Can I preserve potatoes to plant in summer?

[weterman]

Like, will they still grow after a year? and I looked at the potatoes I have left, (grown from garden) and some have these white things growing on them, they are like tear shaped.

heres a picture:



these are sprouts, right?

I bet if I planted my indoor potato with one of these it would have grown better.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Like, will they still grow after a year? and I looked at the potatoes I have left, (grown from garden) and some have these white things growing on them, they are like tear shaped.


these are sprouts, right?

I bet if I planted my indoor potato with one of these it would have grown better.

Yes you can store until Spring, yes sprouts and yes they probably would have worked better.

If storing just a few you could put them in a paper bag. Place the bag in the refrigerator produce drawer.

Eric

[billw]

This depends on the variety and storage conditions. Some have long dormancy - six to nine months or more in ideal storage conditions - and some have short dormancy - usually three to six months, but all the way down to none. Most commercial potatoes are 5-8 months at 40*F. They may drop to 2-3 months at 55*F. If they're sprouting now, it is going to be a challenge to keep them around until planting time. Even if you can keep them going, when they are sprouting, they are metabolizing actively, which increases their physiological age. Higher physiological age usually means lower yield.

Here's a good summary:
https://www.gnb.ca/0029/00290002-e.asp

[rainbowgardener]

Why would you want to plant potatoes in summer? They grow best in cool weather and they take a long time. I know in Canada your season would be later than mine, but generally potatoes get planted in early spring, maybe a month ahead of the last frost date.

[weterman]

Why would you want to plant potatoes in summer? They grow best in cool weather and they take a long time. I know in Canada your season would be later than mine, but generally potatoes get planted in early spring, maybe a month ahead of the last frost date.

by summer I mean when snow goes away.

[rainbowgardener]

That's called spring!

[applestar]

Do you have forsythias (bushes that bloom first before leafing out with yellow flowers) where you live? If not use dandelions for phenological indicator. It's usually about right time to plant potatoes in spring when they are in bloom -- soil temp of 50-55°F. I also have a wild crabapple that is in full bloom at about the same time.

Potatoes need to be kept cold enough to keep from sprouting but not so cold that they will freeze. Do you have a suitable location?

I have rarely been able to keep previous summer's harvested potatoes from sprouting until planting time in spring. They seem to resist sprouting and shrivel if kept dry (in paper grocery bag) and cool -- but they will stay dormant and will be good to go in spring. Whatever condition you had these potatoes, duplicate it for your seed potatoes in spring to pre-sprout them!

[weterman]

Do you have forsythias (bushes that bloom first before leafing out with yellow flowers) where you live? If not use dandelions for phenological indicator. It's usually about right time to plant potatoes in spring when they are in bloom -- soil temp of 50-55°F. I also have a wild crabapple that is in full bloom at about the same time.

Potatoes need to be kept cold enough to keep from sprouting but not so cold that they will freeze. Do you have a suitable location?

I have rarely been able to keep previous summer's harvested potatoes from sprouting until planting time in spring. They seem to resist sprouting and shrivel if kept dry (in paper grocery bag) and cool -- but they will stay dormant and will be good to go in spring. Whatever condition you had these potatoes, duplicate it for your seed potatoes in spring to pre-sprout them!

its 10 above c where I kept them, so if I keep them in 10 above c, they should be good to plant in spring?

(50 in farienheit)

[weterman]

is 10 above good temperature to keep the potatoes?

[jal_ut]

Potatoes should be stored at 40 Degs F if you want them to last till spring. This is just December, it seems a little early to have your taters sprouting. What are the storage conditions?

Yes, each eye of a potato may send out a sprout. These sprouts are a new plant. Usually when planting potatoes, the potato is cut with one or two eyes to a piece and the pieces planted. This is a type of vegetative propagation. The piece of tuber left with the sprout feeds the new plant for a time.

You may be able to keep these taters in the fridg as suggested, but they will surely go too fast if not in a cool spot.

[jal_ut]

Here is how I keep potatoes and other root crops. I cover the roots with an empty feed sack then cover the pit with the soil I took out of it. I know its a pain to open the pit when its covered with snow, but I can usually get into February with the roots I stored in the garage, then when I dig up the pit these roots are in great shape. I can take some out and cover the rest back up for use later and for spring planting.

[bryce d]

I really like red potatoes. Can I buy a bag in the store next spring and plant them or do I need to get seed potatoes?

[DoubleDogFarm]

You will be better off with seed potato. They are cheap and you get 10 times the return.

