I'm ready for my second season growing potatoes. Last year, I bought some Maine seed potatoes and everything went swell. I saved some from that crop in a paper bag in my basement over the winter. They have sprouts measuring from 2" to 7" long which are very pale (almost white).
Should I plant them as they are, cut the white sprouts and plant, or throw them away and buy more?
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jal_ut
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7447
- Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
- Location: Northern Utah Zone 5
I would plant them. The real long sprouts, I would consider taking off. You can actually plant just the sprout. If you take the sprouts off, the potato will send out more. They want to grow.
I usually cut the potatoes to have two eyes on a piece. On the one end the eyes are often numerous and close together. I don't try to reduce that piece to two eyes per piece, you wouldn't have much a piece of tater left . I maybe split the end into two parts and plant it with whatever number of eyes happen to be on it. You can plant whole taters, but your harvest will be smaller potatoes. If you want large potatoes it is best to go with one or two eyes per piece.
I usually cut the potatoes to have two eyes on a piece. On the one end the eyes are often numerous and close together. I don't try to reduce that piece to two eyes per piece, you wouldn't have much a piece of tater left . I maybe split the end into two parts and plant it with whatever number of eyes happen to be on it. You can plant whole taters, but your harvest will be smaller potatoes. If you want large potatoes it is best to go with one or two eyes per piece.
"You can actually plant just the sprout. If you take the sprouts off, the potato will send out more. They want to grow. "
That is fascinating. Thanks alot for the advice. I'll remove the longest sprouts, cut them, let them "heal" for a couple of days, then roll them in a mix of cinnamon and baking soda before planting.
My favorite book, The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, recommends coating potatoes with sulfur before planting to ward off disease. I don't have sulfur lying around, so last season I used cinnamon and baking soda. Both are known to be anti-fungal. I don't know if that was effective but I didn't have any disease problems.
That is fascinating. Thanks alot for the advice. I'll remove the longest sprouts, cut them, let them "heal" for a couple of days, then roll them in a mix of cinnamon and baking soda before planting.
My favorite book, The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, recommends coating potatoes with sulfur before planting to ward off disease. I don't have sulfur lying around, so last season I used cinnamon and baking soda. Both are known to be anti-fungal. I don't know if that was effective but I didn't have any disease problems.