Growing Potatoes - Seed Potatoes

[fouriron4]

Is it possible to use supermarket potatoes (organic) to be used as my seed potatoes. I know regular potatoes in the stores are sprayed with an retardant to inhibit eyes from sprouting. I did not know this until I went online and found out.

Are organic potatoes retardant free thus making them able to use to plant and grow a new crop? This is my first year for planting potatoes.

Do I need to just buy seed potatoes. Kinda expensive $$$$

When I was growing up my father (organic only) would use the potatoes he grew and held these over in the basement for planting next year.

Nowadays We have to really watch what companies add to our food to enhance the look of their products with chemicals.

Thanks
Ted

[DoubleDogFarm]

Is it possible to use supermarket potatoes (organic) to be used as my seed potatoes. I know regular potatoes in the stores are sprayed with an retardant to inhibit eyes from sprouting. I did not know this until I went online and found out.
Yes

Are organic potatoes retardant free thus making them able to use to plant and grow a new crop? This is my first year for planting potatoes.
Not sure, One would think so.

Do I need to just buy seed potatoes. Kinda expensive $$$$
NO and yes on the $$

When I was growing up my father (organic only) would use the potatoes he grew and held these over in the basement for planting next year.
I do this and I think it's the best way to grow, go.

Nowadays We have to really watch what companies add to our food to enhance the look of their products with chemicals.
I agree 100% and People too

Eric

[Ozark Lady]

My bags of potatoes from the grocery store are sprouting, like crazy. When you see this, you know they can grow.

I did have sweet potatoes, that rotted rather than sprout.

So, watch for sprouting, before planting.

[rkunsaw]

I've planted grocery store potatoes and they did well.I always start my sweet potato slips from grocery potatoes.
Larry

[Ozark Lady]

I always did too. Until 2009, when I got sweet potatoes that just would not sprout. I thought I was going crazy, until I realized they had likely been sprayed with no sprout stuff.

So in late 2009, I bought them early and at the fruit stand... boy these sure sprouted well.

[jal_ut]

Yes supermarket potatoes will grow, however they have not been tested for disease. I will not put any part of a super market potato in my garden nor in my compost heap.

I am with Marlinggardener. Buy those certified seed potatoes from the local farm supply store.

Yes, if you order from a seed catalog, they are expensive.

I save some for seed every year. If I want to try something different, I buy certified seed potatoes.

[alaskagold]

question.

I usually just buy the seed potatoes because I did not have a "basement" or anywhere they wouldn't freeze or mold due to the warmth. I now have a place to store them.

What do you do? Do you just store the potatoes and than cut them up before planting, via the eyes to sprout?

I think this is my first really newbie garneding question! And I really do not know, so any advice would be good.

[Gary350]

I use grocery store potatoes for my seed potatoes. It is 1/3 the cost and it works great. RED potatoes grow better than WHITE potatoes here I think it is just too hot for white potatoes. I buy a bag of potatoes and leave them out where they can get some sun through a window. It a few weeks the potatoes are all growing sprouts. I do the same thing with sweet potatoes.

[applestar]

I grow both from certified organic seed potatoes (Maine Potato Lady and Johnny's Seeds -- both in Maine) and from my pantry (both garden grown and grocery store). When potato planting time rolls around and I have sprouting potatoes in the pantry... well, I can't help myself.

HOWEVER, I've often read about seed potatoes being tested for plant diseases while grocery potatoes are not (and having read jal's strong emphasis about this), I plant them in DIFFERENT parts of my garden, in beds that are physically completely separated. And, the pantry potatoes are more closely scrutinized for early detection of problems and are grown with less investment of expectations.

If my garden potatoes survive the winter, then they are planted in yet another location.

[rainbowgardener]

Last year I bought expensive seed potatoes and they grew really well for awhile and then got blight and died. This year I'm trying again with potatoes from the grocery store. Let you know what happens later! I'm going to just let them sprout and then cut them in pieces with a couple eyes per piece. It is usually suggested to let them sit for a couple days after you cut them to seal over, before you put them in the ground, but I think that is one of those some people do, some people don't things.

[fouriron4]

I want to thank everyone who replied to my inquiry about planting potatoes. I am sure much more informed and feel I can tackle my first time potato venture.

Again thanks everyone...may you all have a plentiful and enjoyable planting season.

Thanks
Ted

[tedly]

I was going to put up a thread asking about potatoes, but this answered most everything for me. Thanks guys! One last question, do I need to wait until last frost to plant them?

[DoubleDogFarm]

I usually plant my potatoes on St. Patrick's Day and a second planting in June. Our last average frost date is April 15th.

So my answer is No!


Eric

[rainbowgardener]

Applestar has a really nice thread on natural signs for planting ( https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=125711&highlight=planting+signs#125711 ) and she says plant potatoes when the forsythias bloom!

[jal_ut]

You can plant potatoes about a week before the date of your avg last frost.