Tom Wagner's True Potato Seeds

darwinslair · December 18, 2009

So Tom, in a nutshell, (say, 500 words or less, without getting too technical) how do you go about growing potatoes from TPS and what should we be looking for in what we get from them?

Tom Kleffman

**Tom Wagner** · December 18, 2009

Tom K,

You have been after me to post something on this for a while, therefore, I may as well jot down a few simple rules, suggestions, or tips.

Sow seed 6 to 8 weeks before planting outdoors in the Spring.

Temperatures for germination is best around 72-78 F. but don't go over 80. Once the seedlings are up cooler temperatures for growing out are preferred. I even like to give the seedlings some direct sunlight outdoors if you have a protected area out of the wind for a hour or two at at least 55 or more in F.

Depth of sowing is rather important. Just barely covered is OK. I usually sow in 72 cell trays. I fill the tray, level it off, gently press my fingers in the soil media to make a shallow depression and cover with more soil media. I like a sterile peat, vermiculite, perlite to cover with over a customized mix of the same with some worm castings, dolomite lime, etc. mixed in. I am organic 100% for the last number of years.

The 72 cell trays allows the soil media to dry out quicker than in a solid bed of soil. I try to keep the media watered but a bit of drying out between waterings keeps the damping off to a minimum. Potato seedlings appear very spindly when young and that is where a bit of direct sunlight will harden off the tenderness.

I like to sow several seeds in each cube, since potato TPS does not all germinate at once. I may sow from 3 to 10 seed to maximize the competition pressure as I want rather tall seedlings to develop as to transplant these about 3 to 5 weeks later burying the cotyledons and a true leaf or two in the first transplanting in the greenhouse. I transplant again into the 72 cell trays as to force the seedlings to grow tall so that I can bury more leaves when I talke them to the field. The seedlings may be very brittle, all the more so than tomato seedlings, so be careful!

When I go the the field after all danger of frost is gone, I make a trench in the ground within a hilled up row of soil. As the plants grow I have loose soil to cover the growing plants several times during the next few weeks to months.

The plants will be a bit later than potatoes grown from tubers especially if you planted those in early April and the seedlings in May sometime. I try to grow the seedlings to the point where they mimic regular potato plants and match the potential yields of that clone.

Spacing is about 10 inches apart in 3 foot rows. I augment the soil with organic feritilizers such as worm castings, dolomite lime, rock phosphate, alfalfa meal, bone meal, green sand, cottonseed meal, blood meal, kelp meal, humic shales, compost, etc.

Harvesting occurs when the plants start to die down. I make individual selections and bag the hill separate if it is good, otherwise I take one tuber per non-selected hill to plant for the next year. Sometimes the seedling year does not allow for the full expression of the clone to shine and the second year will determinine if you have a winning clone or not.

Potato storage is a long subject. I try to allow the tubers to air dry on the surface of the soil before I pick them up. Good ventilation is important for the next few weeks and then some kind of cool or cold storage for the winter. I rely on a cool garage out of direct light much of the time.

Tom Wagner

**Mischka** · December 18, 2009

Just one question and I'm sure I speak for others, too - how do we buy some of your potato TPS? I'd like to give them a try here.

**Tom Wagner** · December 18, 2009

Mischka

If anyone wants to try potatoes from true seed (TPS) I might be able to help. Next year 2010 will be starting the sixth decade of working with potatoes and starting my own varieties.

If you want to help follow the genetics of the seed I send ....great! However many of you may just wish to try something other than tubers for a change.

One packet of TPS for $5.00. I'll cover the postage.. I am set up only for checks, money order, etc.

My potato seeds will produce plants like no other.
Each will be a unique experiment. My focus has been on all colors of potatoes with special flavors and attributes.

Call me, PM me, or post on the forum

Tater Mater Seeds
Tom Wagner
8407 18th Ave. West
7-203
Everett, Washington
98204

Cell 425 894 1123

salix · December 19, 2009

Tom, PM sent. As mentioned, hope you will consider sending to Canada...

