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Theresa, What a fantastic reply, thank you so much. It sounds like you are right on all counts. I have no idea of the variety – my husband bought them. It’s a learning experience for me as I’ve never grown potatoes before. Next year, perhaps, I’ll try Chieftan. Thanks for this really helpful post- good diagnosis of what happened,too.
I think Chieftans or Kennecbecs would do very well for you Sandra.
Thanks so much for the detailed explanation! I was so excited to harvest the little purple potatoes I planted in spring, but when I dumped the container over yesterday, they were infested with Millions of little tiny ants.
This article gave me the nudge I needed to try again. Our summer has been so mild, I figure I might as well take my chances! “if you don’t plant — it’s a sure thing that you won’t harvest”
This time I’ll try the good old fashioned way of putting them in the ground! No more container potatoes for me! Yeck!
I know what you mean about ants in the containers. I love my grow bags in the garden BUT the ants sometimes get in them — and I hate that!!
I think you’ll do great by planting in the ground, Renee.
Enjoyed your comment. Thanks!
Theresa
Theresa, Do you have any experience with planting true potatoe seed? I have been planting potatoes only for a few years now and the first year I planted them I got a “ball” form after the flower so I harvested those, dried them, and planted the tiny little seeds this year. I have beatiful plants from them. I think I will probably need to harvest the little potatoes and plant some of them next year. How do you store your potatoes to keep them for planting next spring?
Thank you so much for all of your insights. I really appreciate you 🙂
Toni
Hi Toni,
Real potato seed from the top fruit (resembling a small tomato) that potatoes can develop (this is sexual propagation by the way) — will develop into a plant with unique characteristics — not necessarily those of the potato from which it came. Each fruit can contain 300 seeds — theoretically you could get 300 plants — all different from each other and different from the the parent plant.
Real potato seed is used in breeding programs.
Two great things about growing from the real seed of the fruit produced by the potato is that genetic diversity will be high and the seeds don’t often carry diseases.(It’s my understanding there are very few seed-borne potato diseases.)
If you have the time and are so inclined — you could eventually come up with potatoes that thrive in your unique conditions. There’s a good chance that the plants will be less susceptible to the pests and diseases than the ones you now plant from tubers (seed potatoes). When you finally come up with the potato you consider a winner — you would then reproduce the potatoes from tubers (as you already know).
I think if I were younger and just starting to garden — I would be very interested in doing this. But – as I said — it takes a lot of time and — I would think — record keeping. It can get quite complicated and if you’re going to do it — do as much research as you can to find all the little secrets that will save you time and effort and keep you from unnecessary mistakes. (As always with any research — be careful who you believe.)
Also, I think that the first year only produces mini-sized tubers — not full sized potatoes. So in order to really know what you’re going to get — you have to save the mini-potatoes over until next year and plant — as you have already mentioned. With that second year harvest — you should know what the results are.
After that, to make sure you get the same kind of potato as the new plant you started with — you must grow potatoes from “seed potatoes” (this is vegetative propagation)— the potatoes already produced by your new parent plant. This is also called cloning. It assures genetic purity and also favors high yields.
Regarding how to keep them until next year:
As I outlined in my post Potatoes-Harvesting and Storing
“If you’re to get the long term storage you want, your method of storage should meet the following 4 conditions:
• Be cool (about 40 to 50 degrees F)
• Dark
• High humidity. (You don’t want a build up of water. That will cause rot. Just high humidity. If too dry potatoes will shrivel.)
• It should allow the potatoes to breath. (For example, burlap bags keep the light out but allow air to circulate in the bag.)
If you can meet these requirements you’ll be able to keep your potatoes for another 3 to 6 months.”
Most modern homes can’t meet these conditions. (I can’t meet them.)
If I were going to try to keep potatoes over for planting next year — I’d do two things:
#1 – I’d make an attempt to keep them as close to the 4 conditions outlined above — EVEN IF I THOUGHT I COULDN”T.
#2. – I’d store some in the ground. If you have severe winters — mulch heavily. The soil should be well-drained nice garden soil — NOT packed clay for example.
I feel sure you’ll come out of the winter with potatoes you can plant.
Good luck with this project, Toni. Let us know how you do.
And thanks for your thanks. It feels nice to be appreciated. 🙂
Theresa