Tater sprouts?

I planted a box o' taters yesterday. Tell me what you think about the following - if it was a good idea or not.

I rejected to nursery seed potatoes because they were too expensive and they were only russets, nothing special. So remembering that I had an old bag of potatoes kicking around, I went in search and found them. Some had sprouts over 6 inched long. In the course of picking a few to use, many of the longer sprouts broke off right at the point where it meets the potato.

So...to make a short story long, along with the homemade seed potatoes, I planted a couple of the sprouts. At the base of them they looked kike they had root nodules. I left the top or leaf area a few inches above the MM. Do you think this makes sense? Would their be any reason a sprout would not be viable without the potato?

The taters in the bag:


The planted taters and sprouts


The final location:

two reasons you shouldn't do this are: Okay maybe three?????????????

# 1 you have no ideal what you have planted a lot of market potatos are sprayed&treated to stop them from sprouting.

#2 the tubers feed off the potato you broke it off of it could stay green for a few days but I'd bet it doesn't, make a potato

#3 you have no ideal but you could have just openned you garden to many diseases.Hope I'm wrong???????????????????????????????????????????

HillbillyBob wrote:two reasons you shouldn't do this are: Okay maybe three?????????????

# 1 you have no ideal what you have planted a lot of market potatos are sprayed&treated to stop them from sprouting.

#2 the tubers feed off the potato you broke it off of it could stay green for a few days but I'd bet it doesn't, make a potato

#3 you have no ideal but you could have just openned you garden to many diseases.Hope I'm wrong???????????????????????????????????????????

Since they are already sprouted, it is rather a moot point. And since it is a done deal, I was not actually asking IF I should do it, but whether anyone thought the sprouts would grow or had any experience with that. It is a kind of experiment. And the last time I grew potatoes they were from a supermarket bag also.

And as far as diseases, I can do the same with tomatoes, cukes and many other things. Having my ancestors flee Ireland due to the blight, I am more than aware of what diseases might appear but I am in a better position than them. For one, I do not have fields of potatoes only and depend on it for my sustenance. And two, they are in a box and not in the garden so I will not even effect future nightshade crops. Should they get too diseasey (and they were likely treated pretty heavily for that too - possible moreso than seed potatoes) I will probably reuse the soil somewhere that is not vegetables. Any time I garden, it is open to disease. That is the way of the world.

So I take it your vote is that the sprouts will not grow. You may be right. I will let you know as the season wears on.

I think you will be fine Chopper. In fact, according to part of this blog I found, it sounds like planting just the sprout is actually a safer way to plant spuds. This seems to be a fairly reliable source I suppose??

http://www.growveg.com/growblogpost.aspx?id=180

The past 2 year I did the same thing ... the first year, I got back as many as I put in. 2nd year, the plants collapsed, not sure why, I got nothing. I am going to have to bite the bullet this year and go with some seed potatoes. I will be curious as how yours do. good luck!

I know that sweet potatoes are not the same as regular spuds, but my fingers are crossed for the rooted slips you put in.

Great site Rooster - thanks! I love how she says she roots them in brown paper lunch sacks indoors until the weather warms up enough - then just plants them in the ground as-is because by then the bags are already starting to deteriate. Awesome! It does seem like you've got a good shot Chopper!

So isn't that the bed you just cleaned out and got started for your new roomie? Are your potatoes going to share the bed with any other veggies?

gwennifer wrote:Great site Rooster - thanks! I love how she says she roots them in brown paper lunch sacks indoors until the weather warms up enough - then just plants them in the ground as-is because by then the bags are already starting to deteriate. Awesome! It does seem like you've got a good shot Chopper!

So isn't that the bed you just cleaned out and got started for your new roomie? Are your potatoes going to share the bed with any other veggies?

I am fascinated by what I learn on this site and in the experience of growing. Yes, that is the bed I just planted for my roomie/landlady. The potatoes are in a separate box next to the 4 X 4 new veggie garden. So it is on the idea of potatoes in a barrel. Now I am really optimistic about the slips. We shall see.

Chopper, I look forward to hearing how planting just the sprouts works for you.
I have planted sprouting store bought potatoes (red skinned) and gotten decent results. Those I planted in the spring gave me over 3 lbs in one square by the time the plant died down.
The late August planting of a store bought seed potato (long season) was disappointing, in that all potatoes were tiny at the time the plant died off, but there were 50 little spuds in 2 squares, with the largest about golf ball sized and the smallest about thumbnail sized. If the season had been longer, they might have done really done well.

I too am intrigued as to the use of planting rooted chits
I had always been told by my parents when I was a kid that you must have some of the host potato as well
IE.
Cut the potato in four so each part has at least one eye , dip it in lime to seal the wound and plant it does not matter which way the potatoes is it will still grow to the sky .. Quatering the seed potato was dads way of making seven pounds of seed potatoes give us 28 pounds worth of seed potatoes .
I think that one came from the research for Victory Gardens but it was using soil not a well made soilless growth medium like Mel's Mix.

Some of the prisoners of war that were on the farm where dad worked directly after the end of WW2 but before their repatriation thought they'd be clever and try to sabotage the crop by planting the chits down or rubbing the chits off .
The farmers wife saw what was happening and laughed at them & told them they were not so bright as they thought they were , being proved right when the crops came up as normal .


I think I too will have a play with primary rooted chits around the begining of April when the frosts have dropped off a bit . Perhaps getting the chits to form roots on the host potato by bunging them in a bucket of miost MM for a couple of weeks then taking it from there.

Chopper , the sprouted spuds in the tub.. are they at the final depth ?

OR
Have you started fairly low down in the box and are intending to back fill the bed with MM everytime the potatoe tops reach 4 inches above the current mix ... it's a kind of kind of making a barrel of spuds.

