can I plant the next crop of potatoes from my early crop...

[Michael McCormack]

Last week, I started harvesting my "early early" crop of yukons - which I planted in May. Can I now take those potatoes (at least some of them) and turn them into seed potatoes for a second crop this summer?

I read something that used the terms "early earlies", "earlies", "second earlies", "main crop", and "late main crop" potatos.

Has anyone done this, or is doing this with your early crops of potatoes?

Thanks,

MM in Central PA

[jal_ut]

For sure those tubers will grow again. I do not know if they need a period of rest or not before they will sprout. You have an excellent opportunity to find out. Plant some of the little ones and see if they grow now. I never have enough of a season to worry about 2 plantings of taters.

[TZ -OH6]

They need a couple of months dormancy time before they will sprout again even if given good chitting conditions the whole time so you are better off getting new seed potatoes. In addition, commercial varieties have been bred for fairly long dormancy so that they will get through the winter in storage without sprouting.


The growing potatoes from TPS thread has a bit of information about using same-year minitubers for seed (need 2-3 months down time).