Potatoes

[Chuck52]

It's coming up on time to get the potatoes in the ground, and I have left-over potatoes from last year I'm planning to use for part of a row. These are kennebecs, and most of them have sprouts already. Should I just break off the sprouts before planting them? Some are pretty long. I figure the short sprouts are OK, but I don't know what burying the longer sprouts might do, like promote rot and such? Most of my planting will still have to be with bought seed potatoes, but I probably have enough of these small left overs for 20-25 feet or so. If I have as many small ones this year as last I may make more of an effort to keep them as seed by putting them in an even darker space. They're in the basement, but I've got a root cellar I could have kept them in. It was just more convenient to get to them where they are, but if I plan to keep them as seed the convenience factor won't apply.

Chuck

 

[Egon]

A few potatoes will go a long way. You just need an "eye" for planting. Even "eyes" on peelings will do!

 

[JohnDeere4300]

Yea like Egon said,

That is what i do with eyes, and if i have seed potatoes i cut them into small pieces, so they will go a long way.

 

[greenmule]

I've planted my left overs a few times,couple times they didn't all grow,I left the long eye sprouts on,figured it caused less chance to rot.

We plant 50 lbs kennabeck,and 50 lbs of red pontiacs,I don't cut them up,plant them whole,cause less chance to rot and I'm only planting that much[don't even plant all of them,just fill out my rows],we are still eating on ours,but like yours they are getting so sprouty and sriveled up,not much longer.

 

[forgeblast]

I do the same, even if they have the long eyes i still throw them in the ground. I plant a small 6x8 plot of them and we have enough all winter.

 

[Chuck52]

OK. Sounds like my plan will be to just throw 'em in the ground sprouts and all. Most of these are so small they may only have an eye or two. I probably have enough for half my usual planting of kennebec, and I'll also put in a row of yellow or red potatoes, which ever I can find locally. Still got almost two weeks before I need to plant them. With luck the garden will be dry enough, though I've smeared them into the mud a couple of times and still got decent production.

Thanks.
Chuck

 

[dooleysm]

I've got about a dozen potatoes left in the basement that all have at least 6" sprouts all over them. I was planning to cut them down to 1-2 eyes per piece and make a row out of them. I think I've got some kennebecs and pontiacs. I'm planning to get a load of pontiacs and yukon golds from the seed store as well. I love growing and eating potatoes. I didn't have any to sell last year, but from what I saw at the farmers market, they sold really well. I'm concentrating on corn, potatoes, and watermelon to sell this year.

 

[WayneB]

darn it with three or four feet of snow on the ground, I am hardly thinking about potatoes yet! Although it won't take long for this to melt off next month.

 

[WarrenF]

From potato country....quit cutting up your seed potato's. Plant the potato whole, the ones that are about the size or a touch smaller than what you buy as #1 potato's.

If you want lots of potato's....plant the whole potato. I know, someone will come on here and tell us that he is a certified organic, only use compost....degreed agronomist and explain why what i said is wrong. However I will tell you that if you come out to potato country you will never see any farmer cutting seed potato's. You will also see them putting whole potato's in the ground.

The farmer who grew spuds on my place produced 525 sacks per acre. That is 525, one hundred pound sacks per acre. Compare production rates like that with anywhere in the country, you will find that is at the top. Therefore if they plant whole potato's.....I am planting whole potato's.

 

[greenmule]

See there,I knew they was a reason I was planting them whole!

Think the reason many cut up their potatoes according to the eyes is cause of hard times left over from when we was really hungry!
We always cut tators up,growing up,if you hadn't,you would have been real wastefull[or rich].And your potato crop was a big source of your diet,[we ate potatoes almost every day and sometimes twice],still do.And big patches too.

Reason I don't cut them is I think it helps with the rotting,and I ain't planting but enough for three people,and,its just easier!

 

[DUMBDOG]

I do not believe that the length of the sprouts has to much of a bearing on the rotting of the seed in the ground, given the right conditions, potato seed will grow and produce.

