How to Force Eyes to Make Your Own Seed Potatoes!

Seed potatoes can get expensive! In today's episode I will be showing you how to make your own seed potatoes using store bought potatoes. We are forcing eyes on the to get the seed potatoes ready to plant this spring. Come along and let's grow big!

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[tammiebaney]

40 years ago I can remember my dad giving us kids a bushel of saved potatoes.we sat on the ground under the apple tree. Our task was to cut the potatoes so each piece had 2 to 3 eyes on each piece. He then placed them on a screen in the tobacco shed to scab over, or for the cut sides to dry. These were planted. We harvested 30 wooden crates full. Stored them in the root cellar. It fed our family of six all year with plenty to cut and chit for next year.

[andersonomo]

I had roughly .5kg of store bought potatoes that sprouted and so popped them into a corner of the veggie patch that wasn't going to be used - and later dug up 6kg of potatoes! Wish all my investments were that fruitful! They were such fun to dig up and tasted great, so it's something I'll definitely do again.

[BradfordHomestead]

Thanks Luke! A ‘chit load’ of information 😂❤️

[MynewTennesseeHome]

I've learned if your ground doesn't freeze or if the potatoes are below the freeze line they'll overwinter in the ground. I know this because I always miss a few small ones at harvest and I'll be surprised by volunteers the next year.

[Clarinda]

Hey Luke, I recently discovered that we can place potatoes on a bed of straw and they grow eyes, those eyes can be popped off and planted in a dixie or a solo cup, and they grow plants! The seed potato will then grow more eyes so you can get a ton of plants from each potato. It's much the same as pulling shoots off sweet potatoes except it's pulling the eyes before they form shoots. I'm thrilled to get 36 or 48 plants off each potato. I'd love to see you make a video on this.

[berniekirk]

I have gardened for many years. I had never grown taters as I have limited space. Last year my mother let some potatoes grow eyes accidentally. She asked me to throw away the bag, so I said let me try planting a few on the edge of the garden. No room for hilling just cut up a few and planted in a row. Plants were very healthy and I got a good return. I enjoyed the treasure hunt as I dug a few plants at a time. Definitely going to plant a few more this year.

[Warrior-In-the-Garden]

Great video! I always wondered what the difference between seed potatoes and store potatoes was. Chitting potatoes....it's all fun and games until some loses an eye!😂

[shelly]

A few years back I bought one bag of seed potatoes at Walmart when I lived in Washington State. They produced great potatoes. I dug a few out of my raised beds for breakfast every morning. I had potatoes sprouting in my kitchen so I planted them and they also turned out great! I planted more potatoes later in the year, and got more delicious potatoes in the fall. So fun, easy and very rewarding. I recently moved to Upstate NY and plan to grow potatoes again.

[gracefulgrowing]

Thank you for this video. My husband and I were talking about buying seed potatoes this weekend. Now I'm buying Organic Potatoes this weekend. I'm in Knightstown Indiana so my last frost date is May 3rd. I love your videos. You have educated me on many things. Never too old to learn!

[rosem]

I didn't know that the number of eyes is the same at any size. This video was very useful as I want to do red potatoes next year, as I finally managed to grow whites this year. Thanks!

[Balaams_Donkey]

I like to repurpose the 2' x 3' hallway air filters to cure and even store potatoes on. The ridges created by the filter folds make it easy to keep them separate and from rolling around if I need to move the "trays" around. I too, toss an old towel over them to keep them in the dark and put them in a cool room till I eat them or plant them.

My first potatoes ever were store bought organic from Trader Joe's. I get my "seed" from them with every crop. We typically plant two crops in California - February and August. I am experimenting this year. I started a few 25gl grow bags in December to see if I can harvest sooner because last year it was so hot by summer harvest production just wasn't as nice as the fall planting.

[geraldineheywood]

I just received my seed order today 🙌 Thank you. I'm so excited to start them when it's time. I bought a bag of organic sweet potatoes today to grow slips. Never thought about it in the past, but your video got me excited to try. Thanks for your fun videos 😊

[traceydysert]

Neat! Never knew you could grow potatoes this way! I always stick them in a dark cabinet and let them grow. Good to know that you can grow them a different way and get them started a lot sooner! Thanks Luke.

[Rural-UrbanDivide]

Some great info I actually haven't heard anywhere else, had no clue it was the ambient humidity that's enough to help start sprouting! Such a valid timed video with the current cost of food prices & people not wanting to waste! Best way to reuse is to regrow!👌👏🙌

[shaylah]

Great instructions. I've grown potatoes for 4 years now but never thought to start my own seed potatoes. Going to get this started in the next couple of weeks

[marthafearsme]

I have chickens and friends save egg cartons for me. I find these work well for Chitting. Good air circulation and I save egg sized potatoes for seed or buy baby organic ones. I also store the ones I am using for seeds in a partially open zip bag in my garden refer. Keeps them from sprouting too soon. I do not like cutting potatoes, they rot too easily. Good info, thank you. I bought my first grow bags for potatoes, really excited to try them.

[pennisauer]

even buying organic potatoes at our local whole foods will be so much cheaper than buying seed potatoes. and those red potatoes in my cupboard will be going into the garden, too. thanks for the info and a clear explanation of the process. off to the store i go!

[happiest.northwest]

Thanks, Luke! I really appreciate all of your videos. Good Luck on this garden season 2023. I can't wait to see more videos.

[DustySplinters]

Good tips, here's another... once the chits stat, get them in the sun or under UV.
You really want to keep their sprouts short but strong.
You want to have some real fun, on Jan 1st, set your tater to chit and then once they are about an inch, pull them off the taters and place in Seed starter.
yes, get them growing. Solo cups work fine and once they are fully rooted in the cups, up pot them and possible up pot again before Spring planting.
Meanwhile the taters can be eaten or left to chit again.
It is like getting 2-3x the amount of plants form the same tater.
I'm experimenting with this for the 2nd year and I just got started late.
Next year it is my New Years Day plan.

[donnayoung]

Great video full of details that you can’t get anywhere else. Great job, Luke!