Return to the Vegetable Gardening Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
Soft Seed Potatoes
| | |
Posted by raymondo17 z9 Sacramento (My Page) on Sun, Feb 8, 09 at 14:32
| Last week I bought some seed potatoes. The instructions read to chop them into small pieces (each containing a few eyes) then leave them for a few days to callus over before planting. Well, now they're a little spongy to the touch and covered with mold spots. Are they still viable? Will potatoes still sprout from 'em? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Soft Seed Potatoes
| | |
| It is natural for Irish potatoes to shrivel and get spongy as they lose water content. Unusual for them to mold, however. I think I would wash off the mold before I cut them. The shriveling will not hurt them as seed potatoes. If the mold occured after you cut them, Then there was too much in the drying environment. Should not hurt them in couple of days. |
RE: Soft Seed Potatoes
| | |
| The problems you are describing are exactly the reason why I greatly dislike cutting seed potatos. I always try to pick out small to medium sized ones that can be planted whole. Cut surfaces can be an invita |
RE: Soft Seed Potatoes
| | |
| Thanks for the input. I planted the spongy taters, mold and all, and will keep my fingers crossed. |
RE: Soft Seed Potatoes
| | |
| Well, the taters never did come up. :( Assuming I could find some seed potatoes somewhere, would it be too late to start over and plant some new ones? We're just starting to get our first doses of near-70 degree weather this week. |
RE: Soft Seed Potatoes
| | |
| I too pick out small seed potatoes to plant. If I have no choice, but to get big ones I'll cut them in two pieces. One thing that I learned to do has greatly helped with the potatoes coming up is to presprout the potatoes inside. I take the seed potatoes and put them in a single layer in a shallow box. I put them near a sunny place. Little plants start to grow out of the eyes. No watering is needed because the sprouts will get what they need from the tubers. They'll shrink up a little bit. After 3-4 weeks the sprouted potatoes are hardy enough to be cut in half if need be. I like to plant the potatoes shallowly so the sprouts will be up ASAP to take advantage of photosynthesis. Sometimes crows will pull some of my potatoes up. I just replant a tad deeper and really pack the dirt around the potatoes. As far as planting potatoes again this year, call up a garden center or get ahold of someone from the Sacramento Extension Service. Fresh potatoes taste so great, good luck. |
RE: Soft Seed Potatoes
| | |
If you bought certified seed potatoes, cut them and left them to callous some, it is normal for them to look brown, feel spongy and appear moldy after a few days. I don't think this is harmful, it just looks like mold. Last year, my cut potatoes sat for about 2 weeks after cutting as we had torrential rains and I was unable to plant.
Just make sure to keep them in a single layer exposed to air after they are cut. After planting, mine grew just fine.
Many years ago when my father grew potatoes for wholesale, we planted the same day the potatoes were cut. |
RE: Soft Seed Potatoes
| | |
| Agree, if would highly unlikely for none of them emerge. You may be too impatient. I planted Mid February, don't expect emergence until April. While we had temps in the high 80's last week, don't want up untill frost diminishes.We still have April frosts and the blackberry winter to go. |
RE: Soft Seed Potatoes
| | |
| >You may be too impatient. I planted Mid February, don't expect emergence until April.< Really? The potatoes I throw in my compost pile seem to sprout very quickly, while the ones I carefully planted, nada. I would have thought they'd sprout very quickly. |
RE: Soft Seed Potatoes
| | |
| The ones you throw in your compost pile are probably starting to sprout already (I'm guessing that's why you threw them in the pile?). I'm chitting (pre-sprouting) my potatoes this year. I'm curious how well it will work. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Tales of a Transplanted Gardener
RE: Soft Seed Potatoes
| | |
| Actually it is because of the heat in a compost pile. Soil takes awhile to heat up. |
RE: Soft Seed Potatoes
| | |
| I would plant some again and see what happens....what have you got to lose! I noticed yesterday I had a potato plant growing in my compost pile! I tried planting some potatoes in January and they were hit hard by a frost and the tops looked really bad...so I pulled them up and threw them in the compost pile. Surprise...They probably would have been alright if I had left them in the ground! |
Here is a link that might be useful: How my garden grows!
RE: Soft Seed Potatoes
| | |
| Whoo hoo! You were right! I just needed a bit more patience. They're all comin' up now! Yay! Thanks for the input, everybody. Happy St. Paddy's Day! |
|
|
|
|