As far as planting the whole potato or cutting of the seed, the same applies.

As far as the records go, 525 100# bags per acre goes is really good but not near the top, a quick google search indicates that in 1949 a farmer in Michigan produced 1000 bushels per acre of potatoes which is roughly 60# per bushel or 600 100# bags per acre.

The use of whole seed potatoes maybe more directed at the size of the seed potato rather than not wanting to cut them and planting any seed without eyes. I am sure that if all of the seed potatoes that they were using were in the 1# plus weight range that the seed would be cut rather than planted whole.

Good potato production depends upon many factors, using good seed, proper temperature during the growing season, weed and pest control and the proper soil.

 

[Egon]

Seed Potato Production




Idaho Potatoes.

Do the seed potatoes used there come from the Prairie Provinces of Canada by any chance?

As said the use of whole potatoes may be because the cutting of Potatoes may not result in "eyes" being present in each cut piece. Chances are manual cutting would be labour intensive. Also the cut pieces may not handle properly in the available planting equipment due to different sizing? Contamination and spreading of disease by cutting edges could present problems. One contaminated potaoe would cover more area resulting in greater crop loss.

Many potato crops are sprayed at certain potato size to stop growth for sale and handling requirements.

Those folks growing there own potatoes should be familiar with some where the size is such that one potato feeds a family for a meal. These sized potaoes can be grown from cuttings.

 

[Stimw]

This is my first attempt a tater growing. I did everything wrong, I used red potatoes from the store, I planted them early november, two rows 15', I cut them allowing at least one eye per piece and now they are almost ready to dig! They survived a half dozen freezes by tenting.
I dug one plant three weeks ago that the top froze and I had TATERS! They were golf ball size or smaller but they look great! I'm watching the foliage now for signs they are ready. ??????? I will have to take pics of the tonnage when I harvest, soon.
I put in three more 20' rows of real seed taters two weeks ago and they are breaking ground now!
I cut the seeds also, I let them sit overnight and they dried out a little. This should prevent them rotting.
If you haven't tried growing them, go for it!

 

[WarrenF]

Seed Potato Production




Idaho Potatoes.

Do the seed potatoes used there come from the Prairie Provinces of Canada by any chance?

As said the use of whole potatoes may be because the cutting of Potatoes may not result in "eyes" being present in each cut piece. Chances are manual cutting would be labour intensive. Also the cut pieces may not handle properly in the available planting equipment due to different sizing? Contamination and spreading of disease by cutting edges could present problems. One contaminated potaoe would cover more area resulting in greater crop loss.

Many potato crops are sprayed at certain potato size to stop growth for sale and handling requirements.

Those folks growing there own potatoes should be familiar with some where the size is such that one potato feeds a family for a meal. These sized potaoes can be grown from cuttings.

Since the trademark for Idaho Potato's is one that is aggresively protected, and also from my experience around my little berg......most of the potato seed planted around here is grown in Eastern Idaho. Now remember that is speaking only of the Russet Burbank which is of course the tater that is most generally known as the Idaho Potato.

Now with other kinds of potato's.....I could not tell you. I do know that many new varieties of spuds are being grown around here.

As for the 600 sacks per acre production, I am quite sure that there are many examples of that type of production. One year anomalies when the weather and conditions were just right. I should have clarified my statement a bit better......this is the type of production he gets year after year.

 

[dooleysm]

Since potatoes are the first thing I plant, I have plenty of time prior to planting. I'm starting to get anxious right now, and it's at least a month until I can plant. The point is, I've got plenty of spare time to cut potatoes and it gets me out in the barn doing "gardeny" things, which I enjoy. I'll keep cutting my seed potatoes until I run out of time to do it. I've had great luck with my potatoes for the past few years that I've been planting them.

