Can I Plant Store Bought Potatoes? - What Are Certified Seed Potatoes and Do I Need Them?

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[daveinDc]

Ok, not a clue who this guy is, but I love him. When did Michael Rooker start a garden channel? 😊

[GardeningAndGod]

I'm starting my garbage bag potato grow based off one of your videos this week. Can't wait to see what happens.

[cangel]

Funny thing I was just talking with my parents and they have been growing potatoes for 70 years, not just in a little garden a whole field of potatoes. I asked them what is the difference between seed and store potatoes. They said don’t exactly know but last year they got a new variety beside the Kanebec that they haven’t planted before and they ran one field row short. They went back home and planted some of the previous year crop of Kenebec potatoes. There was a stark difference in the yield between the seed and own Kenebec. So they said with all of the work that goes into growing we are not going to be counting pennies when you get half a yield less.

[maybenot]

I found you via Pinball today and so happy I did! I have a feeling you're going to get a ton of new subscribers. Please consider posting a PO BOX for those of us who would like to donate but don't want PayPal. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. ❤from southwestern PA ❤

[johngault]

Thank you for the content. I"m in zone 9b in central florida and according to the UF IFAS extension, Nov -Feb is when I should plant potatoes. I'm unable to find seed potatoes. I'm fairly new at gardening, so I'll need to plan accordingly next time. I will try some organic yukon gold store bought potatoes and see how they do.

[cherylstarke]

A couple of years ago I purchased truly "seed" potato called Clancy. I finally planted a small experimental batch in soil blocks. They are up and growing. We shall see how they do. Love your videos !!!

[colebesaw]

I bought quite a few lbs of different variety of seed potatoes this year online. I was surprised at how expensive they were so I will definitely plan on saving some of ours for next year.

We had a bag of organic Yukon gold that we didn’t eat in time and started sprouting right about the time we were going to plant so we also planted those. We’ll see if there’s a difference in our yield between those and the Yukon gold seed potatoes we bought. Wasn’t intentional but I’m always down for an experiment!

[remley]

I love in EXTREME southern Alabama, litterally the Gulf of Mexico is 100 yards south of my house. My backyard has a full canopy of pine trees and is definitely full shade, to the point where my house isn't even viewable on Google Earth and there is a 30 foot tall sand doon that forms the Southern most perimeter of my yard. The soil is mostly sand and the water tabe is about 1 foot below the surface. I litterally live on an island. DeSoto landed in America 500 years ago about a quarter mile from my house. Last year my stepdad came down with cancer and had a bag of grocery store red norlens that he'd bought, and let sit in the garage for 2 months, prior to his cancer treatments and at the midpoint of his radiation, he gave them to me to plant, as he just couldn't and I happened to mention that I wanted to try growing potatoes. I tended them, mulched, hilled and fertilized them with miracle grow for 3 months, 32 plants sprang fourth and all produced, but in the end, we only got about a 1 gallon size collender full of potatoes. They tasted good and most were much smaller than the ones I planted. There may have been one or two that would have been the size of new potatoes at best in the bunch. I'm not sure what I did wrong. Thankfully, Tony is better now and back to normal and outworks me, but he just thought this was normal. I'm not sure if maybe it's the variety that he always planted typically has a low yeild in the second generation of if it's the shady conditions in which we both plant. I'm going to buy my seed potatoes tomorrow and I will probably go with Russet or Golden potatoes this year, but I wonder if maybe it's just that the particular strain of potatoes that we both typically plant simply just are bred for first year performance, or if full shade and sandy soil is a problem for red potatoes. I'm going to try the russet or Golden potatoes from certified seed and mulch and fertilize them well in the same spot and trim as many tree limbs as possible and hopefully get a better yield. I do understand that some species of plants do this, like carrots for instance, produce grocery store type carrots only once, then the next year, produce only wild carrots, which are far smaller. Strawberrys tend to do the same. I'm not sure if red potatoes are just a one time crop, or if it's my lighting or soil that is the issue. We live on Dauphin Island Alabama, a subtropical region of America that gets typically about the same rainfall as Portland Or Seattle in any given season. I only had to water my potatoes and tomatoes 2 or 3 times, during unusually dry periods. It typically rains once a day, but might occasionally skip a day or two. And the typical rain in our area is far more intense than Portland Or Seattle and is more than enough to keep tomatoes and potatoes happy for a 2 to 3 day period. It certainly wasn't a water issue. Curious on what you think that I could do to improve my potato yield. I'm new to this, but I'm thinking that perhaps seed potatoes, grown with the intention of being seed potatoes and intended to produce full size offspring might be the solution. I planted 5 different tomatoes varieties, all beefsteak variants in the same bed with the same soil and light, yet we got only 2 tomatoes. I'm not sure if this is possibly helpful in diagnosing my problem or not. I'm considering growing tomatillios this year, in place of tomatoes, as I am given to understand that they are more shade tolerant than tomatoes.

[LorinPartain]

I live in Idaho, and we can't order seed potatoes online. No on will ship into Idaho !!! LOL weird.

[Livingsamsara]

My friend - who has an extensive garden here in zone 8 [South Carolina] swears by purchasing organic potatoes (even sweet potatoes) and he *rinses them off* [apparently to remove any inhibitor so idk anything about that] but considering he is vegetarian and only eats what he grows, save for oatmeal, he swears by his large yield.

[cookiemama]

Question: Do you quarter the potatoes for planting?
I'm loving your videos! Thank you!

[skittlesskittles]

Awesome. 👍🏻👍🏻 How should we store a seed potato for next season?

[booswalia]

I plant the organic ones that I get from a local market because I figure they've done all the trials for what will grow best without chemicals. (I live in PEI Canada where I'm surrounded by fields of the big russet potatoes grown for the fast food industry and frozen market.) Organic is a must. Don't ever buy conventional seed potatoes.

[jend]

What is the best way to store potato tubers for the next year?

[Lmmixs]

Can i plant hybrid potato again and again, because granola potatoes is comes from two variety crossed

[cherylanon]

but, certified seed potatoes are probably GMO potatoes. I really prefer non-GMO taters. I get good to great results with organic non-GMO potatoes from our local natural foods coop, I buy them in March, presprout and plant out late April (we are up in the North). Would love to save some year to year, but we usually run out since they're so delicious! P.S. have you seen the prices for non-GMO seed potatoes...good heavens who can afford it, when adding shipping they are over $20/lb. What I get in person (can select which ones I want, checking the eyes) is usually $5/lb, organic non-GMO and usually locally grown as well.

[DDGLJ]

What is truly ironic and counterproductive is you can’t get certified seed potatoes shipped to MT because we grow potatoes, so no potatoes allowed. Which of course leads to people planting store bought potatoes that may or may not be disease free. 🙄

[resist_or_die]

if seed potato strains need certification for genetics, this implies sellers lie about the potatoes they sell... does this actually happen out there or ?

[Mr]

I just can't figure why you would go through the extra steps to plant from Slips.. when seed potatoes appear to do great. Please enlighten me, (Zone 10) I must be not understanding

[nelsontan]

Hi sir I have try using my kitchen sprouted potatoes to grow it but at end the sprouted potatoes decompost and not successful can you please advise cos I am a new learner thank you.