Seed Potatoes to select from

[Grow Your Own]

Hi Everyone, I'm new here, just my 2nd post & have a question about seed potatoes. A little background on me... I have been an avid gardener for about 40 yrs +, always having a vegetable garden, not too scientific, just gained some knowledge from my parents when they were alive & much self taught, but pretty casual about it all. It is a hobby I very much enjoy each year, but make no claims about being an expert!! Just a little background to give perspective!

Now regarding the potatoes, usually I save the green potato seed & just plant them the next year, however this past year with the pandemic & being at home more, I took better care of them & hence no green ones, as I kept them hilled up better than usual!!

My question is, with me not buying seed normally & needing it this year, there is place a couple of hrs away that has a bit of seed available yet, being only two varieties, Yukon Gold & Red Chieftain. We live in Southern Ont., just across the Niagara River from Buffalo, summers get hot here, but I have lots of water. Any suggestions on what if any of these two to pick from may be compatible with our location? How about disease? One better than another? Or is there another kind better suited? Perhaps more options for seed here in Southern Ont exist? Looked online it seems sourcing was difficult for us locally.

Thanks

[Vanisle_BC]

Hi 'Grow your own', and welcome. I won't comment on which varieties to choose but as for availability, are you nowhere near a decent size town? Apart from garden centers, the big box stores around here all carry selections of popular seed potatoes (but not yet ) And there's always mail order but I guess that's expensive, with shipping.

[Grow Your Own]

I just did check with a local garden center & they did say they should have some stock in the Spring. Wonder what brands I should ask for to suit our climate? In the past I have even used some sprouted store bought ones with good success. Anyone else use store bought ones?

[Vanisle_BC]

Standard advice is to avoid using store bought potatoes in case they carry disease. I don't know how bad the risk is and I have used them before. But very often they've been treated to prevent sprouting and you might as well eat them . My guess is the garden store brings in varieties that do well locally.

When do you plant yours - before or after last frost? If you wait till after, I suppose you want a short season variety. Did you mention what kind you've been growing?

It's a good idea to put your location (S. Ontario?) in your profile; then it shows up - I think - along with your user name.

[Grow Your Own]

I have read about store bought potatoes being treated with a "sprouting deterrent" as well, but any that we buy that sit around a while seem to sprout anyways.

My variety used historically..........red ones is all I know, its been so long since I bought seeds, I cannot remember. As mentioned in an earlier post, usually I have an abundance of green ones to plant, but this past year with covid I was around to look after them better.......hence no green ones!

[Vanisle_BC]

I've had store bought potatoes that were definitely unwilling to sprout and I gave up on them. I think I see more sprouting on store-boughts lately. That could be due to retailers buying more from smaller local farms during the pandemic?

Red Pontiac seems to be a very popular seed potato. It's listed at about 80 days to maturity. I grew it last year. The spuds were quite small, maybe because I planted them late, when it's supposed to be an early or mid-season crop.

For eating we mostly prefer russet types, plus those yellow fingerlings sometimes called Russian Banana. I've tried blue/purple ones but didn't find them particularly tasty.

[applestar]

I’m still learning how to grow potatoes successfully — I’ve had some successes but not consistently, so I can’t make personal variety recommendations. But -FYI- here’ is one of my goto research materials: “Spud Specs” on Maine Potato Lady website — and I HAVE purchased from them before (I’ve had both success and failure, so it’s still MY gardening/cultivation skills that is in question, I think )*

Presumably you might have similar growing climate as State of Maine @GrowYourOwn, so that is a variable in the equation that you may have less to worry about.

* I guess I could add that the shipped seed potato quality was consistently excellent condition and on time as scheduled. Always sprouted with no issues, etc.

[Grow Your Own]

Well, luckily I was able to find two places, locally, after some investigation that should have availability in the spring.

I often plant about 120' of total combined row length, or whenever I run out of the green ones I've saved over winter, which ever comes first!

Now that I am purchasing seed (first time in 20 yrs), any idea how many pounds of seed potatoes it may take, based on my usual 18-20" seed spacing within the row to do that 120' total length? Maine Potato Lady recommendation says 20 lbs per 100' of row length. Sound right?

[Vanisle_BC]

I don't grow enough spuds to talk pounds/ft for seeding Most advice seems to be plant pieces with 2 eyes. Your own experience could guide you on the size & no of potatoes you'll need, but if the lady says 20lb per 100ft I couldn't argue. I haven't even figured out what's my best spacing.

It seemed like you're saying you would only use your own potatoes for seed if they're green - Why? Maybe you just mean that's all you have left by springtime.

[Grow Your Own]

Yep, what ever was green & unsuitable for table use I historically planted, sometimes having a few left over. For me it has always worked well. Years back I do recall buying seed potatoes, but its been a long time. Karma for taking better care of the patch last year I guess!!