potatoes from seed

[crazytomato]

I have orded potatoseed by a seedcompany here in the netherlands.That would be a new challange for me as gardener.Dont have any experience with growing potatoes from seed,so i want to ask who has ever grown potatoes from seed.Some one here said to me it is almost the same as growing onions from seed,but i have so my doubts.When do i started with sowing the seeds.Can i re-plant them or do i sow them right on the spot.

[hiven]

Hi CT, I am starting my TPS next year too and from the infos I have gathered, you should sow them in modules/cells 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost, which means you will probably have to sow them indoor (or in heated green house) like starting tomatoes as they can't take frost and when they have 2 to 3 real leaves, move them to bigger pot.

I believe there are quite a lot of HG member growing spuds from TPS, just wait a while, you should hear their method...good luck!

[grunt]

Here's the definitive site for potatoes from seed: tatermater.proboards107.com/index.cgi?
Hiven is right, about treating them the same as you would tomatoes from seed, but there is better info on TaterMater.
Cheers
Dan

[ottawagardener]

I am interested in trying this next year when hopefully some of my potatoes develop fruit. I remember on a lark collecting some seed several years back before I had even heard of people doing this, but I lost it so didn't get a chance to try it out. I figured it would be similar to starting tomatoes from seed.

[canadamike]

Well Telsing, you know where a certain Michel resides...he has thousands.....and thousands....and thousands...and thousands of tps ;D...to unload...

[ottawagardener]

Michel, my dear, what with your potato tubers, I'll think I'll have to wait until next year unless I also get an allotment out in my hubby's name (the thought has crossed my mind) as well as my own but for now I'll stick to the 200 by 200 square feet or so that I work by hand.

However, next year once several experimental projects are off the ground and requiring less of my help, I'll be free to experiment some more. ;D

[canadamike]

200 x 200 is almost an acre my dear...I sure can download many tps on you ..

[michaeljohnson]

At one time-in the UK various companies were offering ancient potato varieties derived from Merristem cultures, one of which was probably the worlds best potato- the old Irish (Champion) variety-with which one could do absolutely anything, boil,fry,roast,mash etc-wonderful flavour. but the novelty of potatoes done in this way seems to have dropped off a bit this last couple of years.
But speaking personally the very best potatoes that I have ever eaten in my life were from a farm near where I used to live as a young man, and they were a mistake by the farmer-in as much as they were supposed to be first earlies (Arrun Pilot) usually harvested as new potatoes when quite small, but he fell ill, and they were left in the ground right through until late autumn, by that time they had become very large-if not giants, as some of them weighed over three pounds each, but the flavour was outstanding, they were grown on a field which had been well manured with winter crew yard cattle manure in the spring.

[Rebsie]

Michel, you can offload some of that TPS on me ... don't worry, I can take it. ;D

I don't know what happened to the meristem-culture potato supply in the UK ... they used to be in all the catalogues and now seem to have disappeared. My guess is that there's not enough demand for them to make it worthwhile, given that they're eye-wateringly expensive and it takes two years to get a decent crop from them ... not much appeal to a generation of modern gardeners raised on Ground Force telly programmes who want instant gratification from their gardens. As inconvenient as they were, they did enable some very rare and special varieties to be cultivated which would not normally be available as seed potatoes.

I bought some Witch Hill and some Mr Little's Yetholm Gypsy microplants a few years ago. They were a total and utter pain in the arse for the first year or two, but worth the trouble in the long run. The Yetholm Gypsy (which is marbled pink, purple and cream in a beautiful swirl like the surface of the planet Jupiter and also tastes superb) has become my favourite potato. Witch Hill doesn't look as spectacular but is a flavour benchmark. I'm glad I bought them when I did as they've become very scarce again.

[ottawagardener]

An acre, wow, didn't realize that. Some of that space are friends gardens and some people pay me... it's good exercise I suppose. Actually I love it.

[Alan]

Mike, I know a guy named Alan that would love a ton of TPS seed as he now has access to a third farm to grow them on! LOl, I'll take any you want to send. Disease resistance is a necessity, cooking quality in any form is next to be considered, and as always I like color in my food.

Thanks buddy!

[biorag]

Mike, I know another more reasonable guy name Gérard who will content himself with 5 to 10 varieties.

Thank you Michel !

[canadamike]

GUYS, they are a mix. As for disease resistance, Alan you know the source, and there is much variability in the results. I am not sure you know what you are getting into, Alan, each seed is a new cultivar or so...lots of evaluation to do... but hey, your wishes are orders guys

[plantsnobin]

Mike, could you throw in a few extra with Alan's order?

[Rebsie]

"Each seed is a new cultivar ..."

Yeah, that's my idea of paradise.