**Mischka** · December 19, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Wagner

Mischka

If anyone wants to try potatoes from true seed (TPS) I might be able to help. Next year 2010 will be starting the sixth decade of working with potatoes and starting my own varieties.

If you want to help follow the genetics of the seed I send ....great! However many of you may just wish to try something other than tubers for a change.

One packet of TPS for $5.00. I'll cover the postage.. I am set up only for checks, money order, etc.

My potato seeds will produce plants like no other.
Each will be a unique experiment. My focus has been on all colors of potatoes with special flavors and attributes.

Call me, PM me, or post on the forum

Tater Mater Seeds
Tom Wagner
8407 18th Ave. West
7-203
Everett, Washington
98204

Cell 425 894 1123

Excellent, Tom - thanks!

Medbury Gardens · December 20, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Wagner

I like to sow several seeds in each cube, since potato TPS does not all germinate at once. I may sow from 3 to 10 seed to maximize the competition pressure as I want rather tall seedlings to develop as to transplant these about 3 to 5 weeks later burying the cotyledons and a true leaf or two in the first transplanting in the greenhouse. I transplant again into the 72 cell trays as to force the seedlings to grow tall so that I can bury more leaves when I talke them to the field. The seedlings may be very brittle, all the more so than tomato seedlings, so be careful!

Tom - as i didnt burying as deep as you said you do (and will from now on)could this have been the reason why i had parts of two plants snap off the wind a few days ago?

**Tom Wagner** · December 20, 2009

Yes, not burying potato seedlings sufficiently is a major reason for plants being damaged by wind, animals, etc. I noticed this also in Europe where I found that folks just don't hill up the potato seedling enough. This causes aerial tubers, tubers too close to the surface, misshaped tubers, knobby tubers.

I was photographed and filmed digging seedling potatoes in Ireland last October and I remember saying that the potato plants were not mounded up with enough soil. That was at Brown Envelop Seed's garden. I took photos in the Bretagne area of France showing a similar problem.

The original root ball of the seedling plant must be buried 4, better 6 inches into the soil once all hilling is finished. If this is accomplished, the potato plant produces much like a tuber planted potato.

Tom

ShowmeDseeds · December 20, 2009

Tom,

I'm going to mail you a check for some seeds. I would be happy to take notes on my growing season(s) if you will let me know what to look for.

Mischka,

Thank you for letting Tom offer these seeds on the Forum. Potatoes don't store well over the winter in the warmer parts of the world, and it would be a great advance if potato lovers had another way to grow potatoes besides ordering pounds of seed potatoes via UPS.

Stuart

**Tom Wagner** · December 21, 2009

I thought it might be timely to add a link to support some of my reasoning for providing TPS to the tomatoville.com readers.

http://www.cipotato.org/potato/tps/overview.asp

Quote:

Most farmers still plant tomorrow's potatoes by using part of yesterday's crop. A small, but growing number, however, are using disease- and pest-free planting material grown from true potato seed (TPS).
TPS has many advantages over planting tuber seeds. One is the obvious difference between storing and transporting tons of tubers versus grams of true seed. Farmers who normally plant a hectare of potatoes using two tons of seed tubers can achieve the same or better results by planting as few as 100 grams of TPS. Low cost is another TPS benefit: it costs about $1200 to plant one hectare of high- tuber seed, while TPS (100 grams) costs about $80 per hectare.
TPS also gives farmers access to superior varieties. Enormous quantities of a newly developed resistant variety can be in farmers' hands within a season or two, versus the 10 years it can take to produce enough tuber seed to have an impact in the field.
But the seed isn't sown directly into the field like wheat or maize. It is first sown in a seedbed, like tomatoes, and then transplanted into the field as seedlings.
Initially, the problem with TPS was the difficulty in producing potatoes that were uniform in shape, color, size, and performance—a requirement of the food industry. Instead of producing a genetically identical clone of the mother plant, as is the case when growers use seed tubers, each plant grown from open- TPS is genetically different. Potato plants produce flowers and berries that contain from 100 to 400 true seeds. But the seeds germinate into seedlings with varied characteristics not genetically true to the plant that produced them.
CIP scientists, however, have now broken down pollination and dormancy barriers to produce high-disease-resistant, uniform varieties of hybrid true seed.

