Potatoes vs Seed Potatoes

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DCarrington Riverview, NB(Zone 5b) Sep 16, 2005

Lets say someone sends me a potatoe. Lets say I want to grow more of the same kind of potatoe rather than eat it. Can I save that potatoe someone sent me and plant it in the spring? or Do I have to have a "seed" potatoe of that same kind in order to have more of the same potatoe?

Thanks

Darrell

Post #1762634
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Farmerdill Augusta, GA(Zone 8a) Sep 16, 2005

Darrell. Seed potatoes have to be certified. That is to say 1. that they are true to the labeled cultivar, and 2. That they are free of specific diseases. Other than that a potato is a potato. Commercial producers of table stock may treat with sprout inhibitors which make some grocery store potatoes iffy as seed potatoes. The biggest reason for using certified seed is to avoid introducing a disease.

Post #1762702
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adkgardener Bloomingdale, NY(Zone 4a) Sep 16, 2005

I got a good crop of potatoes from potatoes that were sprouting in the bag this past spring. The potatoes were grown in fields a few miles from here and obviously weren't treated with an effective sprout inhibitor.

Next year, I'll be buying seed potatoes from the same farm because I want to try a new cultivar (Adirondack Red)

You should be ok using your friends potato if you're sure the crop was clean of diseases. But Farmerdill is right, with supermarket potatoes you never can tell what you are getting.

Wayne

Post #1762811
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DCarrington Riverview, NB(Zone 5b) Sep 16, 2005

I wanted some potatoes from the US. They are "Specialty" kinds of potatoes. I can't seem to find the seed potatoes up here. I mean, the kind I want to grow. I found the potatoes at "Bigelow Associated Seed Potatoes", http://www.bigelowfarms.com/csp_var.html but when I sent them an email and then called them, they told me they didn't have any seed potatoes. Go figure. Maybe it's the wrong time of year to ask for them, I don't know. I didn't want them now anyway. I wanted them in the spring. I was only trying to find a source for them.

I wanted:

Cherry Red
Huckleberry
Durango
All Blue
French Fingerling
Russian Fingerling aka Russian Banana

I called the Ag Department here and I was able to find two potatoes that aren't on the list above, Yukon Gold and Bintje. I really need to find a source for a few of these potatoes.

After I find them and grow them, can I save them for the following year as "seed potatoes"?

Post #1762840
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Zeppy Shenandoah Valley, VA(Zone 6b) Sep 16, 2005

I use this company in Maine, and have been thrilled with the high yield from these seed potatoes. We grew Carola and will do so again in addition to another variety (haven't chosen yet). DarrellR, they have All Blue and Cranberry Red, and a Russian fingerling. http://www.woodprairie.com/catalog/index.html

Here are some other sources:
http://www.milkranch.com/Potato/GardenData.aspx?Var=YG
(they have all the kinds you want, I think. I've never used them. They're of course sold out but should have everything for spring.)

http://www.ghorganics.com/Seedsources.html
(whole list of places)

good luck

Post #1763036
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