My last stacked barrel set of two x 2 foot high plastic barrels with a connecting sleeve was four feet tall , I ended up with nearly three feet of potatoes right up to the top the barrels .

If the spuds are at the final depth you could make an " EKE " or two which is a simple frame of wood put on the bed to increase the depth of the bed to say another 6 or 12 inches .

It enables you to " eke " out the crop and make it grow further.

plantoid wrote:Chopper , the sprouted spuds in the tub.. are they at the final depth ?

OR
Have you started fairly low down in the box and are intending to back fill the bed with MM everytime the potatoe tops reach 4 inches above the current mix ... it's a kind of kind of making a barrel of spuds.

My last stacked barrel set of two x 2 foot high plastic barrels with a connecting sleeve was four feet tall , I ended up with nearly three feet of potatoes right up to the top the barrels .

If the spuds are at the final depth you could make an " EKE " or two which is a simple frame of wood put on the bed to increase the depth of the bed to say another 6 or 12 inches .

It enables you to " eke " out the crop and make it grow further.

It is my final depth and I am going to back fill. I was simply going to accept the depth as is since that is what I have on hand. However, now you mention it, maybe I will add a riser if my plants get that big. I am looking forward to seeing how they do.

PLANTOID!!!

plantoid wrote:I ended up with nearly three feet of potatoes right up to the top of the barrels.

We talk about this a lot on the forum! Many of us have built up, up, up with our potatoes, and still only had potatoes on the very bottom when we harvested, leaving us to think we may as well not bother going up, and just make sure the bottom stays hilled up to keep the roots from sun exposure. So, pray tell, WHAT KIND OF POTATOES WERE YOU GROWING?

Thanks,
Gwen

The broken off sprouts that I planted have grown leaves! OK, one has. One looks bad and one might still produce. No leaves from the seed potatoes have broken through yet but I didn't expect them to yet.

I am actually a little excited. Now I just have to wait to see if any of these sprouts actually will grow potatoes but I do not see why not.

Had long sprouts that broke off the potato and seemed to have root nubs so planted in a container with come seed potatoes:


First leaves on one of the sprouts:

Exciting news indeed.

Looking forward to hearing how they continue to grow.

I like the picture. Such a humble start.

Im so glad for this thread.. I have said that once today.. was that here ? LOLOL

My potato seeds arrived yesterday. I am now wondering if my hoop house is warm enough for them, during the day Im sure they are.. its so hot in there. It was 70 f when I left at 3:30 pm, down to 56f tonight. I do know I want to start them or "chit" them? The potato garden the place I bought them from sent a sheet printer paper both sides printed on what to do with potatoes from starting them to planting them.

Cant wait to start those taters !
Ha-v-v

Ha-v-v wrote:Im so glad for this thread.. I have said that once today.. was that here ? LOLOL

My potato seeds arrived yesterday. I am now wondering if my hoop house is warm enough for them, during the day Im sure they are.. its so hot in there. It was 70 f when I left at 3:30 pm, down to 56f tonight.

Cant wait to start those taters !
Ha-v-v

I am sure it is warm enough. It has gone down as low as 34 since I planted those and they have been outside the whole time. Potatoes like it cool. And they are cool. LOL

I can't wait to see your taters ha-v-v! I still have the link and will for sure be getting mine from there. Especially since it's here in Colorado!
I was at the garden center the other day and actually meant to ask where they got their seed spuds from.
And love your avatar by the way! Forgot all about Jonny Quest!

Chopper, I think that's awesome news and I really hope you keep this thread alive and us updated

The way to get spuds up the barrel is to fill the tub up two inches every time you get four inches of potato top above the growth medium and keep the thing moist .
Don't let the tops get to seven inches tall then decide to fill the tub up so only a tiny tip of leaf is showing for the stems will have hardened and the potatoes growth nodes will have died off .
Remember also that when growing in a barrel /tub /scak the plant will need more nutrients after about five weeks and then a liquid feed at regular intervals till the tops die off .
Tomato feed is useful for feeding this as is seaweed extract .

When you notice the tops dying cut them off and keep them well away from any other potatoes , tomatoes or relatives in the same species lest you get blight started in your crops

I am sure it is warm enough. It has gone down as low as 34 since I planted those and they have been outside the whole time. Potatoes like it cool. And they are cool. LOL

Ok that is good to know, I have them in the bags they came in, the net bags at the moment sitting in the hoop house. I am thinking about what to put them in while they "sprout" or chitt? lololol I am going to look up that word and thought later, pooped now. I want to have them sprout, so Im hoping that happens. I want this to work so bad!! I am going to experiment with the red norlands, they have already sprouted, they are an early variety. I am going to put them in a bucket and see what happens One of them anyway.

I keep thinking I am rushing things its so warm lately.
Ha-v-v

Wow plantoid. I think I learned more from that little paragraph than anything else I read. Especially about when to 'hill up'. Before I waited until they were at least 6 inches tall. Very good info.

And once you cut off the dead leaves are they reay to harvest or do the taters themselves keep growing?

rooster,
I loved Johnny Quest growing up

plantoid wrote:When you notice the tops dying cut them off and keep them well away from any other potatoes , tomatoes or relatives in the same species lest you get blight started in your crops

Should I not put the tops in the compost heap then?

Defo not to put potato or tomato stuff in the compost heaps apparently ....will consult my oracles a bit later on .

Stopped growing .. Err I don't know .. as long as there is greenery they will grow but when tops die off and brown i suspect it is all over bar the shouting.

plantoid wrote:Defo not to put potato or tomato stuff in the compost heaps apparently ....will consult my oracles a bit later on .

Good to know, thanks! (First time composting)