Many of my clones grown independently of the CIP organization are also a result of my research and development of pollination and dormancy barriers. I don't think it is a bad thing for someone to reinvent the potato locally as we all benefit from new ideas and varieties. All of the true seed of my Skagit Valley Gold variety potato is naturally hybridized since it has a self incompatibility factor with its own pollen. I will daresay that hybrid vigor is better than TPS from naturally selfed berries.

huntsman · December 21, 2009

Are you able to post out Internationally, Tom?

Medbury Gardens · December 23, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by huntsman

Are you able to post out Internationally, Tom?

I would have to say yes,as i'm growing a few of Toms at the moment,you'll enjoy it huntsman ,its so fascinating not knowing the type or colour you'll end up with.

**Tom Wagner** · December 23, 2009

Huntsman,

Since I treat my TPS during the extraction process with hot water, Trisodium Phosphate and Clorox, I have little fear of transmitting any pathogen. True potato seed is ideal for sending to folks because there is little or no risk of carrying a virus or bacterial wilt. No one has had any problem with diseases with growing plants from my seed. Ask those who have tried the seed obtained from me.

Tom Wagner

huntsman · December 24, 2009

Schweeet!

Time to PM..!

dhrtx · February 22, 2010

Received TPS and planted them the very same day. I am excited to report 29 tiny, tiny seedlings. Very nice, not to mention the tomato seeds Tom also shared. Thanks again for the opportunity Tom!

December 18, 2009	#1
darwinslair Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Lake Minnetonka MN Posts: 229	Tom Wagner's True Potato Seeds So Tom, in a nutshell, (say, 500 words or less, without getting too technical) how do you go about growing potatoes from TPS and what should we be looking for in what we get from them? Tom Kleffman

December 18, 2009	#3
Mischka Tomatoville® Administrator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The Bay State Posts: 3,207	Just one question and I'm sure I speak for others, too - how do we buy some of your potato TPS? I'd like to give them a try here. __________________ Mischka One last word of farewell, Dear Master and Mistress. Whenever you visit my grave, say to yourselves with regret but also with happiness in your hearts at the remembrance of my long happy life with you: "Here lies one who loved us and whom we loved." No matter how deep my sleep I shall hear you, and not all the power of death can keep my spirit from wagging a grateful tail.

