# Growing potatoes



## Elinor0987 (May 28, 2010)

I've never grown potatoes but have looked into the process a little bit. As I understand it, you wait until a potato starts to sprout and cut squares around the sprouts, let them dry for about a week, and then they're ready to plant. Would they still sprout if someone waited a few months before planting? All of the articles and videos I've seen about it have all mentioned planting them within a few days or a week but none have ever mentioned being able to wait longer before planting.


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## Startingout-Blair (Aug 28, 2012)

We grow potatoes every year. We keep them in the root cellar all winter. In the spring, we take the good ones that have several sprouts growing and basically quarter the potato according to the sprouts without making them too small. Dig a row, place the potato pieces in and cover. If you have good soil, they should grow. Watch out for potato bugs and other potato funguses. Good luck!


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## Elinor0987 (May 28, 2010)

Startingout-Blair said:


> We grow potatoes every year. We keep them in the root cellar all winter. In the spring, we take the good ones that have several sprouts growing and basically quarter the potato according to the sprouts without making them too small. Dig a row, place the potato pieces in and cover. If you have good soil, they should grow. Watch out for potato bugs and other potato funguses. Good luck!


So it would be better to store the potatoes whole and only cut them right before planting? That seems to make more sense.


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

We also grow potatoes. Some years we have a great crop, others we just dont know what we did wrong. But I take any that we have with eyes or else go buy some organic potatoes and let them sprout. If I buy them, I buy the smaller ones, so I dont have to cut. You want them to be around golf ball size. We lay them on the ground, cover with dirt, as they grow, cover with straw (leaving the tops exposed), next time, dirt, next time straw and so on. When they flower we dont cover them anymore. Pray for a good crop.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Elinor0987 said:


> Would they still sprout if someone waited a few months before planting?


As long as they aren't all dried out and shriveled up they should be OK.


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## Startingout-Blair (Aug 28, 2012)

Yes. Don't cut until ready to plant


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## Elinor0987 (May 28, 2010)

lilmissy0740 said:


> But I take any that we have with eyes or else go buy some organic potatoes and let them sprout.


I've heard that commercial growers spray the potatoes with a chemical that helps prevent sprouting. If they're kept long enough some of them eventually will. Some people soak them in water but I don't know how much of the chemical it removes.



UncleJoe said:


> As long as they aren't all dried out and shriveled up they should be OK.


With my luck, they probably would be. For a little while I've been stocking up on seeds and so far I'm off to an ok start (I have a shoebox full of seeds). It occurred to me the other day that I didn't have anything stored or even a plan for potatoes. They seem to be an easy plant to grow and it doesn't look like they require much maintenance. Then I had a problem because unlike regular seeds that can be kept in a packet for a while, they will rot if kept too long and I was trying to figure out how to keep them longer. I'm going to buy bags of different varieties and set a few of each aside just for growing purposes. They'll be rotated out and replaced with newer ones.


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## Startingout-Blair (Aug 28, 2012)

We've been using the same potatoes for decades. We just use what's left from last year to plant the next. Also, parsnips are a great root vegetable too! One they take hold, they seem to replenish theirselves every year without any planting. They are a bit bitier, but great roasted, mashed alone, or mixed with potatoes and last a good while in a root cellar


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

Elinor, my favorite potatoes are Yukon Gold. When I am ready to plant, I cut them up so each piece has an eye. The eye is where the plant is going to sprout. I put them out to dry for a day then plant. As the plants grow, I mound up the dirt around them so only a couple inches is sticking out. I grow my potatoes in raised beds so it is easy to dig them up when it is time to harvest. 

Originally, I got my seed potatoes from the farmers co-op but now I just keep some from what I grow. Homegrown potatoes are so much better than store bought.


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## Startingout-Blair (Aug 28, 2012)

Definitely Kejmack, and they store better as well!


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

You do not have to wait for them to sprout before you plant. We have always cut them just before we plant. You can buy any bag of potatoes from Walmart or where ever and cut them into quarters or so and plant them(might get better results with seed potatoes). After the plants are well growing (10"to 12") you can "hill" them by pulling dirt up around the base of the plant to make a mound.


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## neldarez (Apr 10, 2011)

Elinor0987 said:


> So it would be better to store the potatoes whole and only cut them right before planting? That seems to make more sense.


You cut them just as you're ready to plant them, I always make sure I have about 3 eyes to each section I cut.......


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