Information and discussion for successfully cultivating potatoes, the world's fourth largest crop.
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February 19, 2013 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: south carolina
Posts: 28
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Baby potaoes vs. seed potatoes
Anybody have any ideas about which is better, baby potatoes or planting seed potatoes? This is my first year growing potatoes and im not sure which is best. Im thinking of planting baby tubers vs. quartering seed potatoes. What are the pro and cons of each? Thanks
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February 20, 2013 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 4,488
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Certified seed potatoes are generally best. Less disease. But they are more expensive. Also Tom sells seed (TPS) and a few others sell seed too. That is generally free of disease too.
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Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture |
February 20, 2013 | #3 |
Crosstalk™ Forum Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: 8407 18th Ave West 7-203 Everett, Washington 98204
Posts: 1,157
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Dirt,
Potatoes are graded by size. Sizes
Cut seed pieces are often planted since only one or two eyes are present and that leads to just one stem or so emerging which helps produce fewer but larger tubers. Whole size tubers, especially if aged a bit will produce many stems and as a result: more and smaller tubers. I tend to want multi-stem hills since smaller tubers are easier to plant again. Tubers of small size can result in potato stalks of less girth upon emergence but potato tubers can be planted with sizes down to 1/8 of an inch...however those of that size are usually planted by yours truly in 72 cell trays for transplanting later. Many times I sow TPS in August so that I can harvest tubers in December and have little baby tubers perfect for planting in the Spring. Here is a picture of one "hill" of potatoes grown in a cube of soil not bigger than one inch in diameter. The tubers were from one plant and the tubers are smaller than a frozen pea used for size comparison. The potato shown is a g.g. granddaugter of a Lumper potato variety. Keeping good even in my condo after two months post harvest. |
February 20, 2013 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 8
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Tom, this is great information and very helpful.
My growing season is short and I dig my potatoes at the end of September and plant in mid May. As a result, my 1/8 - 1/4 inch pea sized tubers are now shrivelled like raisins. Half are somewhat soft while the rest are almost hard. I am going to assume that only the soft ones are worth starting in the 72 cell trays. In order to look at other planting options with my smaller B sized tubers, I was wondering: 1. What is the smallest size of tuber from which pull sprouts can successfully be taken? 2. What is the smallest size of tuber that you can successfully cut in half and direct plant? 3. Since Baby tubers have the same number of eyes as full sized tubers, should they have the same 10-12 inch planting distance when transplanted from the 72 cell trays? |
February 21, 2013 | #5 | ||||
Crosstalk™ Forum Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: 8407 18th Ave West 7-203 Everett, Washington 98204
Posts: 1,157
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