to allow them to properly form enough suberin on the cut surfaces. I have planted sooner than that, but there is a higher chance of infection of the tuber if it is not properly cured.

https://dcmga.com/north-texas-garden...n-north-texas/

[Gardeneer]

I plant them right away after cutting.
Most part of the seed potato has very
little function. It is just nutrient for the
ambrio. I have seen a lot of potato grow from kitchrn peeling in the compost

[D.J. Wolf]

I've done everything in the past from cutting them up several days before planting to literally cutting them while planting. They always seemed to grow fine no matter when I cut them. I've also heard that like @pingman39 above said, you have to have the eyes pointing up. Not really convinced of that, as my family has always planted with a homemade potato planter that gave you no control how the cut piece landed under ground. It was basically a hinged spade about 2" wide with a piece of stovepipe attached to it. You stepped it into the ground (3-4" deep), dropped in a piece of potato, and then pulled the handle back, opening the hinged portion and dropping the potato, then pull the planter out of the ground. Made planting fast.

[brownrexx]

Letting the cut surface dry before planting makes it harder for fungus to get started on the seed potato and cause it to rot.

[D.J. Wolf]

Originally Posted by brownrexx

Letting the cut surface dry before planting makes it harder for fungus to get started on the seed potato and cause it to rot.

Ok, that makes perfect sense to me. And not only that, but makes sense to have them cut up ahead of time, so you can get them planted quicker when you do hit the garden

Did not mean to imply that the method I have used in the past of "cutting them up as you go" was the best to do, was just stating that I had done that, and it worked.

[PaulF]

I watched a video a few years back where a guy who plants lots of potatoes (acres not rows) and he advocated not cutting potatoes reasoning that the cuts invite pathogens. I have purchased seed potatoes that are as small as possible for that reason.

It seems allowing the cut to heal would be much the same reasoning as using whole potatoes. My soil is fairly dense so I dig a trench and fill with straw and some compost rather than refill with soil.

[Milan HP]

I also believe in planting whole potatoes. Actually, it seems to be encouraged here: you buy commercial seed potatoes and none of them is worth cutting. And I agree with the motto: Why invite trouble? Not only with potatoes.
Milan HP