Can you start a potato plant simply with a grocery store potato?

Or do you have to buy something special?

I have read the posts from those of you who grow potatoes...but I havent quite been able to glean how you started them?

I've got potatoes growing that were store spuds. My youngest wanted to try with some that were soft and covered in eyes so I said what the heck... I've got 12 plants growing happily now.

Thanks!

So do you wait till they are soft and have eyes? Is that the general rule?

Im very new at growing potatoes. :-D My first year was last year and I had bad soil and no knowledge of what to do for any veggies let alone potatoes. I did plant them deep in the ground last year. This year Im trying Mel's method in one box, planting and then layering as the leaves come up. Today !! I saw my first leaves out of the soil for the russets. I also have some blue Adirondacks I'm planting in a "feaux" SFG area. I am going to companion plant those potatoes with corn and peas, maybe a few melons.

I don't have a ton of knowledge, but I like to read. I put a link in on how to grow potatoes, its the Google page I found with a lot of ideas how to plant potatoes, rather than give you a lot of links, you can see them this way. The next link is a place I found for organic potato seeds. Ive not used them yet. I have the page saved and plan for next year.
Its my understanding store bought potatoes are usually sprayed with an inhibitor of some sort to stop them from sprouting, but if I have a potato with eyes Im gonna try it :-D That's just my motto I like to try things and see. Especially if I can't find something or have to wait for funds. (today I planted a store bought garlic bulb) I got a square out of it. We will see how they do, they do have some green sprouts some of them, some don't.

I do know that the folks here will have a ton of ideas for you Someone here uses a trash can method of planting I wish I could remember who. (Im still new here ) I like that idea, the soil is all contained and then when you want to harvest you tip it over onto a tarp and tada !! you have potatoes.

How to grow potatoes

Organic Seed Potatoes

Happy Gardening
Ha-v-v

You don't have to wait until they're soft... but do wait until you see some growth from the eyes. Store potatoes are treated to prevent sprouting, so if you wait until you see growth, you'll know that it'll grow. Would be a shame to plant potatoes that are paying attention to whatever it is 'they' use to prevent sprouts.

Once your potatoes start to sprout you can cut up one potato that has more than one eye ... let it sit in the air over night after you cut it into chunks to seal the open side ... then plant each growing eye piece to get several plants from one potato.

Amazing.

Thanks folks!

The only caution I've seen about using food potatoes for seed is that they aren't certified disease-free. There is a risk you could introduce some type of soil disease or potato blight into your soil by planting grocery-store potatoes.

If you have my kind of patience (none!), put the potato brtween two layer of cloth (burlap works great) and keep moist. You'll see in about three to four days if the eyes are going to sprout or not. Don't let them get more than an inch long or you'll risk breaking them off.

I got about 25 potato plants growing in my melon box, I had used a composte from the kitchen and it had peelings in it. Eyes I dont know but they started growing like weeds. Theu got plucked and chunked as I already had plenty in the tater high rise