[youtudotbe]https://youtu.be/q7uyKYeGPdE[/youtudotbe]

Eric

[weterman]

I put temperature thingy in fridge, in morning ill see what it says.

and, I noticed that almost all the red potatoes have sprouts, but none of the normal ones have. why is that?


they are in a cardboard box in a room that's 10 above c, (50 f)

[rainbowgardener]

Some grocery store potatoes are treated to retard sprouting.

I have never bought seed potatoes, just used grocery store ones. It's a question of scale. $15 for a 2 lb bag of seed potatoes may be cheap if you need 2 pounds of potatoes. When the sprouts from 2-3 potatoes cut up is all the potato plants you have room for, the bag isn't cheap.

But I wouldn't be sprouting potatoes this time of year either. When it gets closer to spring is plenty of time to start letting some sprout. "When the forsythias bloom" turns out to be about a month ahead of my average last frost date.

[weterman]

Some grocery store potatoes are treated to retard sprouting.

I have never bought seed potatoes, just used grocery store ones. It's a question of scale. $15 for a 2 lb bag of seed potatoes may be cheap if you need 2 pounds of potatoes. When the sprouts from 2-3 potatoes cut up is all the potato plants you have room for, the bag isn't cheap.

But I wouldn't be sprouting potatoes this time of year either. When it gets closer to spring is plenty of time to start letting some sprout. "When the forsythias bloom" turns out to be about a month ahead of my average last frost date.

ok its 5 above c in the fridge, (41 f)

so I guess I should put them in there to slow down sprouting?

and what would happen if I let them keep sprouting? oh and btw these potatoes are from my garden

box is plastic, not cardboard.

[weterman]

here is picture of where they are, ill move them into fridge soon

[DoubleDogFarm]

Some grocery store potatoes are treated to retard sprouting.

I have never bought seed potatoes, just used grocery store ones. It's a question of scale. $15 for a 2 lb bag of seed potatoes may be cheap if you need 2 pounds of potatoes. When the sprouts from 2-3 potatoes cut up is all the potato plants you have room for, the bag isn't cheap.

"It's a question of scale" How about variety. Are you growing the correct variety for your location. Do you even know what you are buying from the produce department. Has it been shipped all the way from Washington or Idaho. I grow local, certified disease free, Yukon Gold at less then a dollar per pound.

If your potato production is anything like your zucchini why even bother. Potatoes take up valuable space. Potatoes are inexpensive to buy. If I had limited space, I would concentrate on expensive herbs and produce. You could also trade your value added herbs, oils and infusions for potatoes.


Eric

[rainbowgardener]

Well, my potatoes aren't like my zucchini, because I gave up on zucchini. The squash vine borer/ squash bugs decimate them. For me, nothing seems to bother my potatoes, which makes a good reason to grow potatoes and not zucchini. Potatoes don't take up room, because I grow them in two old garbage cans (the big kind that you take to the street) cut down. Maybe this year it will be three. I get small potatoes that way, but it is still fun and the potato plants are quite ornamental. Why do we grow anything that we could just buy at the farmer's market or get from the CSA?

Happy New Year! I have my seed order all planned, will send it in very soon, as soon as all the NY Eve/ NY Day parties and craziness are planned. I will be ordering from Territorial this year, which I haven't done before, but I love their catalog.

[DoubleDogFarm]

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.” LOL!

Why do we grow anything that we could just buy at the farmer's market or get from the CSA?

Maybe because I'm looking at this through low income eyes. I'm trying to understand why one with limited space would grow difficult / low yield crops.

Eric

[rainbowgardener]

You giving me a hard time, Eric?

This year (the one ending now) I grew roselle. It turned in to a huge shrub, taking up a fair chunk of one of my raised beds and the only thing I used from it was the flower calyxes. (In fact more of it than that is edible, but I didn't use any of the rest.)

I grow things to eat, I grow lots of herbs, I grow lots of flowers, some of which are also attractive to beneficial insects/ good in companion planting. I have shrubs and trees, some of which have berries, fruits, etc. I try to always grow something I have never grown before, just to keep it interesting. I like trying to grow things from seed that are difficult, like the angel trumpet tree I grew from seed and the moonflower I always grow. This coming year, a friend is giving me some seed for the black bat plant. If I succeed, I will give her a couple and keep a couple.



This is a hobby for me, it's not my livelihood!

Now we are way off topic and should get back to potatoes.

[Bobberman]

My store bought potatoes grew better than the ones I bought as seed potatoes! They stay for a long time in a box right on any cement floor in the basement or in the garage since the concrete seems to be below 50 all the time! I separate them with a news paper under them so the air stops them from rotting!

[DoubleDogFarm]

You giving me a hard time, Eric?

Yes, All in fun and understanding.

Eric

[bryce d]

the potato song is messed up.