December 18, 2009	#2
Tom Wagner Crosstalk™ Forum Moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: 8407 18th Ave West 7-203 Everett, Washington 98204 Posts: 1,157	Tom K, You have been after me to post something on this for a while, therefore, I may as well jot down a few simple rules, suggestions, or tips. Sow seed 6 to 8 weeks before planting outdoors in the Spring. Temperatures for germination is best around 72-78 F. but don't go over 80. Once the seedlings are up cooler temperatures for growing out are preferred. I even like to give the seedlings some direct sunlight outdoors if you have a protected area out of the wind for a hour or two at at least 55 or more in F. Depth of sowing is rather important. Just barely covered is OK. I usually sow in 72 cell trays. I fill the tray, level it off, gently press my fingers in the soil media to make a shallow depression and cover with more soil media. I like a sterile peat, vermiculite, perlite to cover with over a customized mix of the same with some worm castings, dolomite lime, etc. mixed in. I am organic 100% for the last number of years. The 72 cell trays allows the soil media to dry out quicker than in a solid bed of soil. I try to keep the media watered but a bit of drying out between waterings keeps the damping off to a minimum. Potato seedlings appear very spindly when young and that is where a bit of direct sunlight will harden off the tenderness. I like to sow several seeds in each cube, since potato TPS does not all germinate at once. I may sow from 3 to 10 seed to maximize the competition pressure as I want rather tall seedlings to develop as to transplant these about 3 to 5 weeks later burying the cotyledons and a true leaf or two in the first transplanting in the greenhouse. I transplant again into the 72 cell trays as to force the seedlings to grow tall so that I can bury more leaves when I talke them to the field. The seedlings may be very brittle, all the more so than tomato seedlings, so be careful! When I go the the field after all danger of frost is gone, I make a trench in the ground within a hilled up row of soil. As the plants grow I have loose soil to cover the growing plants several times during the next few weeks to months. The plants will be a bit later than potatoes grown from tubers especially if you planted those in early April and the seedlings in May sometime. I try to grow the seedlings to the point where they mimic regular potato plants and match the potential yields of that clone. Spacing is about 10 inches apart in 3 foot rows. I augment the soil with organic feritilizers such as worm castings, dolomite lime, rock phosphate, alfalfa meal, bone meal, green sand, cottonseed meal, blood meal, kelp meal, humic shales, compost, etc. Harvesting occurs when the plants start to die down. I make individual selections and bag the hill separate if it is good, otherwise I take one tuber per non-selected hill to plant for the next year. Sometimes the seedling year does not allow for the full expression of the clone to shine and the second year will determinine if you have a winning clone or not. Potato storage is a long subject. I try to allow the tubers to air dry on the surface of the soil before I pick them up. Good ventilation is important for the next few weeks and then some kind of cool or cold storage for the winter. I rely on a cool garage out of direct light much of the time. Tom Wagner

December 19, 2009	#5
salix Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: north central B.C. Posts: 2,310	Tom, PM sent. As mentioned, hope you will consider sending to Canada...

December 20, 2009	#8
Tom Wagner Crosstalk™ Forum Moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: 8407 18th Ave West 7-203 Everett, Washington 98204 Posts: 1,157	Yes, not burying potato seedlings sufficiently is a major reason for plants being damaged by wind, animals, etc. I noticed this also in Europe where I found that folks just don't hill up the potato seedling enough. This causes aerial tubers, tubers too close to the surface, misshaped tubers, knobby tubers. I was photographed and filmed digging seedling potatoes in Ireland last October and I remember saying that the potato plants were not mounded up with enough soil. That was at Brown Envelop Seed's garden. I took photos in the Bretagne area of France showing a similar problem. The original root ball of the seedling plant must be buried 4, better 6 inches into the soil once all hilling is finished. If this is accomplished, the potato plant produces much like a tuber planted potato. Tom

December 20, 2009	#9
ShowmeDseeds Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Missouri Posts: 27	Tom, I'm going to mail you a check for some seeds. I would be happy to take notes on my growing season(s) if you will let me know what to look for. Mischka, Thank you for letting Tom offer these seeds on the Forum. Potatoes don't store well over the winter in the warmer parts of the world, and it would be a great advance if potato lovers had another way to grow potatoes besides ordering pounds of seed potatoes via UPS. Stuart

December 21, 2009	#11
huntsman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Johannesburg, South Africa - GrowZone 9 Posts: 595	Are you able to post out Internationally, Tom?

December 23, 2009	#13
Tom Wagner Crosstalk™ Forum Moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: 8407 18th Ave West 7-203 Everett, Washington 98204 Posts: 1,157	Huntsman, Since I treat my TPS during the extraction process with hot water, Trisodium Phosphate and Clorox, I have little fear of transmitting any pathogen. True potato seed is ideal for sending to folks because there is little or no risk of carrying a virus or bacterial wilt. No one has had any problem with diseases with growing plants from my seed. Ask those who have tried the seed obtained from me. Tom Wagner

December 24, 2009	#14
huntsman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Johannesburg, South Africa - GrowZone 9 Posts: 595	Schweeet! Time to PM..!

February 22, 2010	#15
dhrtx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Ranger, TX Posts: 49	Received TPS and planted them the very same day. I am excited to report 29 tiny, tiny seedlings. Very nice, not to mention the tomato seeds Tom also shared. Thanks again for the opportunity Tom!