 

[jinman]

As for the 600 sacks per acre production, I am quite sure that there are many examples of that type of production. One year anomalies when the weather and conditions were just right. I should have clarified my statement a bit better......this is the type of production he gets year after year.

Warren, it would seem that the true test of the whole potato method would be to plant an acre of pieces right next to the whole potatoes and compare harvest results. That would be the proper methodology for a true comparison. Anything else introduces too many variables to control. Even so, I'm astounded at a production level over 52.5k lb per acre.

 

[JohnDeere4300]

When i plant my Potatoes i slice them in half and put the sliced end down in the ground. I also put fertilizer beside each half and then cover them up.

I have been planting them this way for over 20 years and they work fine for me, A couple of years ago we had so many potatoes that i left a row that was 100FT.long in the ground, and the next year they came back out, i thought they would rot through the winter, but did not.

The first time i ever planted potatoes i went and talked to a 93 old man, and ask him the best way to plant them and he said slice them in half. and there was 3 other old farmers that was from 75 to 90 that planted the same way.

 

[Chuck52]

Whether I cut a particular seed potato or not depends on the potato. The seed potatoes I get vary widely in size. Some are small B size, but many are huge. If I didn't cut the big ones I wouldn't get enough pieces from the typical 5lb bag to plant a 50' row. Now the left overs from last year are just right for planting whole. That's why they were left over! If we'd eaten them early, when they had nice tender skins, we could have cooked them without peeling, but they got left long enough to "russet", and were too small to peel. I'm sure if I was planting acres of potatoes, I'd make sure my seed potatoes were all more-or-less uniform in size so my planter would handle them. I do wonder how many eyes will develop on each planted potato. Do they all sprout, or does one sprout in a piece inhibit the other eyes?

Chuck

 

[Egon]

To cut seed potatoes or not to cut ???

Some Google wisdom indicates that it is an option. If you cut there seem to be some guidelines as to sise and number of eyes in each individual piece that could be followed. Contamination and spreading of disease is seen as an issue in commercial operations.

Some comercial operations may plant whole potatoes but these seem to specially grown to size for commercial planting. Not what you typically get in Hardware Store bought bag of seed .

Whatever; everyone should follow thgeir own Drummer as this will produce the best results.

An attached picture of a commercial Potato seed cutter.

 

[WarrenF]

Warren, it would seem that the true test of the whole potato method would be to plant an acre of pieces right next to the whole potatoes and compare harvest results. That would be the proper methodology for a true comparison. Anything else introduces too many variables to control. Even so, I'm astounded at a production level over 52.5k lb per acre.

jinman.....first of all let me be real clear, and if I have mislead anyone then I will apologize....now then, I think without looking it up.....that the average production rate for all potato's in this county is about 425 sacks per acre. The number I quoted you is what the farmer who last grew spuds on my place would regularly achieve. He is/was an exceptional farmer. He would also work 48 hours a day, ten days a week.

That being said, the county I live in here in this backwater state of Idaho, is one of the top producing farm counties in the nation. Now I must admit that what I just said is what my local State Representative told me. He lives not more than ten miles from me so if I have misstated I will drive to his place and slap him upside the head...... Let me give you an example of some of the production averages. Here in this county most farmers pout and think they have had a terrible year if they don't get around 200 bushels of grain per acre. Now granted that is an across the board number. Winter wheat usually about 185 bushels....spring wheat above 200 bushels.

Please do not get me wrong. While I am very proud of this county and my state.....I would never use those numbers to beat anyone upside the head. I like where I live and think it is a bit of heaven, until all the out of staters started moving in and jamming up our highways...... I also would dearly love to live out on the plains of South Dakota. There are farms out there that are 3000 acres all one section next to another section. I was out there in the spring of the yearr and the beauty of all those acres in corn and grain brought a tear to my eye.

Now then back on topic.....the farmers out here will tell you this....you can't have a big potato plant without a big potato. They have been growing potato's on some of this ground longer than most of you have been alive......so if that is what they do...that is what I will do.